Homemade Lara Bars

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fe.RMT
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Homemade Lara Bars

Postby fe.RMT » Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:15 am

I love Lara Bars, but I don't love the price. Thankfully a past university friend of mine doesn't like the price either and thankfully she runs a really great vegan food blog

http://itaintmeatbabe.blogspot.com/2009 ... -bars.html

I haven't tried it yet, but recipe looks easy and hers turned out great.
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Postby trixiee » Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:15 am

Yeah!!

Ask her to experiment with the cherry one. It's delish!
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby Samantha » Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:05 am

fe.sweetpea wrote:I love Lara Bars, but I don't love the price. Thankfully a past university friend of mine doesn't like the price either and thankfully she runs a really great vegan food blog

http://itaintmeatbabe.blogspot.com/2009 ... -bars.html

I haven't tried it yet, but recipe looks easy and hers turned out great.


Oh did you go to university with her? I read her blogs too - really enjoy them.

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Postby scrumhalfgirl » Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:41 am

thanks for this! i love larabars. unfortunately, I don't have a food processor so this might be tricky...
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Postby fe.RMT » Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:57 am

scrumhalfgirl wrote:thanks for this! i love larabars. unfortunately, I don't have a food processor so this might be tricky...


I'm actually going to ask her if she has a suggestion for those of us without food processors... I don't have one either.
The rumours are true......

2013:
Thanksgiving Day 5k: 27:26

Coming up:
ORW Half Marathon
NYC Marathon 2014

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby fe.RMT » Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:58 am

Samantha wrote:
fe.sweetpea wrote:I love Lara Bars, but I don't love the price. Thankfully a past university friend of mine doesn't like the price either and thankfully she runs a really great vegan food blog

http://itaintmeatbabe.blogspot.com/2009 ... -bars.html

I haven't tried it yet, but recipe looks easy and hers turned out great.


Oh did you go to university with her? I read her blogs too - really enjoy them.


She was in the year behind me and friends of a boyfriend of mine, that's how I met her. We weren't really close, but reconnecting with her via Facebook has been a lot of fun!
The rumours are true......

2013:
Thanksgiving Day 5k: 27:26

Coming up:
ORW Half Marathon
NYC Marathon 2014

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby fe.RMT » Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:09 pm

I finally made these last night.

I don't have a food processor. I put the dates in a pyrex cup, took the kitchen shears and put them into the pyrex with the tips pointed down and snipped the dates in the container about 150 times, moving the scissors around. I chopped the nuts using a hand chopper (a coffee grinder would work). Mixed the two things in a bowl with my hands, added the cinnamon and pressed into the pan as per the recipe

DELICIOUS! and just like the real thing.

My only 'complaint' was that I pressed them a little too thin. I would prefer a thicker bar. Next time.
The rumours are true......

2013:
Thanksgiving Day 5k: 27:26

Coming up:
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NYC Marathon 2014

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby trixiee » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:35 pm

Good to know! I will add the ingredients to my grocery list! I used the last of my dates on the weekend, making buttermilk bran, date and walnut muffins.
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby fe.RMT » Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:04 pm

Made this again, this time with cashews. Amazing!

This time after I mixed the dates and nuts together I kept adding more dates until everything looked right. That got me six bars pretty much the same size as a Larabar.
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2013:
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby BJH » Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:10 pm

fe.sweetpea wrote:I don't have a food processor.


I have one if you want to come over and practice with it. Maybe give me a shopping list beforehand?
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby Robbie-T » Fri Oct 02, 2009 7:45 pm

those look too easy, I might try them out.
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby deerdree » Fri Oct 02, 2009 7:51 pm

fe.sp shared these while we were cheering at scotia. they were delicious! i'd actually say better than a lara bar.

