There comes a time when you start to question why certain items are so pricey. We are an 80% Gluten Free Family. The 20% that won’t give in is my Hubby, and frankly, I don’t blame him. I still sneak a bite occasionally and live to regret it. Anyway, I love Larabars for breakfast. They are perfect for after a workout too. These bars are gluten free and normally so expensive! A box of 5 is $5.25 at Target. That adds up quick when you have four people eating on them.
Back to School is around the corner and I needed a lower cost breakfast bar option fast. Now, we love my homemade granola bars. They are to die for too, but I am on a Larabar kick, Cashew Cookie to be specific. So, I flipped the box around and read the ingredients; Cashews & Dates. ~Seriously~ That is it! And they cost and arm and a leg because???
So I busted out my food processor and made my own, and do you know what?! They are so good and identical, if not better than the Larabars. If you do not like Cashew Cookie, but like another type, I suggest flipping the box around and checking the ingredients. There are only a couple in each variety of Larabar, and very easy to figure out at home!
Cashew Larabars
Ingredients
- 16 oz of Dates whole or chopped
- 3 cups of unsalted cashews
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the dates and vanilla, and resume processing until it all comes together in dough.
- Press into a foil lined 11x7 Pan, and place in the fridge to cool and harden.
- Cut into 1 inch by 3-inch bars.
- Makes about 20 bars.
Now as for cost.. 20 bars would cost you $21 retail. The ingredients for these 20 bars cost me....
- 16 oz of Dates (whole or chopped) $4.57
- 3 Cups of Unsalted Cashews $4
- 1 tsp Vanilla (made my own)
Total= $8.57! or $0.43 a bar!
While these still aren't super cheap..it is much better than paying retail!
Sarah
These look really good. Are the dates fresh or dried?
Melissa
These sound yummy. How long will these stay good? Do you store them in the refridgerator?
Amanda @ A Few Short Cuts
Yes I refrigerate mine for about 2-3 weeks and they are still good...if they are around that long 😉
kimme
Wow that sounds so simple and delicious! We are totally going to try this as we LOVE Larabars but rarely ever buy them due to theIR price. I love that this is way budget-friendlier 🙂 Thanks a bunch!!
Lisa P
Have you ever tried breaking down any of the other larabar flavors? Like apple pie or banana nut bread? Just curious, thanks!
Amanda @ A Few Short Cuts
Not yet Lisa...but it is on my to do list. 😉
Michelle
Looks fabulously yummy! I can't wait to try it out.
sarah
there is a recipe for cherry pie somewhere on the web. i made them a couple of years ago. they were good, but the recipe was too big / we didn't eat them fast enough, which negates the savings.
Shelley
Yum. I made these last night. Even my 5 and 2 year old children liked them this morning for breakfast. I may use less cashews next time as my mixture seemed a little on the dry side and crumbly. Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda @ A Few Short Cuts
You can add some water to the mix if necessary. It helps. 🙂
Shelley
Hi again! We made another batch yesterday and added a bit of water. They are perfect! Thanks for sharing. These things are yummy and addictive!
Sara Anders
Have not heard of these as we are not a GF family, but they sound really good. May try some as I'm always on the look out for something to grab and go for my hour long commute to work in the morning.
carmen
Okay, those are delicious. I added no water and it was perfect. I made them into balls in leau of the bars. Oh, so darn delicious. Thank YOU.
Megan and Marcus of RojerThat.com
Marcus just made these and they are fabulous, with organic ingredients of course 😉 This recipe is a keeper for sure! God bless!
Kelly Gilbert
I went on the website and they have a whole page dedicated to the bar flavors. The ingredients are listed for every bar they make!
http://www.larabar.com/products/larabar
heather
made them but didn't have enough dates but they taste good so far. I will have to buy more dates tomorrow and hopefully I can get them to form into bars.