Oh, homemade Larabars. It’s been too long. Really though, I can’t say I’ve had a good reason to make energy bars. Let me tell you, my energy is in zero danger of plummeting any time soon. With all the recipe testing going down, my only challenge is trying not to pop the button off my pants from all this good food. The freezer is bursting at the seams; one wrong move and I’m pummeled in the face by a 10-pound solid chunk of homemade pasta sauce or chocolate pie. The last thing I need is an energy bar.
Eric, on the other hand, could use a portable snack. He plays in a volleyball league which meets for a few hours around dinnertime and he’s usually famished by the time he sits down to eat dinner at 9 or 10 pm. Since I can’t play in the league myself (I have a torn meniscus in my knee), I support him in the best way I know how – homemade snacks.
Of course, I enjoyed a couple bars (ok, ok and some dough!) – all in the name of taste-testing purposes of course. It’s amazing how much of an appetite I can work up hovering over a food processor. Tell me I’m not alone.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bars
Yield
10-12 servings
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
These are my take on the popular Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars. Now you can make them at home for a fraction of the cost! I like to store them in the freezer so I have an energy bar ready whenever I need a pick me up. For thick squares, press the dough into a 9x5-inch loaf pan. For thinner bars, use an 8x8-inch square pan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (230g) raw cashews
- 1 cup tightly packed pitted Medjool dates (190g)*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 teaspoons water, if needed
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons mini non-dairy chocolate chips (regular size chips work too)
Directions
- Add cashews into a food processor and process for 3 to 4 seconds, until a coarse meal forms.
- Add in the pitted dates and vanilla. Process until the mixture comes together, for about 15 seconds, or longer if needed. The mixture should stick together easily when you squeeze it between your fingers. If it doesn’t stick or it’s still a bit crumbly, add a very small amount of water (1 teaspoon at a time) and process it again. I usually add between 1 to 2 teaspoons of water.
- Finally, add the salt, to taste, and the chocolate chips, and process briefly to combine.
- Line a loaf pan or an 8-inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper so that there's overhang to lift out the bars after freezing. Scoop the mixture into the pan and smooth out with your hand until it’s level. Push down firmly all over the mixture. The more you pack it down the better the bars will hold together. Roll out with a pastry roller if you have one.
- Freeze, uncovered, for at least 15 to 20 minutes and then slice into bars. For on-the-go, wrap bars in plastic wrap or tin foil and store in the fridge or freezer. I prefer these straight from the freezer. Most of all, hide from other members of the family!
Tip:
- *If your dates are stiff or dry, soak the dates in boiling water for 30 minutes before beginning. Drain well and quickly pat dry before use.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
If you are looking for another tasty energy bar/ball recipe, check out my Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites. Love those!
What’s your favourite Larabar flavour of all time?
Food processor hovering is a full-body workout… my feet start tapping, my stomach tightens in anticipation, my arms are busy messing with the buttons trying to get it to blend faster. Definitely warrants testing. :)
oh that made me laugh :)
Haha… oh that’s so me! =D
I loved the Lara bars! I substituted 1/2 cup of cashews for 1/2 cup oats. They turned out marvelous! Thank you for sharing. A perfect winter snack.
You’re so not alone! I get hungry just reading about using the food processor. These looks great – I’ll have to try them this afternoon!
I’ve been eating the Cocoa Coconut Chew lately and I’m in love! They are a bit expensive, so I would love to make them at home, but I don’t have a food processor.
A food processor is definitely a worthy kitchen investment. When I moved out of home last year, despite being a poor student I had to have one and managed to get a blender and processor for $69. I use it multiple times a day and after nearly 12 months its still going strong!
Thanks for the reply! What kind of processor do you have?
I have a magic bullet, does anyone know if that would be strong enough to process dates? I’m afraid to try it – don’t want to burn it out!
I have a Ronson from Target. I’m in Australia though and I assume you’re not! I got a Magic Bullet too actually. But for $98 I was so disappointed, not very powerful at all :(
I’m in Canada. Darn, I don’t see that processor on Amazon. Ya, that’s why I’m afraid of putting dates in the Magic Bullet. It gets stuck with banana and berries, I’m sure dates would fry it!