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby La » Fri Oct 02, 2009 8:00 pm

Looks tasty! Will have to try these. Are there any other variations? Anything other than dates that could be used as the base? I like dates, but just looking for alternatives. I wonder if dried apricots would work? Maybe add a couple of teaspoons of warm water to make them stickier. :think:
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby fe.RMT » Sat Oct 03, 2009 6:23 am

La wrote:Looks tasty! Will have to try these. Are there any other variations? Anything other than dates that could be used as the base? I like dates, but just looking for alternatives. I wonder if dried apricots would work? Maybe add a couple of teaspoons of warm water to make them stickier. :think:


All Larabars use dates as a base, but experiment for sure. I think what makes the dates work is that they are very high in sugar and are therefore naturally quite 'tacky'. The original poster of the recipe (from the blog) mentioned to me that the dates that she buys tend to be a bit drier and she soaks them a bit to soften them, so you could try that with a different kind of fruit.

You could mix dried cherries in there. Add some cocoa powder maybe... some espresso powder... I think I'm going to try pistachios next. They are SO easy and so CHEAP to make that screwing one up with experimentation wouldn't be the end of the world :)
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2013:
Thanksgiving Day 5k: 27:26

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby Cattitude » Sat Oct 03, 2009 6:53 am

My favourite ones are:

Chocolate Brownie (seriously as satisfying as a real brownie)

1 cup dates
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Coconut Creme Pie

1 cup dates
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup raw almonds
4 tbsp unsweetened coconut

Cinnamon Roll

1 cup dates
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup raw almonds
4 tbsp raisins
4 tbsp raw cashews
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Banana Bread

1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup dried banana (slice 2 bananas and lay on greased cookie sheet, bake at 175 2-3hrs until dry)
2/3 cup raw almonds

I can't be bothered making mine into bars, just roll into balls, truffle size for a 3-4 are a perfect snack. When I'm craving chocolate the brownie ones do the trick.

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby Cattitude » Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:25 pm

I also make the Key Lime Pie ones:

Ingredients
3/4 cups cashews
3/4 cups almonds
1 1/2 cups dates,
zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby trixiee » Mon Oct 05, 2009 1:45 pm

I hope JWolf has these for the cookbook!
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby La » Mon Oct 05, 2009 1:59 pm

:idea: Another sticky option for the base would be prunes.
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby fe.RMT » Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:30 am

I made the chocolate brownie recipe. Honestly, it tastes just like half baked brownie batter. YUM!
The rumours are true......

2013:
Thanksgiving Day 5k: 27:26

Coming up:
ORW Half Marathon
NYC Marathon 2014

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby braveheart » Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:26 pm

fe.sweetpea wrote:I made the chocolate brownie recipe. Honestly, it tastes just like half baked brownie batter. YUM!



Please make these ones for the next time we meet up- the ones you made were wonderful!
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby fe.RMT » Sun Oct 18, 2009 6:31 am

braveheart wrote:
fe.sweetpea wrote:I made the chocolate brownie recipe. Honestly, it tastes just like half baked brownie batter. YUM!



Please make these ones for the next time we meet up- the ones you made were wonderful!


Will do. When the table arrives I will serve them post-massage
The rumours are true......

2013:
Thanksgiving Day 5k: 27:26

Coming up:
ORW Half Marathon
NYC Marathon 2014

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby braveheart » Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:06 pm

fe.sweetpea wrote:
braveheart wrote:
fe.sweetpea wrote:I made the chocolate brownie recipe. Honestly, it tastes just like half baked brownie batter. YUM!



Please make these ones for the next time we meet up- the ones you made were wonderful!


Will do. When the table arrives I will serve them post-massage



I think I am in love :wink:
"Keep Going. Never Give Up" - Spencer

Don't give up before the miracle.

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby bnn » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:30 pm

Made my own version of these for John to grab in the mornings with the following:

Dates
Goji Berries
Walnuts
Coconut
Lime
Cinnamon
Chocolate Chips

Sorta everything in my baking cupboard that I wanted to use up ;-) they are MOST DELICIOUS!!
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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby Habs4ever » Thu Mar 01, 2012 11:31 pm

Bumping this thread.

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Re: Homemade Lara Bars

Postby scrumhalfgirl » Fri Mar 02, 2012 6:43 am

This blog also has a bunch of flavour suggestions - she makes some in ball shapes and calls them "fudge babies"

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocol ... aby-mania/

She has some that are made with a raisin base, rather than dates.
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