Oh yes. I did.
I re-created the Homemade Banana Bread Larabar.
Is your mouth watering? Mine sure is.
Here is my own recipe that I developed tonight- It is simple, easy, economical, and pure raw nutrients.
Oh She Glows Homemade Banana Bread Larabar
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup dates
- 1/4 cup dried banana
- 1/3 cup raw almonds
Directions:
1. Slice 1 small banana. Lay banana on greased baking sheet.
2. Cook banana at 175F for 2-3 hours until dry. You can use a food dehydrator to simplify this process (I don’t have one!)
hahaha….have you ever seen such a sad sight??? Thank God he used our old, beat-up baking sheet! I had to pry these bad boys off with my fingers. I suggest using parchment paper! You can also use a dehydrator of course.
But boy did the house smell wonderful when I got home from work. :)
3. Roughly chop 1/4 cup of dates. Add dates and dried banana into food processor. Process for 1-2 mins.
4. Remove from processor bowl, set aside in a small bowl. Add 1/3 cup raw almonds to food processor and process for 1 min.
5. Add almond mixture to date/banana paste and blend well with hands. Divide into 2 halves.
6. Set each half on a piece of saran wrap. Fold wrap over each piece and roll flat with a rolling pin or soup can. Shape to your liking. :) Makes 2 bars.
The real thing:
My (cheaper) replica :D
Each bar has approximately 230ish calories, 5 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fibre.
The taste test? Awesome banana flavour!!! Pure, natural goodness. This is my favourite flavour yet.
Tip: Use very ripe, brown bananas for extra flavour.
7. Refrigerate bars.
These bars would be awesome for moms-on-the-go who want easy, natural, preservative-free snacks for their kids (and themselves). You can also use these bars as a pre-workout snack that is light and won’t weigh you down.
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What am I most ashamed of in my kitchen you ask?
This was the clue:
My old, tired, unorganized, dirty recipe collection!
Can you believe these are my most cherished and frequently used recipes???
And this is the way I treat & display them…
Just disgraceful.
My new year’s resolution is to CLEAN UP THIS MESS and organize it into a visably appealing recipe book!!
I’m curious- what are your New Year’s Resolutions?
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A random photo or two:
Stay tuned tomorrow for my cookbook collection…as well a what I am eating for lunch!
And now for a fun quote:
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.
– Irish Proverb
Eric just showed me this video and it cracked me up so I had to share!
Glad you made it to Calgary, I am attempting the Larabars tomorrow .. whole day to myself before the holidays .. I am also going to try the spelt cereal/almond breeze. We already buy Almond Breeze. I find it a bit sweet don’t you? Will try just a little! Have fun! xoxo
I just made some lara bars and it was super easy! I’m so excited to be making delicious healthy snacks for me and the kids!
Hello! I have just started reading your blog. You’re a great example for how anyone can live a healthy, busy lifestyle.
Teehee, I was having mental images of the Larabar heads standing around a computer, exclaiming wildly “Heavens! She broke the 3-ingredient code!” Are you going to replicate any more of them?
U are awesome!!!! LOL I just recently discovered this after my husband got some samples in his (umm he said they have a name but I can’t remember) bag from his runs. He is a runner and they get those bags when they sign in.
Oh, I was excited to see this recipe! However, I have a few issues with it (sorry, I’m a harsh critic :P):
From what I understand, because you cooked the bananas, this recipe is not “raw” like you claim it is.
Because you say you “re-created” the Banana Bread Lärabar (I presume that is what you meant), as opposed to being inspired by it, I want to note that you must have prepared the bananas differently than Humm Foods does (because their recipe is raw and yours is not).
On that note, I’m curious how Humm Foods incorporates bananas without making a mushy bar.
Anyway, I made these alterations to your recipe:
I baked the banana on a pan with a layer of wax paper. (For obvious reasons, next time I’ll make sure to grease both the pan and the wax paper.)
Maybe I didn’t grind the dates long enough, but I couldn’t get the final product to become an adhesive mass. To fix this, in terms of your recipe’s proportions, I used a total of just under .5 cups of dates.
