This is delicious enough for a snack and nutritious enough for a quick breakfast! This is our adaptation of this recipe, which was an adaptation of yet another recipe! There are endless ways to play around with this basic recipe.
Mock Larabars
- 2 c. sliced almonds (ideally soaked and dehydrated- can use different nuts according to your tastes), processed finely
- 1/2 c. shredded coconut
- 3/4 c. coconut oil
- 2 t. vanilla
- 2 T. cocoa
- 1/2 c. pecan meal (you can use any nut flour)
- 1/2 c. raisins
- 1/2 c. dates
Melt the coconut oil, add in vanilla. Mix all dry ingredients, then whiz in a food processor with the coconut oil. Add the dried fruit, and whiz again. (You might find it blends up better if you process the dried fruit alone, then add it in again and the end and process it again.)
Press the mixture firmly into a greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.
When ds16 first mixed these up, he didn’t process the sliced almonds, which was why he initially thought they were a failure – they didn’t look like they’d hold together. He added eggs and more nut flour to compensate, but if you do what you’re supposed to in the beginning, you won’t have to. 🙂
Thanks to the dates and cocoa combination, these have a sweet, almost chocolatey flavor. At least that’s what someone like me who has hardly had any sweeteners in my food for two years thinks! Seriously, though, my kids all loved these. The biggest challenge is to wait after eating one to realize you’re satiated before gulping more down – they’re packed with healthy fats and are extremely satisfying. If you want it to be sweeter, use a cup of dates instead of half a cup of raisins and half a cup of dates, or you can double the amount of dates/dried fruit. Or you could add some honey. 🙂
(This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays.)
Avivah
I never had a Larabar, but I made these a couple weeks ago (but I put the chocolate on top as a layer of semi sweet chocolate instead of cocoa). They totally rock!!
My husband thought I made a peanut chocolate bar and refused to give it to our DD. Then I told him it had no sugar in it — he was totally floored! I keep the bars in the freezer and take a small piece at a time out. My kids call them birdseed bars because that’s what a cross section looks like.
Yael, if you made the passionatehomemakers recipe, this is different. We tried that (without the chocolate topping) and my kids said it was okay but asked me to stick with our regular power bar recipe. But they really liked this! There are so many ways to make yummy and delicious treats using exclusively whole foods, that it’s crazy to buy them and fill our childrens’ bodies with junk.
Thanks for these ideas ~ I winged a recipe of my own last night but it could use some improvement!
Hi, Wardeh, welcome! I hope you like this – there are so many ways to tweak recipes like this according to your personal taste.
thanks, Avivah, I can’t wait to make this!
Can’t wait to try it…
Any reason not to use a dehydrator on a lower temp, instead of the oven?
Thanks!
Hi, Leih! I didn’t think of using the dehydrator, but I bet it would work out great! It’s amazing how many uses you can find for a dehydrator, isn’t it!?
I’m making these right now. 🙂 I remember that you had posted them and now I’m finally trying them! I hope they stay together without flour – we don’t have any. We’ll see! 🙂
Two thumbs up! Delish. Thanks, Avivah! They stayed together fine without the flour, thankfully.