coconut chocolate prune squares

Coconut, chocolate, prunes, and almonds make a bar cookie that tastes like the best kind of trail mix.

According to an article by Jeff Gelski in Food Business News, annual bar sales for the fiscal year ending in July declined .4%, according to Chicago-based market research firm Information Resources. Yet nuts, fruit and protein could help reinvigorate the category when leveraged for their multifunctional attributes, from flavor boosting to texture improvement.

“Prunes match well with common bar varieties such as apple cinnamon, chocolate and cherry, oatmeal raisin, and almond and coconut. Since prunes are hygroscopic, they work well in binding and holding onto moisture,” Gelski writes. Read the full story here.