I just processed dates (no pits) in my magic bullet today. Definitely pre-soak the dates, and it if the Magic Bullet sounds angry, add a bit more water (1 tbsp at a time, max).
No the nutribullet burns out when u try and process dates… well mine did!
keep an eye on craigslist, I have bought some great kitchen items on there.
Yum! Cookie dough is my biggest weakness and greatest {food} love. I’m just finishing up a snack of my Sacher Torte raw balls now. Gotta’ love healthy recipe re-mixes!
What kind of food processor do you have? Mine won’t these.
I have a Cuisinart processor – pretty happy with it overall!
Food processors amaze me sometimes with the things they can do. This week, I finally worked up the courage to buy dates to attempt something like this. The results were pretty good with dates and oats, but my little food processor will need a major upgrade to handle nuts. :)
Just got a food processor for Christmas… looks like I’ve found the perfect way to break it in! :)
Cookie dough bars and no sweetener added I can not wait to try theses babies, I love cheap easy snacks that do not take much time yum!!!
I love that you use cashews….I am so tired of pecans/walnuts and dates! I’m going to add in some goji berries for good measure!
Oh i love these types of recipes!! Keep em comin!!! :)
Cocoa mole is my favorite! spicy chocolate yum yum yum.
This is one of my favorites (so thank you!). Cherry Pie and Apple Pie also top my list. I can’t wait to make this!
I don’t think I’ve seen the apple pie around here yet…hoping to try it soon!
I always see Apple Pie sold in boxes of five (also, usually, in singles) at Loblaws/Superstores around Ontario (in their natural foods aisles) :)
Thanks for the tip :)
Apple Pie is magnificent. We always SAVE THE PULP after juicing!
And then add it to our bars. The pulp is perfect!!
Because after juicing, it’s already pretty strung out, and still has flavor.
We just keep them seperated, and they can always be on hand!
Sometimes, if it’s still too wet, we’ll let it try out a little first.
Very low in the oven, or even just a wile in the fridge.
Apples, Beets, Carrots!! ABCs of Heaven… In a juice.. AND.. IN A BAR!! Lol
All of our kids LOVE them.
I’ve never tried a Larabar (I’m in the UK) but we have Nak’d bars which I think are pretty similar. I love the Cocoa Mint, Caffe Mocha and Cashew Cookie flavours.
I need to get a decent food processor asap!
Oh wow – these look awesome. Yummy yummy!
I think my favourite flavour is cashew cookie – so these will replace them rather nicely =)
You keep fueling the fire with wanting a food processor! I have a blender, but some things just don’t work in a blender, you know? Do you think that you would ever just use the food processor in place of the blender? I don’t love having a ton of appliances, but I think the food processor might be a must : )
Now that I own both I don’t think there is any turning back! I use both daily usually. :)
Me too. A few years ago I got a combo blender/food processor and it was a bust … very sad, as it was a Cuisinart. I’ve come to the conclusion there’s no way around having both appliances. I bit the bullet and got a Vitamix blender, and it’s worth every penny for someone who uses it every day.
The Ninja kitchen system works very well. My husband got it for me for my birthday, and I’ve been very pleased with it — I can finally process items like this and cookies/batters, and still have a blender feature.
For people that don’t want to get a food processor and blender (or don’t have the cupboard space!) I use a Ninja blender and it can handle anything the food processor can! It is wonderful for Larabars.
Thanks for the tip! I’ve heard those Ninjas are good :)
These are my moms favorite flavor! Can’t wait to make them for her!
Anything that has to do with cookie dough (especially in its raw form) immediately gets me drooling. I’ve made many date bars, but never tried to recreate the oh so delicious cookie dough larabar. These bars will definitely be in my snack lineup this week! I wonder if using half pecans and half cashews would work as well?
I can’t see why not. I think any nuts would work as long as you like the flavour. I also made a fun mocha flavour using almonds and hazelnuts….very good as well.
