Cal Giant | March 5, 2016
Any other Larabar addicts out there? I am a self proclaimed Larabar addict. I buy them weekly and spend more money on them than I’m willing to admit. But they are healthy, made with minimum ingredients, and delicious, so I feel like they are worth the investment. Until I realized I could make them myself.
I set out to make my own version of their blueberry muffin bar. Using only dates, pecans, cashews, blueberries and a splash of vanilla, I am tempted to say my version turned out better than the original Larabar. After my success with the vegan cheesecake crust last week, I decided to use mostly pecans instead of cashews, and I think this is the way to go. But feel free to use whatever nuts you have on hand.
My version also turned out a lot denser than the original Larabar. That being said, a little square is incredibly filling, so I’d recommend cutting your rectangles in half.
The final step in making these bars? Getting my co-workers approval. Well, let’s just say, they are gone. No one could believe the ingredients I used. They are the perfect combination of sweet and crunchy. Will you try them? I’d love to hear!
Blueberry Larabar Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup pecans
½ cup cashews
1 ½ cups Natural Delights Medjool Dates
2 cups California Giant blueberries
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
You can buy dried blueberries, but I prefer to dehydrate my own blueberries so I know there are no preservatives in them. To do this, bake your fresh blueberries at 175 degrees for 4-6 hours (depending on your oven). The end result should be chewy.
Combine all of your ingredients in a food processor until a paste forms. Make sure not to over process. You still want to see the individual nuts and berries.
Line a 9x5” pan with wax paper. Press mixture into pan (I used another piece of wax paper on top to help flatten evenly). Refrigerate for a few hours.
Cut into rectangles or squares and store in the refrigerator. These bars are very dense, so a little square goes a long way!
