A Spicy Perspective

Larabar Snack Bar Recipe

This 5-minute Larabar Recipe – Help you save money by making your own healthy homemade Snack Bars. They are so easy to make, the kids can do it themselves.

Snack Bar Recipe

CopyCat Larabar Recipe

I love sweets and comfort foods just as much as the next person…. and I’ll never stop eating them.

However, the majority of the time I try to feed my family “whole foods” free of processed ingredients. I feel like doing this not only keeps us healthy and strong, it also makes our splurge meals so much more enjoyable.

Along with fresh fruit and veggies, one of the convenience snacks I always keep around the house are Larabars.

I buy the healthiest varieties like Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, and Blueberry Muffins made solely out of unsweetened dried fruit and nuts… not the chocolate varieties. That way I can say “YES” every time the kids ask for a Larabar as a snack.

Yet after I started buying Larabars by the case, I noticed a huge increase in our monthly grocery bills. $1.50 a pop adds up quickly when your family goes through at least 4 of these babies a day.

So I decided to make homemade Larabars and see if they were worth the time and savings.

Verdict: Totally worth it.

Healthy Snack Bar Ingredients and How To Make Them

Ingredients

  • Raw Almonds
  • Raw Walnuts
  • Pitted Dates – packed
  • Dried Unsweetened Apples
  • Raisins – packed
  • Cinnamon
  • Sea Salt

How To Make Them

You will not believe how easy it is to make copycat Larabars, and for a fraction of the cost! In fact, it only took me 5 minutes to make this “Apple Pie” Larabar recipe and I saved almost $10, by buying dried fruit and nuts from my grocery store bulk bins.

  1. Simply pour all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you’ve reached a thick sticky consistency with finely ground chunks.
  2. Then press them tightly into a pan.
  3. Cut and enjoy.

So easy!

In fact, when my daughter was 10 years old, she was experimenting with her own variations without any assistance at all.

This Apple Pie Copycat Larabar Recipe is something we make again and again. I feel good about serving them to my kids, knowing they are free of junky ingredients and chemicals.

Get the Full (Printable) Larabar Snack Bar Recipe + Video Below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Make Other Flavor Versions?

Use this formula to make any variety of fruit-and-nut Larabars:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw nuts (use 2 cups of nuts when working with stickier dried fruits)
  • 2 cups dried unsweetened fruit (always use at least 3/4 cup dates as the main binder)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Some Flavor Suggestions

  • Cherry 
  • Blueberry
  • Mango
  • Pineapple
  • Coconut

Can I Freeze These Bars? 

Yes, you can! I typically make an extra batch (or two) when I make these so that we can have some in the freezer when we get low on bars! Wrap the bars individually in plastic or wax paper. Then store the whole batch in a large freezer zip bag before freezing.

Why Is My Blended Mix Dry? 

This issue usually is caused by dried-out dates. ​​If the dates are a little dry, they don’t stick together very well. When that happens, try adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to the mix.

Lara Bars

Other Great Snack Recipes

cook for the cure

Cook For The Cure

Today I’m serving them to you on my “Cook for the Cure” Pass the Plate!

Two of my favorite companies, KitchenAid and Villeroy & Boch, have come together to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in this Cook for the Cure initiative.

Each “Pass the Plate” purchased raises $5 for the Susan G. Komen fund, each time it is passed to a friend and registered here.

They make spectacular holiday gifts that encourage continual giving and goodwill to men and women. I love giving these to friends, piled high with homemade treats, then encouraging my friends to pass their plate onto someone else.

We’re all affected by cancer in some way… This fall my family is personally celebrating the life and recovery of one friend and mourning the loss of another.

Passing the Plate is a great way to give a gift that makes a real difference in people’s lives!

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Larabar Snack Bar Recipe + VIDEO

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
This 5-minutes Larabar recipe will help you save money by making your own healthy homemade Larabars. They are so easy to make, the kids can do it themselves.
Servings: 12 bars

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until finely chopped and sticky.
  • Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with wax paper with extra hanging out to cover the mixture. Dump the mixture into the dish and cover with wax paper. Press or roll the mixture out until smooth.
  • Lift the wax paper and bars out of the pan and cut into 12 equal bars. Wrap individually in wax paper and store.

Video

Notes

Use this formula to make any variety of fruit-and-nut Larabars:
  • 1 1/2 cups raw nuts (use 2 cups of nuts when working with stickier dried fruits)
  • 2 cups dried unsweetened fruit (always use at least 3/4 cup dates as the main binder)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar, Calories: 153kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 56mg, Potassium: 223mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 0.9mg
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier

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55 comments on “Larabar Snack Bar Recipe”

  1. Thank you for the recipe. Very good.

  2. THis is looking so yummy and delicious recipe of homemade larabars. I really like it. I will surely try this at home. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.

  3.   I’m addicted to these Lara bars! Great energy after a workout! They are a real work out for the food processor… Now I need to replace my food processor. What kind do you have? 

