Old Fashioned Fruitcake Bars

All the flavors of a classic fruitcake in bar form, without the hours of fussing. Candied red and green cherries, chopped dates, raisins, and nuts get folded into a quick batter made with biscuit mix, applesauce, sweetened condensed milk, and melted butter. Spread it in a sheet pan and bake.

The applesauce keeps these bars incredibly moist while adding a subtle fruit flavor that supports all the dried fruits and candied bits. Sweetened condensed milk does the sweetening and binding, so there’s no creaming butter and sugar or sifting dry ingredients.

These store well at room temperature, which makes them ideal for holiday gift boxes or cookie trays. A dusting of confectioner’s sugar before cutting gives them a polished, snowy look.

Chef Tips

• Chop the dates and cherries small so every bar gets an even mix of fruits. Large chunks sink and cluster
• Use a toothpick test at 35 minutes. The condensed milk can make the center look underdone when it’s actually set
• Cool completely before cutting for clean edges. Warm bars crumble and stick to the knife
• Wrap individual bars in wax paper for gifting or lunch boxes

Variations

• Tropical version: Swap dates for dried pineapple and add shredded coconut
• Bourbon fruitcake bars: Add 2 tablespoons bourbon to the batter for a boozy holiday treat
• Nut-free: Replace the nuts with extra dried fruit or sunflower seeds for an allergy-friendly batch