These things seem to be all the rage right now, everyone is making them or selling them. They're the latest "nutrition" or "sports" bar but most that I've found on the market are loaded with over-processed ingredients (enriched), packed with sugars and are really high calorie. Might as well eat a PB candy bar, I would get my protein and probably the same, if not less sugar!
The lara bars are an unprocessed, all natural, all-raw, "healthy" twist. After checking out the ingredients online, and browsing recipes I found that they were nothing more than a new take on that old secenties classic "the dresaded date roll". lol. A little funny but true!
Anyway they've got about 200-220 calories each, which is pretty high BUT it's healthy. All healthy fats & protien from the nuts, natural sweetness from the dates... overall a great snack, maybe for after a workout or when you just dont have time to eat!
Recipe as follows makes 1 bar. Yes ONE. I ended up making around 15 bars altogether.
1 tbls dates (pitted and pureed)
3 tbls nut mixture (nuts, dried fruits, coconut, oats ect)
1) Pit the dates (or buy them pre-pitted) and blend in food processor (I used my magic bullet) or by hand if you need to until they're a sticky mass. This is the base, or the "glue" of the bar that will hold everything together!
2) I then chopped (roughly with my bullet as well) cashews, almonds and pecans. I also mixed in 2 tbls ground flax seed and 3 tbls oats.
3)Mix everything together with your hands and form into a tight ball. Roll this ball into a rope and flatten into a rectangle. Rightly wrap in plastic wrap and apply pressure to the top and mold into a rectangle. Cut if you need to cut it (if you doubled the batch ect).
Refrigerate wrapped to preserve freshness.
Another alteration I tried was mixing in some unsweetened coconut - which was amazing!!! Probly 2 tbls worth for 4 bars.
--Other ideas:--
*Almond Spice: 1 tbls dates + 3 tbls almonds + 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/8 tsp ground ginger
*Cranberry Coconut: 2 tbls minced dried cranberries, 1 tbls unsweetened coconut
