I never used to be a fan of Larabars, but in the past year, I’ve started to prefer them to more sugary varieties like Luna Bars (hello, sugar crash). Though I try not to make energy bars a habit, in a pinch, they make a good void-filler when you need a little extra fuel to get through a busy day. The downside is, they’re expensive, and with Larabars, the best flavors always seem to be so elusive! For example, the much-raved-about Chocolate Cookie Dough flavor that was released this summer is impossible to find!
So, using a recipe from LilVeggiePatch, I made my own! This made 7 balls (and yes, I found myself singing the Pixies “Gigantic” to myself while I made these, but let’s pretend I’m more mature than that). I made a few of the balls into mini bars, just to see how it would look, but I think next time I’ll stick with the balls. They’re cuter!
Ingredients
- 3/4 c cashews (unsalted)
- 10 dates
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 2 T chocolate chips (or, um, 5 chopped dark chocolate Easter eggs)
Directions
- Pulse cashews and dates in food processor until uniform in texture and somewhat tacky in appearance, like breadcrumbs.
- Pulse in vanilla and salt.
- Add chocolate until broken down. If needed, continue pulsing until mixture is sticky enough to be molded.
- Roll dough into balls. Voila.
- Wrap in plastic wrap if desired or store in airtight container. Put the balls in the fridge. What kind of [quasi] housewife would you be if you didn’t? Just kidding…
- Seriously, though, it really is best to store these in the fridge, as they’ll hold their shape better that way.
I tried one for dessert broken up and mixed into a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk. I try not to “save” calories for the end of the day, but when it works out that way, there sure are some delicious ways to fill in the blanks. Definitely having this again.
For anyone who’s curious, each ball in this 7 1-ounce ball batch has approximately*:
- 135 calories
- 7.7 g fat
- 1.5 g dietary fiber
- 2.8 g protein
*Bigger balls=bigger numbers; smaller balls=smaller numbers
Either way, homemade larabars = success!