It must’ve been in the air because I just made these yesterday sans chocolate chips but with nutmeg and cinnamon. We pop ’em just before a workout. SO good!
These look mouth-watering yummy! It was just the other day that I was thinking to myself I wanted to experiment making my own Cherry Pie Larabars, and now you’ve posted this delicious looking treat. I can’t wait to try these :)
Hello…..
I am just wondering when your cook book is going to be out?
Hi Paula, It’s due out early in 2014…..date TBA. :)
You are NOT alone. I think some of the biggest meals I have happen while I’m hovering over the food processor! Can’t wait to try these, because I LOVE your dark chocolate cherry energy bites.
hah I hear you!
these look yummy- but i’m allergic to nuts and have celiac. with those challenges do you have substitution ideas for me?
Hmm do you think sunflower seeds might work? Obviously, the flavour would change a lot, but it might be worth trying out. or maybe try a mix of seeds like hemp, sesame, sunflower, etc
Well, I know how I’m spending my Sunday afternoon, yum! Dough tasting counts as quality control in my book.
Also, I’ve been on a ball-making frenzy these past couple weeks but I’ve yet to find a good way to transport them. Maybe if I pop them in the freezer they’ll be more durable for travel and not be so ‘sticky’? Thoughts?
I’ve had that problem too. You could always wrap them individually? Maybe in saran wrap? Or pop a ball into one of those tiny salad dressing containers?
I think the balls work good in a small cupcake paper liner thing! Size of a mini muffin. And, I usually wrap my bars in wax paper, then in a ziploc, and freeze them. This way, the paper comes off easy, and it doesn’t stick to the bag.
I am excited to try these cookie dough larabars. Do they have a strong date taste? I am not crazy over the taste of dates, but if it just adds sweetness, and not tons of flavour, I might give it a whirl!
Yes I find it has a fairly pronounced date flavour. :) I dont find it overpowering due to the nuts though
Try rolling in unsweetened coconut to help with stickiness and add yum yum.
Oh my goodness! These look so good!! Everyday I am reminded why I love you blog haha. I will be making these later for sure. The dark chocolate cherry energy balls you made were amazing!! I’ve never had the actual dark chocolate cherry Larabar, but I’m sure your version is better– my fav actual Larabar flavor is the apple pie.
Homemade Larabars for the win!
Perfect! I’m looking for an economical way to make granola bars for my husband at work, this’ll do it!
Yes! I adore larabars and have been meaning to make a cookie dough bar, as cookie dough is the best thing ever. :) Can’t wait to try these!
Such a great idea. They look amazing. I’ll have to try these!
Angela, love your web site and recipes! Where do you get your nutrition data from? I’ve tried NutritionData.com but I can’t get it to work on my computers (I think it’s a browser compatibility issue). Keep up the great recipes!
I’ve used Nutrition data in the past, but I’ve been trying caloriecount.about.com for recipes. It seems to be quicker, although I admit the site is very “busy” and a bit confusing to navigate.
It’s good you posted this. Larabar the company has spent money blocking GMO labeling initiatives and I don’t want to support them. Better to make our own!
Oh my goodness, these look so good! I’ve made them before with cocoa powder, a few chocolate chips, shredded unsweetened coconut, and espresso powder. Soooo good!
Just made these – love the short ingredient list!!! They are in the freezer and I’m forcing myself to wait the 15 minutes!
Ahhh cookbook recipe testing and being inundated with more food than you can imagine or know what to do with. Well, at least your world is tasty & delicious :)
And these bars look great. Love cookie dough anything as well as homemade nobake bars that are portable. A win on all fronts!
It’s been almost six months since I left my food processor behind in Australia. My lack of ability to blend dates and nuts into deliciousness is starting to feel physically painful. I actually dreamed about my own chocolate chip cookie dough treats a few nights ago. *rolls eyes* I want yours! Now. ;)
My favorite are the cookie dough ones! I’m addicted to cookie dough and can eat it by the spoonful and make a dinner out of it!
