Easy California Prune Oatmeal Squares
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This post has been sponsored by The California Prune Board. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Kroll’s Korner running!
Creating these Easy California Prune Oatmeal Squares
I know what you are thinking…and the answer is no, they are not just your grandmother’s favorite food!
I recently visited a prune orchard and drying facility in California and fell even more in love with prunes and prunes benefits.
California Prunes have a place in everyone’s diet: toddlers, teens, adults and elderly. That’s why I adore these bars because I can make them for all audiences; my nephew, my friends or the grandparents in my life.
California Prune Nutrition and Facts:
Prunes benefits…
- Research says consuming 5-6 prunes a day may support healthy bones.
- Prunes support good gut health.
- Boosting antioxidant intake can help provide added protection against heart, eye, memory and immune systems.
- California Prunes taste and pair like no other prunes in the world. They are fresh and sweet, have a reliable consistency and have a rich, smooth mouthfeel.
- A serving of 4-5 prunes has 280 mg potassium and 23 mcg of vitamin K. Potassium helps muscles contract and vitamin K helps to improve calcium balance & promotes bone mineralization.
@CAprunes
Ingredients to make these California Prune Oatmeal Squares
- California Prunes
- Lemon Juice
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Quick cook oats
- Flour
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Baking Soda
- Salt
How to make California Prune Oatmeal Squares
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray an 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
Make the prune filling next: in a food processor, process 8 oz. of California Prunes with ¼ cup lemon juice, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Process for 1-2 minutes or until prunes are blended well into a paste.
Make the oatmeal crumb mixture next: In a medium sized bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients: oatmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
Take the softened butter and using clean hands, mix into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes crumbly. Press half of the oatmeal mixture down into the pan to create the base layer.
Evenly spread the prune mixture across the bottom oatmeal layer.
Then gently press the remaining crumb mixture on top.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely and then cut into squares.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for up to 2 months.
Other ways to enjoy California Prunes
- They go well with proteins such as chicken or fish
- Grains; perfect in focaccia bread, diced in pilaf or couscous, or on cereal
- Add chopped prunes to your salads
- Cook them down to make sauces
- Incorporate them into baked goods such as muffins or cookies.
These Oatmeal California Prune Squares are…
- Simple to make
- Only require 10 ingredients
- A perfect treat for all ages
- Flavorful and ultra-tasty
- Sweet, but not too sweet. They’re just right!
- Great for someone new to prunes!
the goods
Buy Now →
Buy Now →
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Easy California Prune Oatmeal Squares
Ingredients
For the California Prune filling
- 8 oz. California Prunes, pitted and dried
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the oatmeal crumb topping
- 1 1/2 cups quick cook oatmeal, dry
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed (or coconut sugar)
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, unsalted and softened (12 Tbsp.)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray an 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- Remove butter from fridge to soften.
- Make the prune filling: in a food processor, process 8 oz. of California Prunes (chop them into smaller pieces if needed) with ¼ cup lemon juice, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Process for 1-2 minutes or until prunes are blended well into a paste.
- Make the oatmeal crumb mixture next: In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oats, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
- With clean hands, mix softened butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes crumbly. Press half of the oatmeal mixture down into the pan to crease the crust layer.
- Evenly spread the prune mixture on top.
- Then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top and press lightly into the prune paste.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely and then cut into squares.
I love this recipe! It was easy, though I needed to use a can of prune (lekvar) filling that was still in my cupboard, left over from last year’s holiday baking. My husband and son are not big fans of prunes, but they said it was good.
Thank you for this winner!
Yay! Thank you so much Liz!! 🙂
Hello, I am interested in making this recipe, but only have fresh prunes, is it possible to make this with fresh prunes?
Do you mean plums? I have only ever made them with prunes so I cannot advise on how they would turn out. So sorry!
Came together super easy. Next time I will add no sugar or cinnamon to the filling. Prunes are sweet enough!
Absolutely delicious! Great way to incorporate prunes into something so yummy ! I’m cooking a batch now – doubled the recipe and put in a larger baking dish. I’m trying some walnuts in the top crust with this batch ! Thanks for the great recipe !
I am so glad you enjoyed them Pam – thank you for making!
These are delicious! I added some toasted chopped walnuts into the crumble mixture
I love the walnut addition, yum! Thank you so much!
These are soooooo good!!! I’ve made them with date filling and apple butter filling, too!
I am so glad!! Thank you!!
This has become my ‘go-to’ recipe for this style of squares because of its versatility and texture and because they taste so good. The high levels of sugar are reduced with the the substitution of stevia, including omitting the lemon and sugar in the filling. Perhaps some extra butter but it is straightforward altering the recipe. But with the onset of pre-diabetes, I need to make my recipes as healthy as possible and that means completely substituting the all-purpose flour for oat flour or similar. Have you tried using oat flour and if so, in what quantities? I am being lazy of course, I could experiment for myself but any help, by you or other readers, would be appreciated. Many thanks. David Ronald. PS. Happy Easter.
Hi David! So glad you enjoy this recipe, it’s one of my favorites too! I have not tried using oat flour, I am sorry! Happy Easter! – Tawnie
I just love this recipe. It’s so delicious I could eat it all day. Thank you for an Awesome recipe.
I am so glad you love it, thank you!!
I am pleased with the results, however baking soda is mentioned but not listed among the ingredients list in the print version. Please clarify as I ended up omitting it
Hi Marie, thank you so much for the comment! 1/2 tsp. baking soda goes into the crumb mixture. I apologize for the confusion!! Thank you for stopping by Kroll’s Korner and making this recipe! Happy Holidays!
Thanks much for addressing this so promptly. I have frozen my batch and also just enjoyed one too. I have changed the rating to 5 stars. Great recipe!
My kids LOVED these!!