Light and sweet pistachio oat squares

These pistachio oat squares are so delicious! It’s that time of year when a lot of the recipes out there are fresh, healthy and full of fruits and vegetables. They are also easy to prepare, which is what I liked about these oat squares.

They make a great snack, especially mid-afternoon when the energy levels are starting to drop. They are moreish though. You can also store your squares in a sealed container for up to a week.

If you don’t like pistachios, you could easily substitute for another nut (like almonds), or a combination of nuts.

Makes 10-12 squares.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pistachios, raw and shelled
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup flaked almonds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20cm square pan with baking paper.
2. In the food processor, blitz pistachios, oats and salt for about 30 seconds, or until a meal starts to form. Drizzle in maple syrup and olive oil while the motor is still running, the meal should come together in a crumbly, almost wet dough.
3. Press the dough evenly into the pan and cover it with almond flakes and remaining pistachios. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and the dough is cooked through. You want the squares to still be a little soft.
4. Carefully lift cooled dough out of the pan by holding two sides of the baking paper. Cut it into squares. Drizzle maple syrup over the top for extra sweetness, if you like.