Easy DIY Lara Bars (V, GF, 3 Ingredients)

5 from 25 votes

Easy DIY Lara Bars (V, GF, 3 Ingredients)

Make your own easy DIY Lara bars (fruit & nut energy bars) in minutes (for less money) with a short list of ingredients and a food processor!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Power Bars

Cuisine: American

Keyword: diy larabars, homemade larabars, larabars, vegan energy bar recipe, vegan fruit and nut bars

Servings: bars

Author: Camilla

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed whole Medjool dates (see notes for options)
1/2 cup dried tart cherries (or dried cranberries)
1/2 cup whole raw almonds (see notes for options)
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Set out four pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap for shaping and wrapping the bars. Do this first; you’ll have sticky fingers when you need it.
Place the dates and cherries in a food processor. Pulse until processed to a paste. Transfer paste to a medium bowl (don’t clean processor).
Add the nuts to the processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the nuts, along with the cinnamon, to the bowl with the fruit paste. Use your fingers to knead the nuts into the paste (just keep squishing).
Divide mixture ito 4 equal pieces. Place each piece on each of one of the sheets of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around each bar and start squishing into a bar shape form (3.5 inches long, 1 inch wide and 3/4-inch thick); press against countertop to flatten bottom side, flattening top side and ends with flat of hand.
Tightly wrap the parchment paper or plastic wrap around each bar and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Flavor Ideas

Tropical: Use tropical fruit bits (these come pre-packaged at the supermarket) in place of the dried cherries and use raw cashews for the nuts. Add 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, and 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice to the mix.
Lemon: Use all dates (3/4 cup) for the fruit and almonds or cashews for the nuts. Add 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Lime: Same as lemon, but use lime zest and lime juice.
PB & J: Instead of dried cherries, use 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup raisins. Use roasted peanuts (lightly salted or unsalted) for the nuts.
Blueberry Bliss: Replace the cherries with dried blueberries and use almonds for the nuts. Add 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, and a drop of almond extract to the mix.
Cashew Cookie Dough: Use 1 cup cashews and 1/2 cup dates. If desired, add a few drops of vanilla extract.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Same as cashew cookie dough, but add a pinch of cinnamon and 3 tablespoons finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate to the mix.
Pistachio Heaven: Same as cashew cookie dough, but use raw pistachios and add a tiny drop of almond extract.
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough: Same as cashew cookie dough but use raw or roasted (lightly salted) peanuts for the nuts.

Medjool Date Options: Medjool dates are very soft. If using other varieties of whole dates, such as Noor dates, I recommend soaking in hot water for 15 minutes before using, to soften them. Drain well and pat dry after soaking

Pre-Chopped Dates: Pre-chopped dried dates are less expensive than whole dates. However, they are typically coated with oat flour (to prevent sticking), and quite hard. Measure the dates and place them in a small bowl. Cover with warm water and let stand 3 to 5 minutes until softened, and then drain and pat dry. This softens the dates and removes any oat flour.

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