I’m obsessed with Larabars — not only because I love the way they taste, but also because of their extremely short ingredient list (which is difficult to find in an energy bar). And while they aren't your typical granola bar — the base is dates, so they are soft and malleable — they're a tasty break from the routine crunch of a Kind bar.
These are embarrassingly easy to make, and are the perfect thing to grab as a pre-workout snack. All you need is dates, some variation of nuts/seeds, shredded coconut, and freshly squeezed juice, for flavoring. I went with lemon, because the tartness keeps the bar from being overly sweet, but I can't wait to make these again with apple. I also went with a combo of slivered almonds and sunflower seeds, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand (cashews would be wonderful!). Whether you toast the nuts is up to you, but I think it adds an extra layer of flavor.
4-Ingredient Lemon Coconut Lara Bars
Makes 6 large bars or 12 snack-sized bars
Ingredients:
- 1 cup nuts (1 used 1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds + 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds)
- 15 pitted dates
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Place your nuts/seeds in a food processor and run it for about 20 seconds, or until a coarse "flour" forms. Transfer to a bowl.
Place the dates, coconut, and lemon juice in the food processor. Run until it's a sticky mixture, then transfer it to the bowl with the nut mixture and work everything into a thick, slightly sticky dough.
Press the dough into a small rectangle (4 x 6 in) and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight. Cut into bars (the size is up to you), then wrap them in parchment paper and store in the fridge. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Green Kitchen Travels.