Lara-Like Bars {Homemade Larabars} w/Cashews, Dates, Almonds, Coconut, & Pepitas

I love me some Lärabars… they’re the perfect quick bite to bring to work or on the go when I don’t have time to eat a real meal.  Each bite is packed with protein, energy, and nutty-fruity goodness.  Did you know they’re super easy to make at home?  It’s true!  Five ingredients (or less if you want), less than five minutes to put together, and boom… you have tasty homemade bars ready to gobble at home!

If you look at just about any Lärabar package, you’ll see the base is very simple… just some dates and cashews mashed together and then infused with blueberry, maybe some peanuts, etc.  So I thought I’d stick with a similar base, but instead of having just cashews as the base nut, I’d mix it up by using almonds, too.  I figured not only would the mix be tasty, but it’d add some extra nutritional value, too.  For the flavor, you can add anything you want really… berries, apples, sesame seeds, chocolate, or whatever else sounds tasty to you at the moment.  I personally love coconut, so I went that route.  To add some extra crunch, I decided some pepitas would be perfect add-in.  Theyre healthy, crispy, and a tad salty (I used salted/roasted- they have a bit more flavor… if you prefer raw, just add a touch of salt to the mix along with them).  That’s it.  Easy, healthy, and delicious all in one.  Oh so scrumptious.

The other bonus about making them at home is you can make them any shape or size you want.  I went with a simple thin rectangle, but you could make them chunky thick squares, or even little round balls if preferred. 🙂

  

My only regret was that I didn’t make enough.  Six bars gone in less than 24 hours.  Fret I will not though.  I have all of the ingredients sitting in my pantry as we speak (hit that bulk section of you have one for the best deal!) and can surely find the few minutes needed in my day to make some more!!  In fact, I think I may just go ahead and start another right now… 😉

Once made, these little “Lara-Like” bars make the perfect mini snack on the run (or treat sitting right at home of course!).  Just wrap them in Saran wrap and refrigerate for up to a week… not that they’ll last that long!

 

makes 6 rectangular bars

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup raw almonds

approx. 10 dates (I use Medjool)

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/8 cup pepitas (I use roasted/salted for extra flavor)

*note: you can flavor these any way you desire… simply use the cashews, almonds, and dates as a base and then sprinkle in whatever else you want!  Alternatively, you can use 1 cup cashews rather than half almonds/half cashews.

  

DIRECTIONS

Remove pits from dates

  

Add the cashews, almonds, and dates to a food processor and blend until finely chopped

(should stick together when pinched)

 

Add coconut and pepitas (if pepitas are not salted, you may want to add a small pinch of salt, too)

  

Pulse until evenly mixed (for added crunch, do not thoroughly blend)

Select a dish that will yield the size bars you desire… for thin rectangular bars,

a 9×9 works great; if you want thick bars, choose a smaller dish

Place parchment paper over the dish (makes for easy clean-up)

Add the fruit and nut mix to the dish

  

Using your fingers, press the mixture down until it’s flat and smooth across the surface of the dish

Flip the dish over onto a cutting board or other flat working surface

When you peel the parchment paper of, you should have a giant square of fruity-nutty goodness awaiting you

If it’s not perfectly straight or packed quite tight enough, you can use the side of

a large knife or spatula to press, shape, and straighten the edges

Slice the bars into whatever shape/size you want

     

That’s it!  Wrap then in Saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat!!

(They will set and firm up in the fridge)

Enjoy!