In terms of my recipe’s measurements (I upped them :D), I used:
2 medium bananas (makes a bit under 2/3 c. of banana chips)
7/6 c. of dates
8/9 c. of almonds
After trying my bars, I noticed how relatively dry the Banana Bread Lärabar is. But don’t worry, this is a GREAT change.
I can’t wait to make other variations. Thanks!
I made these a couple weeks ago and shaped them like cookies. So good! I will definitely be trying these again and hopefully I can cut down on my Lara bar problem. Once I can recreate PB Cookie, I’ll be set. :) Thanks!
I just discovered your blog, and it is so inspirational! I’m itching to try your Glo Bars sometime soon, too :)
I don’t know if you’ve already organized your recipes, but if not, try Tastebook.com… I just made my first one, and I love it! It is an expandable binder for all your recipes that looks really nice. You can type your recipes into the website and it will print out a recipe page (with a picture you upload if you want) for each one. Or, you can get empty plastic sheets to just stick the hard copies of your recipes in!
I just found this blog as well. I really must try these recipes as I just tried my first Larabar the other day and it was good. However, too pricey for my budget.
As for your recipes (if they are still not organized), I bought an inexpensive photo album that has the pocket sleeves and it’s binder style so that you can add more pocket pages, remove them, and/or move them around. Then I divided my recipes accordingly and put them in. It fits the regular sized recipe cards or any sized paper folded up if necessary. It’s been great and it fits in nicely with all my other recipe books. No more recipe boxes.
WOW! I just made my own Lara Bar using the ratios you gave. I made a peanut butter and jelly flavor. I substituted prunes for dates, and used cranberries and peanuts as my dried fruit and nuts of choice. I had to add 1/2 tsp. water when kneading the fruit mixture with the peanuts to help it hold together a little better, but they are SO GOOD! Tastes just like a PB&J!
Love, Love, LOVE these! I just stumbled on your recipes a month or two ago when I went googling the Larabar recipes because I, like you, thought they would be pretty easy to make. I’m grateful that you’ve figured it out! I have made a few varieties, but I just made these this a.m. (dehydrated the bananas last night) and they are definitely my favorite so far! These are my new driving-to-work breakfasts. Thanks!
Regarding making them “raw” if you dehydrate them in a food dehydrater they are then considered “raw” and uncooked. I believe this is how the humm company is making them. You may need to soak your dates in either water or orange juice to have adequate moisture in the product. Also to get them to look as they are that comes from Lara Bar you could put them in a food dehydrator after you make them.
Hi Angela,
I accidentally bought prunes instead of dates to make these bars. Do you know if it’s fine to make them, anyway? Thanks! Love you blog!
Wow! I’m so impressed! Thanks for experimenting and coming up with the recipe! LARA Bars are so expensive, now I can just make them! Thanks so much!
Mmm, these look delicious!!! Bananas are in the oven right now! Can’t wait to try them. I’m really excited to make these, because they are normally so expensive. By the way, your website is awesome!!! You have so many great recipes! Thanks so much!
Hi Angella,
I love your blog! i use your recipes almost everyday. Delicious!
I made these larabars yesterday and they came out perfectly
I was wondering for how long they will keep in the fridge?
Thanks a lot!
Hey Mari, They should keep for at least a week or two in the fridge, wrapped up. You can also freeze them, enjoy!
I just wanted to say thanks for putting this recipe out there! They are a must in my house now! Everyone LOVES them. <3
Glad to hear that Aubrey!
Hi Angela!! :) I wanted to know if you’re using fresh medjool date for this recipe? If yes, could I use the dried one or it wont work? Thank you so much!!! Oh and by the way I LOVE your blog :)
When you tried drying your bananas did you leave the oven door open a little?! I tried making dried bananas before and they just shrunk up (I had the oven closed). They were super tiny. But maybe I did t too long?!
yes mine shrunk up a lot too (I think I posted a pic of them!)
I tripled the batch because they are great and I plan to share but I am wondering.. How long do you thing these bars are good for?! And should I keep them refrigerated?! Does it matter?!
Hi Sam, They should last in the fridge (wrapped up) for at least 2-3 weeks I would guess (although they haven’t been around that long as we eat them all! heh) enjoy
My daughter made the the banana bread Larabar and it was amazingly delicious. Awesome!!