Homemade “Larabars”

I don’t know if you have ever heard of Larabar’s, but they are these great healthy snack bars made solely from unsweetened fruits and nuts and usually calling for no more than 4 or 5 ingredients. They are quite tasty and, sure enough, we have access to everything that you need to make your own homemade Larabar here in China.

I made this batch of bars out of only 3 ingredients. Well, 差不多 chà bù duō, I tossed in a dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract as well. Although Larabars only include fruit and nuts, I went ahead and added a handful of oats to this batch. These bars are fun because you can get creative with your add-ins and experiment with all different types of bars, depending on what you have on hand or what you are in the mood for.

Start by boiling your dates anywhere from 15-20 minutes to soften them up so you can get a good consistency for making the base for your bars. Unless you find dates that are already pitted, you will have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands a bit messy here. I either run the dates under cool water or drain and let cool before taking out the pits.

Once all the pits are out, the next step is to turn your dates into a sort of paste-like consistency. A food processor would be ideal for this step, but since I do not have one I just use my blender. This part can be a little 麻烦 má fan, and takes some patience and persistence to get the desired consistency. The quality of your blender may affect how easily you will are able to get the texture you are going for, but hang in there, it is worth it in the end to stick it out! Adding a small amount of liquid helps this process. This is also a good time to add in spices and/or extracts.

 Your pureed dates may look a little funky but you are wanting a fairly thick pasty texture.

Add your oats, nuts or other add-ins to the date mixture and combine together well.

Spread out the mixture and  press down into a small baking pan or wide, flat Tupperware container.

 Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours before taking out to cut into squares.

Enjoy these homemade Lara bars as a quick snack or an easy breakfast option.

Once cut into squares, I usually store in the freezer where they will keep for up to 1 or 2 months. They will also keep in the fridge for about a week..

I would suggest sticking to a total of about 2 cups of dry ingredients per batch but have fun experimenting with other add-ins, such as:

–Apples, almonds, and cinnamon

–Espresso, cashews, and vanilla

–Carrots, walnuts, and raisins

–Pistachios and cherries

–Chocolate chips, almonds and coconut

For more recipe inspiration check out the Larabar website at http://www.larabar.com

Ingredients

Makes 16-20 bars 

“bàn jīn” 半斤 of dates (half a jīn is equal to about 0.5 lb/0.25 kg or about 5 cups)

1 cup of oats

1/4 cup of water (can also use juice, espresso or other liquid for added flavor)

1 cup of peanuts; chopped

tsp cinnamon

tsp vanilla extract

Directions

 1) Boil dates for 15-20 minutes.  Rinse with cold water or let cool before removing the pits.

2) Puree dates in food processor or blender until you have reached a smooth paste-like consistency.

3) In a bowl or pan, add your additional ingredients to the date mixture and combine well.

4) Press into a shallow baking pan or Tupperware container and place in freezer for at least 4 hours.

5) Remove from freezer and cut into squares.