Clean Eats "Lara Bars" ****UPDATED******

Last year I was using Cliff Bars, and Kind Bars as my main fuel source, but after going Whole30, I am realizing the grains and sugar are not going to work for me.  The recipes I made tonight are from  Chocolate Covered Katie.  The two that I made are both delicious.

Cookie Dough

• 20 dates (I highly recommend Sunmaid dates, found in regular grocery stores near the raisins. They’re softer and easier to blend.) 
• handful of chocolate chips or Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips - I used allergy free ( no dairy no soy )
• 1/2 cup cashews (30g) (or another nut, like almonds.)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• tiny pinch of salt (can be omitted)

Blend the dates, cashews, salt, and vanilla in a food processor. (You can use a blender, but they’re much harder to blend and they can get very sticky.) You can either blend the chocolate with the other ingredients or chop it separately, then mix the pieces into the dough. Make bars, balls, or shapes of whatever size you want.

Hot Fudge Brownie Larabars

Based on the recipe for Fudge Babies.

• 1 cup pecans
• 20 large dates
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3-4 tbsp cocoa powder (or even Dutch cocoa)
• optional:
• 1/8 plus 1/16 tsp salt (I always add it)
• optional:
• chocolate chips or even a piece of a chocolate bar or baking chocolate

Blend all the ingredients, using a food processor or Magic Bullet. No need to blend the dates first; I just blend everything all at once in my MB. If you use drier dates than SunMaid, you might have to add up to 1 tbsp water. Form into bars. It might help to put dough in a plastic bag and close the bag, then shape into a bar. (Feel free to experiment with different nut combinations. I often sub almonds or cashews for some of the walnuts.

"Oatmeal " raisin cookie  Larabars

Updated 2/11/2014 - Last night I made an "Oatmeal Cookie" version and it is SOOOO good.

• 1 cup of cashews
• 1/2 cup of walnuts
• 20 dates
• 1/2 cup of coconut ( no sugar added )
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup of GOLDEN RAISINS ( no sugar added )
• Spice to taste ( I used pumpkin pie spice)
• ( you may need to add a little almond milk or water to make this one a dough texture it was pretty dry)

*SEE NOTES*
Ingredients

• 4 cups pitted dates
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 small lemon – reserve juice and approx. 1 teaspoon of grated rind
• 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine dates, almonds, cashews, juice of one lemon and grated rind; pulse until you get a sticky paste. You will need to stir in between pulsing to get the mixture evenly processed.
2. Remove sticky date mixture from food processor and place into a medium sized bowl, add pure lemon extract. Spray hands or heavy duty spoon with a little non stick cooking spray. Use hands or heavy duty spoon to mix in lemon extract. Line a 2.2 qt. baking dish with plastic wrap. Press mixture evenly into dish.
3.  Refrigerate over night. Cut into bars or see notes.
4. Keep bars refrigerated. Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap for an easy take and go snack or store bars in a covered Pyrex baking dish.

*NOTES*

• The date mixture will be very sticky, this is normal.
• I went a head and added pure lemon extract to give these bars the extra lemon flavor that was missing using only the rind and juice. For me, it was perfect. If you’re a lemon lover and not afraid that the extract will be overpowering (I promise, it’s not.) go a head and add it to the mixture when you add the lemon juice. However, if you only like lemony tasting snacks, I suggest tasting your mixture before adding the extract. If it’s not enough lemon love for you, add the lemon extract 1 teaspoon at a time and taste before adding the next.
• Also, just want to let you know that it’s harder to add the lemon extract after it’s been processed in the food processor. The mixture is too thick & sticky. This is why I pulled the mixture out of the food processor and had to stir it in the bowl.
• If you find that the bar is too sticky for your taste, chop finely, some extra almonds. Remove uncut bars from baking dish, peel off plastic wrap and sprinkle evenly with finely chopped almonds on both sides of the bar, pressing gently, before cutting into bars. Store bars in the refrigerator.