Make Your Own Lara Bar

I love Lara bars but I don’t love the price tag that comes attached to these dates/nuts morsels of yummy goodness. So I did a little research and found a painless recipe to make my own, which I am going to try out tonight. This recipe is courtesy of  Clean Eating Online:

Lay two pieces of plastic wrap on counter. Place fruit in food processor and pulse until it has a paste-like texture. Transfer to a medium bowl.  Add nuts to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add nuts to bowl with the fruit. Add all other ingredients. Use fingers to knead into a paste.

Divide mixture in half. Place each half on plastic wrap. Wrap plastic around mixture and form into a bar shape.  Wrap tightly in plastic and store in the refrigerator. Makes 2 bars.

Here are a few different recipes:

• Very Cherry: 1/4 c. dates, 1/4 c. dried cherries or cranberries, 1/3 c. whole pecans, almonds, or walnuts, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• Cashew Cookie Dough: 1/3 c. dates, 1/2 c. raw cashews
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: 1/3 c. dates, 1/2 c. raw cashews, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, pinch of cinnamon, 1/2 oz. finely chopped semisweet chocolate
• Blueberry Bliss: 1/4 c. dried blueberries, 1/4 c. dates, 1/3 c. almonds, 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 1 drop almond extract