  4. this the best recipe I have ever seen on the internet I really appreciate your work. My family will be really happy

  5. My daughter has adopted a vegan lifestyle and in support of her, we made these bars, I substituted raw cashews for walnuts.The result is fantastic, absolutely delicious, perfect to go snack.

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  8. These came out really well. Very impressed with the recipe. Here’s some nutritional info for 1 bar:

    166 Calories, 10g fat, 1g saturated fat, 1g monounsaturated fat, 2g polyunsaturated fat, 78mg sodium, 206mg potassium, 18g carbs, 4g fiber, 12g sugar, 4g protein

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  11. Hi, I was wondering if these were freezable? I’m a student living alone I wouldn’t be able to eat them all! Alternatively how long do they keep?

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  14. Thanks for sharing Sommer. I’m always looking for ways to make my own nutritious snack bars. I just attended a class on losing belly fat, I know right ? and the nutritionist wants us to eat protein 5X day. That’s a lot.
    This recipe is sure to help me do that.

    Looking forward to many more of your tasty and nutritious treats

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  16. Pingback: homemade peanut butter & chocolate chip lara bars

  17. My son is allergic to peanuts. Do you have a substitution that could be use?

  18. totally looks delicious!
    I desperately want to try this out with some coconut in it mmm :)

  19. How cool! Can’t wait to try this recipe Sommer! We buy bars like this by the dozen. Would love to try our own!

  20. I need to do this today. I love homemade bars so much better than the store bought.

  21. This is such a great idea! Can’t believe how easy this is either. I will definitely be trying this tomorrow!

  22. I love Larabars and you are right about it being so costly. I know I’ll love these homemade and nutritious bars even more! :)

  23. Love that you made a homemade larabar! These will be happening soon!

  24. Nice quick and easy recipe that’s great to make so you always have a wholesome snack on hand! I have actually never had a Larabar before but people seem to really love them, and now that I see the ingredients list, I understand why! Plus, I’m a huge fan of dates. We need to use more of these in our recipe because they are so sweet & tasty!

  25. I bet they taste even better knowing you’re saving so much money. These look great!

  26. Yum! Love making my own bars … I will have to try this recipe!

  27. These look wonderful! I make something like these with cocoa and roasted coffee beans. I’ll definitely have to try these. I usually roll them into small balls and flatten them a bit to make “bites” rather than bars.

  28. Wow, they look exactly like the real thing! Nice work.

  29. Oh I just love these! Especially because they are so easy. xo

  30. These bars look so good and since they are so quick to make, I have no excuse not to try them! :)

  31. Homemade bars are so much better than store bought and so much less expensive to make. This look fabulous Sommer!

  32. I love everything about this recipe, Sommer!

  33. I love kit’s organic bars – just like Lara bars, but 100% organic. This is a great recipe to recreate them! I’ve been meaning to get in the kitchen and try a pumpkin version.

  34. I’m a huge fan of my store’s bulk bins and the cost is why I always shy away from those bars, even though I know how yummy they are! What a great recipe Sommer!

  35. I just signed up to your site Sommer when I found this recipe on Pinterest. I really wanted to try it since me and my daughter are always on the go and bars are part of our daily snacks. Commercial bars are often unhealthy and the good ones expensive. When I saw the time needed to make these ones and how healthy they can get, I had to give it a try. I’m eating one just right now and am amazed by the taste and how quick and inexpensive they are!!! But You need to know that I cheated a little cause the mixture didn’t come out sticky enough to hold so I through in pure maple syrup in (I’m a Quebecois, couldn’t resist!) the mixture and the taste is just Fab. This recipe will definitely stay on my counter for years to come! and I’m sure all my friends will ask for it after tasting them! Thx for sharing :)

    • Hi Joanne, You reminded me a of good point!

      If the dates are a little dry, they don’t stick together as well. When that happens I add 1-2 Tb. of water to the mix. Maple syrup was a great idea! I’ll have to try that. :)

  36. While I like the larabar recipe… had to comment on the napkins. Vintage? I could swear my mom made me a dress out of same fabric when I was a kid!

  37. Such a smart & healthy recipe :)

  38. These look amazing! Love all the spice add-ins!

  39. I adore this homemade version of Lara Bars!! What a great idea, Sommer!

  40. these are brilliant Sommer…

  41. I love how incredibly easy these are! I’ve had Lara Bars before and they’re such a good snack to help curb my appetite!

  42. Homemade larabars sound like fun!

  43. I absolutely love this recipe and I adore the “Pass the Plate” initiative. Fantastic!

  44. Love these, so healthy!

  45. Do you know the nutritional info. for these bars? Calories and protein?

  46. Such a great recipe for school lunches! Thanks, Sommer!

  47. Love Larabars! These are so happening soon!

  48. These look delicious – I’ve been trying to work more protein into my breakfasts, but I need something easy to grab & go.

  49. What a brilliant idea, Sommer! I’ll be trying this!

  50. These look incredible! It’s like a whole batch of Larabars for a quarter of the cost!