No-Bake Apple Bars

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup spiced apple butter 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
• 3 cups corn flakes/bran flakes whole grain total®
• 1.5 cups apples dried finely chopped
• 0.3 cup sunflower seeds 
• 0.3 cup golden raisins 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.3 cup honey 
• 0.3 cup peanut butter 
• 0.5 cup pecans chopped
• 0.5 cup oats 

Equipment

• frying pan
• aluminum foil
• ziploc bags
• rolling pin
• dutch oven
• meat tenderizer

Directions

1. Line bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the apples and 1/4 cup of the pecans over bottom of pan.
3. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and coarsely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet. Set aside.
4. In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat 1/2 cup of the apples, the honey, raisins and brown sugar to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until hot and bubbly; remove from heat.
5. Stir peanut butter into cooked mixture until melted. Stir in apple butter and cinnamon. Stir in oats and sunflower nuts until well mixed. Stir in crushed cereal.
6. Press mixture very firmly (or bars will crumble) and evenly onto apples and pecans in pan.
7. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup apples and 1/4 cup pecans; press lightly into bars. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until set. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.