Copycat Banana Bread Lara bar Recipe

One of my favorite snacks is a Cherry Pie Larabar. It’s crazy to me that it is SO good even though it is an unsweetened bar made with just dried cherries, dates and almonds. The natural sweetness of Larabars just works. They are delicious. Talk about a guilt-free, healthy snack!

There are around 20 different flavors of Larabars currently available. Every Larabar is made with real food. Bars are made with a simple blend of fruit, nuts and herbs (which ones are used all depends on the bar). Lots of people make their own copycat versions at home. All you’ll need besides the ingredients is a food processor or powerful blender.

Did I mention these bars are yummy and good for you? Nuts pack in a good amount of protein in each gluten-free bar. Fruits add vitamins and nutrients.

I feel bad. I made a batch of Cherry Pie Larabars and did not take any pictures. They were really good, but I wasn’t planning to write a blog post about homemade Larabars. A few weeks later, I decided to try to make these Banana Bread bars. And then I thought, if I’m liking these bars so much, maybe other people will, too. So I took some pictures and will share the copycat recipes I have tried so far. I like that these bars are so easy to make (in minutes!) with all natural ingredients and no baking involved.

If you’re already a fan of Larabars, you know they can be a bit pricey ($2 per bar). That’s the main reason I like to make them at home. It’s a lot cheaper. You can possibly save even more money when you buy ingredients like dried fruits and nuts from the bulk bins at the grocery store.

Cherry Pie Larabars 

makes 8 bars

1 cup dried unsweetened cherries
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw almonds

Follow Basic Directions listed below.

Banana Bread Larabars 

makes 8 bars

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup dried bananas
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted

Follow Basic Directions listed below.

BASIC DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients to food processor. Pulse ingredients for about 45 seconds, or until a sticky dough forms. It doesn’t take long to get to that point.

2. Press dough into a flat, even layer in a baking dish. You can line it the dish with wax paper if you want. But I have never had issues with the bars sticking to the dish. *If desired, you can roll dough into balls instead of a flat layer for bars.

3. Cover and refrigerate until set – about an hour. Cut into bars.

I keep my bars stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. You can also store these in the freezer – just allow time for the bars to thaw before eating.

Next up on my copycat Larabar recipe plan is the Chocolate Coconut Chew. It’s another one of my favorite flavors. I’ll let you know how they turn out! Those are made with raw almonds, walnuts, dates, shredded coconut at cacao powder.

What is your favorite Larabar flavor? Have you tried to make a homemade version of Larabars?