Hi
Love your blog! Im trying to go towards a vegan/raw lifestyle and love the inspiration I get from here. Do you post the nutritional information anywhere? m training for a competition and the right combination of macronutrients are essential factors.
Thanks
Teri
Yup it’s posted at the bottom of the recipe. Enjoy!
Thank you Angela!
Yay! This is my favorite Lara bar flavor!!! Thanks for the recipe
I like balls better than bars (dirty) because they hold together better and are soooo much easier to assemble. But no matter what the shape, these looks great! I love me so nut/date/chocolate combinations! Easy and YUM!
Just tried Coconut Cream Pie recently – that’s my new fave! Can’t wait to try a few of your homemade versions.
What are you feelings on articles like this? http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa
It really makes me seriously think about whether or not what I do makes much sense sometimes…
Well, I think the article has a valid point that we should be more conscious of where our food comes from and the impact it has, but it also makes a lot of generalizations. It is possible to eat more locally as a vegan or vegetarian if that is your goal. I always try to support fair-trade businesses when I do buy products from other countries. It’s not a perfect solution by any means, but it’s a step in the right direction and I do think it can make a big difference. It’s troubling to me that this article seems to shame vegetarians and vegans for their diet, especially given the positive effects it has on the environment, health and animals. Many different types of diets can have a large footprint (just think about the social and environmental impacts of factory farmed meat, for example) and I do think we need to be more mindful of this. It’s one of my own goals to be more mindful about where my food comes from and while I try to do this on a regular basis, I admit that I could be doing better. Anyway, thanks for the “food” for thought!
One thing the article ignores is that many non-veg/vegan foods bear the same “non-local” qualities their animal-free counterparts are criticized for. I also think that if you interest in veganism comes primarily because of concern about cruelty to animals, then you should be true to that.
Food sourcing is extremely complicated – and goes far beyond the one aspect addressed here (corn, for example, not because of food, but alternative energy, is skewing prices). Still, I do think that eating more locally is a fantastic goal – and more easily accomplished than one might think. I try to eat seasonally, and can get most fresh foods from the region I live in the US.
Not sure if you saw this yet, but there`s an interesting response to the original article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/22/quinoa-bolivian-farmers-meat-eaters-hunger
We have nut allergies at our house. Any suggestions on what to replace the cashews with?
Thanks!
Hi Kelly, Someone asked this in the comments above – see my reply. Thanks and goodluck!
I want to make these tonight, but I don’t have cashews. Have you tried making these with any other kinds of nuts or seeds?
Not yet but I think many nuts would work, like almonds. goodluck!
Thanks. I just made two batches. The first one I made with almonds and they are really good. The next batch I made were with 1 cup of pumpkin seeds and half a cup of sunflower seeds. I made them into balls and rolled them into a mixture of cocoa and oat bran. They are very delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe.
That’s great! Thanks for sharing with me, and everyone else :) Enjoy
I will try these soon. I love Chocolate Peanut Butter Lara Bars.
I have never eaten a Larabar, but I’m excited to make these to take on my long run next weekend. I love the short list of what I consider to be “real food” ingredients. Cashews are my favourite nut as well, so I’m sure to love these!
I love making homemade Larabars (with almonds instead of cashews/walnuts so that I can actually eat them)! I’ve only made coconut flavoured ones before, but these ones look delicious too!
Oh my gosh, these MUST be made!!! They look and sound amazing! I haven’t really eaten a ton of Larabars to be honest (I need more volume to fill me up!) but I really liked the apple pie one!
My favorite are the banana bread or lemon ones. I’m not too into nutrition bars though, unless they are homemade. These look really nice, though!
Oh girl, you are NOT alone. Give me a Cuisinart bowl of nut/date dough, and I will demolish it. Super dangerous.
You’re not alone with the pants issue, either :) It’s that time of year.
Wow, these look amazing!! And the fact that they only contain 5 ingredients is incredible. That is one of the things that I truly appreciate about Larabars. I am sure this homemade version is even tastier!
Eric is so lucky to have such an amazing chef as a wife!!
The chocolate cherry Larabar is my favorite! I need to try your version! Another recipe that I forgot to make!