(Note: this post was originally published on February 24, 2019. It was one of the earliest recipes on The Rogue Brussel Sprout! It has since been updated with additional photos).
Have you ever wanted to make your own energy bars? Ones that are easy and fast, but also filled with nourishing whole food ingredients? If so, you've come to the right place. This homemade Larabar recipe has been a staple in my kitchen for years. Instead of spending money on store-bought bars, wasting packaging, and having less-than-fresh ingredients, I'm confident you'll be whipping up your own energy bars at home in no time.
The best part about homemade Larabars? The flavor variations are endless! You can of course make the traditional packaged flavors, but this Larabar copycat guide will walk you through how to create your own flavors and unique combinations. That means you can make a batch every week all year and never have the same flavor twice.
In my opinion, Larabars are one of the best bars on the market because they contain a very small number of whole food ingredients. There's no added sugar, no preservatives, and no "filler" ingredients. They have good protein and healthy fats from nuts, plus good nutrients and some complex carbs from fruit.
Larabars are essentially just dried fruit (mostly dates) and nuts. The dates are what help the bars to stick together and give the bars their signature chewy texture. In this homemade Larabar recipe below (which is more of a guide rather than a specific recipe), I'll provide a lot of ideas for additional flavor powerhouses to use in small amounts including citrus zest, spices, ginger, and chocolate.
There are many reasons why homemade Larabars are better than store-bought:
The basic concept behind this homemade Larabar recipe is to have a 2:1 ratio of sticky ingredients to nutty ingredients (see details below for both). The mixture requires enough total stickiness to form bars that will stay together, but you can play with ingredients and flavors endlessly within that rule. You'll see that the recipe below suggests about 3 cups of sticky ingredients and 1.5 cups of nutty ingredients; this amount fits nicely into a bread pan and makes 6-8 large bars.
After you choose the components, the rest is easy. Just blitz the Larabar copycat ingredients in a food processor, press the mixture into a pan, and chill. Cut them into bars or squares after they've set for a few hours and you're done.
For this homemade Larabar recipe, the goal is to create a mixture that will stick together well. I think of this as the "total stickiness" of the bars, and it's important to keep in mind as you choose ingredients. It's all about striking the right balance. For example, if you sacrifice some stickiness by adding a bit too much chocolate (a perfectly justifiable choice!), compensate by using a stickier fruit. Or, if you use a less sticky fruit mixture, beware of too many non-sticky add-ins. Keep scrolling down for specifics, since you'll want to understand this before creating your own homemade Larabar flavors.
Because you're in control of this Larabar copycat recipe, the sky is the limit for ingredients and combinations. To get you started, here are some of my personal favorites that I make again and again. You can also look at the ingredients in store-bought Larabars and use the same.
For each of the flavor combinations below, I've listed the ingredients in order of (1) sticky ingredients, (2) nutty ingredients, (3) add-ins, and (4) additional flavors. You'll see four sections below with details about and ideas for each category.
Okay, now let's dive into the details of this homemade Larabar recipe! I've put together a whole step-by-step guide to walk you through the process.
These ingredients are what makes homemade Larabars stick together. Dates and figs are by far the most effective, but adding other dried fruit in small amounts works too. In order from most sticky to least sticky, here are some options. Note that these all refer to the DRIED variety of the fruit (regular dried, not freeze-dried). Remember that you want twice as much sticky ingredients as nutty ingredients.
This is where all the good protein and fat come from. Working with a 2:1 ratio, you need about half as much of this category as of the previous. Moderately oily nuts work the best; ones that are very oily or on the drier side make a bar that crumbles more easily. You can use raw or roasted, salted or unsalted; pick what works best for your tastes and diet. Note that, although they're common in granola bars, oats will not work in homemade Larabars. In order from most to least effective, here are some options.
You can add in some other tasty bits to your Larabar copycat. Just keep in mind that it will effect the overall consistency of the bars, so keep the total amount relatively small, especially if you have a less sticky fruit mixture. Avoid anything with a syrup texture, like maple syrup or honey, since the bars will be too wet.
These are the flavor bombs that will really make your homemade Larabars unique, and thankfully they won't affect the texture much since they're generally used in small quantities.
Now you're ready to make the bars. If you have any chocolate, set it aside for now. Otherwise, put all the Larabar copycat ingredients in a food processor. It will take several minutes of processing, depending on what ingredients you've chosen. Keep running the food processor just until the mixture starts to make big clumps. Try to avoid over-processing because the nuts will release their oils and the bars will become oily (in which case they're fine to eat, just a little messy).
Now, grab a spoonful and assess your mixture. First, is it tasty? It's not too late to add a pinch of salt or a little more citrus zest. Does it stick together? You should be able to roll a ball of it between your palms; if not, give it more time in the food processor. If you can't roll it into a ball now without having it fall apart, your homemade Larabars won't stay together. See the photos above and below, which show how the mixture should naturally clump together.
At this point, add in any chocolate or a last handful of nuts that you want to keep in larger pieces and pulse the food processor a few more times until you've reached your desired texture.
Line a baking dish with waxed paper, leaving enough extra on the sides to pull the bars out after they set (see the photo below). A bread pan will work best since it's just the right size for ~3 cups of sticky ingredients and ~1.5 cups of nutty ingredients. An 8x8 baking dish is also a good option if you have more mixture than that and/or if you want squares instead of elongate bars.
Scoop the Larabar copycat mixture in and press it down firmly, leaving no gaps or air holes. The harder you press, the better your bars with stick together and maintain their shape. Chill the mixture for at least several hours or as long as overnight.
Carefully remove the bars from the baking dish by lifting the wax paper and transfer the rectangle (or square) to a cutting board. Slice the mixture into long, thin bars or squares, making them as small or large as you wish. For a normal Larabar serving size, cut 6-8 bars if you've used a bread pan, or 9 or 12 squares if you've used a square baking dish. Your decision might depend on how thick your bars have ended up and how much you want in a single serving. Store the homemade Larabars in an airtight container; they'll keep in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a few weeks.
Occasionally, you may end up with a mixture that doesn't stick together well. If you're having trouble getting the mixture to clump, DO NOT ADD LIQUID; water will not mix well with the oils from the nuts. Instead, if you have extra dates, try adding them first. You can also try adding a spoonful or two of nut butter. If you still can't get the Larabar copycat mixture to come together in the food processor, it will still make a tasty crumble to put on top of yogurt or ice cream.
Most importantly, learn from it as you move forward. You probably violated the "rule of total stickiness". Maybe you added too much chocolate, or you didn't have a high enough portion of dates/figs. Adjust the ingredients or proportions of your homemade Larabar recipe accordingly and next time you'll have well-formed bars.
I can't wait for you to try this homemade Larabar recipe. Homemade energy bars are less costly, fresher, waste no packaging, and can be made in infinite flavor combinations. They're great for snacking, especially for hikes or long travel days, because they're nutrient-dense and satisfying. Varying the flavor combinations keeps them exciting and novel.
Most importantly, please leave a comment below. I'd love to hear (and I expect lots of other people would like to hear) about the flavor variations you've created. I'm especially interested to hear if you develop your own signature homemade Larabar recipe (and what you've named the flavor!).
It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.
With just a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes, you can create your own homemade Larabars. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to make infinite flavor variations, use the best ingredients, and save money too.
Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.
Leave a Comment