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.
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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.
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?
Larabars truly are one of the greatest snacks of all time – natural, raw, healthy, quick and easy to make – love it. Yours look delicious! The pics actually look like they have Chia Seeds in them, which would be a wonderful addition either way!
yummmm
I’m so excited to try these! How will it affect the dough to use roasted instead of raw cashews?
I think it will be the flavour that’s impacted the most – raw cashews have more of a cookie dough flavour than roasted.
I always have Larabars stuffed in my purse or in my desk at work. Such a great snack and energy booster!
I can’t wait to try this one. Looks delicious!
I love how beautifully you cut these bars!!! Mine would look like they were attacked by a hacksaw. I love Lara bars and the homemade version ones too, so I’m totally going to make these…and then make my super patient husband cut them ;)
These look REALLY look… I need to make these!!!! THANKS for the recipe.
Omigosh! The chocolate chip cookie dough are by far my favorite larabars! I cant wait to try these!!
OOh love the idea of homemade LARABARs! My favourite flavour is the Cocoa Coconut… soooo good! (I think that’s its name – the brown wrapper, in any case!)
Amazing recipe here! I remember these too! I would eat these every morning. :) Can’t wait to make em Ang. I love your photos too.
Have I told you how much I love your header? And have I told you how much I love you for this recipe?! I LOVE Larabars, but have recently noticed that not all of them are vegan….I thought they were…anywho, thanks for this recipe!
How marvelous! This just happens to be my favorite flavor of Lara Bar. I’ll definitely be trying this recipe. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it. My favorite Larabar is the blueberry muffin. It is very hard to find though.
This is amazing! I was just buying these today, thinking to my self ..it would be good to learn to make these.. and here they are, THANK YOU!
These look so good, especially since us Aussies don’t even get LaraBars over here :( I bet you could sub cashews for peanuts and it’d taste like a peanut butter choc chip cookie dough- couldn’t get any better!
I just made these and they are so yummy! I rounded them out into little ‘energy balls’ and they were devoured in a day. I am pretty sure that I just found a new staple in my house.
Thanks Angela!
I am buying a food processor today!
hi
just saw thay u have a knee problem :(
sorry to hear that ..i also have the same problem with my knee .do u do any tyoe of exercisse ? my doctor said an operation will be needed but im trying to avoid that and postpone as much as possible because i cant stand the thought of not doing any exercisse for a whille
These were great little bars but they did not hold together for me. I added extra water as suggested and pressed down firmly on the dough with the back of a metal measuring cup (I didn’t have a pastry roller) but after freezing them, they fell apart when I tried to get them out of the pan. Perhaps the pastry roller makes all the difference?
My guess is that the mixture just needed more moisture or more dates. The dates have to be soft and not dry. It`s also important to use a PACKED cup of dates, anything less and it might not hold together. Hope this helps!
Oh.my.goodness. I just made both of these today, and I am hard pressed to choose a favourite. I am at this very moment eating one of the chocolate cherry energy balls… yes, okay, I think these are my favourite, but then again, the chocolate chip cookie dough ones are so vanilla-y good… lol. Wow. Thank-you for two amazing recipes. I am a breastfeeding mom, and so I frequently need quick, substantial, nutrient-rich energy-boosting snacks. I discovered your site because my baby has a cow’s milk protein allergy and as that protein transfers through breastmilk, we both need to be dairy-free. Your site has given us a lot of yummy options. These are incredible. Thank-you again so much! Happy New Year!
I love Larabars (the mint chocolate is my favorite), and now I can’t wait to make my own! This recipe sounds amazing! Thanks!