Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Larabars
I love Lara Bars as much for their convenience as for their list of ingredients. Some flavors have just two ingredients which is an amazing thing if you’re a label reader like me. They’re completely sugar free, full of natural protein and fiber, with plenty of vitamins and minerals. So I like to keep a few bars in the pantry for a last minute breakfast or a quick snack on the go. But I have two problems with the bars I buy at the store. 1. They are relatively expensive, and 2. Despite my best efforts, my kids won’t touch them.
I’m overjoyed that I’ve found a solution to both those problems. It turns out that all you need to make a homemade version of Lara Bars is a handful of ingredients, a food processor, and about 10 minutes. You won’t find an easier recipe than that. And, all you need to make them irresistible to kids is a mini muffin pan. There’s something about making them bite sized that has changed my children’s entire perspective. I’m not kidding when I say that both my kids ask for these first thing in the morning and again after dinner. Finally, a healthy “treat” we all love. Feel free to play around with the flavors – add dried cherries, coconut, peanut butter would all be great additions.
Homemade Larabar Recipe
makes 18
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup raw almonds (or 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup other nut)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add dates and pulse until well combined with the nuts. Last, add cocoa powder and pulse a few times to distribute evenly.
Press mixture firmly into mini muffin cups. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, then gently loosen each cup with a knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
recipe adapted from: The Elliot Homestead
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I will have to try the minimuffin tip. I love the homemade larabar recipe from EverydayPaleo but my son won’t touch them!
These are delicious!! If your dates aren’t moist enough though you’ll have to add a little water to the mix so it sticks together. Mine was really crumbly at first but after I added some water they were perfect!
Great tip about the water – thanks for sharing! Glad you liked them as much as we do!
Unsweetened cocoa powder or sweetened? Thanks! Can’t wait to try these, I love Lara bars and so do my kids!
I use unsweetened cocoa powder. Hope you like them!
Just made my second batch this weekend-my kids LOVE them-even after watching me make them. Great tip about the water, I added just enough until it formed a ball in the food processor. Added some flax seeds this time. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
Hardly a week goes by that I don’t make a batch of these – sounds like your kids love them as much as mine do!
A little added info: I used the recipe calculator at Spark People which says each of these muffins has 61 calories! A nice little snack indeed!
Oh that’s great to know! Thank you!
How long will they keep in the frig??
There’s nothing in them that will spoil so they can last quite a while. But my kids eat them so fast I’ve never been able to test them for longer than a week.
If I take them on the go do I need to refrigerate them?
Nope, they’ll be fine for a day or two.