Energy Hearts

Share a tray of fruit- and nut-packed energy bites with family and friends this Valentine’s Day. You can swap the pistachios for your favorite nuts, or try cardamom instead of ground cinnamon.

Serves: 20Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 20 minutesDifficulty: Easy

Serves: 20

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Kroger® Old-Fashioned Whole Grain Oats, divided
  • 1 package (5 oz.) dried cherries (about ¾ cup)
  • 1/2 cup pitted whole dates
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios
  • 2 teaspoons gingerroot, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kroger® Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Private Selection™ 100% Pure Maple Syrup

Directions

  • Line small baking pan with waxed paper.
  • In food processor bowl, process ¼ cup oats until coarsely ground. Sprinkle half the ground oats on waxed paper. Reserve remaining ground oats for sprinkling on top of hearts.
  • In same food processor bowl, process the ¼ cup unground oats and the remaining ingredients 1 minute, stopping occasionally and scraping bowl as necessary, until mixture is evenly ground.
  • Place fruit mixture on waxed paper. Pat with fingers into ½” thickness (about 6”x7” square).
  • Sprinkle 1 teaspoon remaining ground oats over top of fruit mixture.
  • Cut with 1“-1 ½” heart-shaped cookie cutter. Reshape excess fruit mixture and recut, dusting with remaining ground oats.
  • Cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.