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This cherry pie Lara bars recipe is a wonderful, homemade version of these delicious, store-bought bars.
There is nothing like a good snack bar when you’re on the go. But store-bought bars often have unwanted ingredients added. Enter, the homemade snack bar. In this case, a homemade Lara bar.
Lara Bars® is a registered trademark. The Gracious Pantry makes no claim to this name. It is used for reference only.
The real Lara Bars are regular packaged bars you can buy at the store, and they have all-natural and clean ingredients, which makes them a great option when you need something quick and easy. But having made these, I have to tell you two things:
- They are probably the most fabulous, wonderful, yummy things I’ve had in a very long time.
- I don’t see any reason for buying them when you can make something this good at home, and with such ease. These homemade larabars are seriously simple to make. Let me show you…
All you’ll need is a food processor and some plastic wrap. I should mention that while these are clean food, they are definitely a once-in-a-while treat. You’ll see what I mean if you read the nutrition info below.
Using Different Nuts
Softer nuts are your best bet. Nuts like cashews and walnuts are great options. You can certainly use harder nuts like almonds, but you’ll have to be sure you blend longer. You may want to do a combination of nuts if you want to use almonds just for the sake of the finished texture. But the choice is yours.
Using Different Fruits
You can use any dried fruit you like. Opt for dried fruits without added sugar. Some suggestions to try are:
- Raisins
- Dried apples
- Dried apricots
- Dried papaya
Dietary Adjustments
Vegan / Plant-Based – These are already naturally vegan and plant-based. No changes are necessary.
Paleo – This recipe is already paleo! No changes are needed.
Dairy-Free – This recipe is already dairy-free. No changes are needed.
Sugar-Free – This will depend on how you define sugar-free. If you only worry about added sugars or processed sugars, then this recipe is perfect as is. If you worry about total sugars, then you may want to skip this one. Dried fruits are very high in natural sugars.
Keto / Low-Carb – There is no way to make this keto or low carb. Sorry!
Gluten-Free – Nothing in this is wheat based. So the only thing you’d have to watch for is cross-contamination. Read packages to see what other foods they are processed with.
Grain-Free – These are naturally grain free.
Recipe Variations For Cherry Pie Lara Bars
- You can add chopped nuts to this for a crunchier bar. Peanuts are the only ones I would avoid here simply for the purpose of flavor.
- Dark chocolate chips could be stirred or “kneaded” into the dough.
- Lemon zest would give this some extra “zing”.
About The Ingredients
Dates– Pitted. Any kind will work, but Medjool dates tend to give you the best texture overall.
Dried cherries– No sugar added.
Pecans – Raw pecans work best.
Ground cinnamon – No sugar added.
Pinch of salt – This is optional. You would use only a tiny amount to help accentuate the sweetness in the fruits.
How To Make Cherry Pie Lara Bars
Gather all the needed ingredients.
Place all ingredients in the processor.
Pulse and blend until all ingredients completely mix together.
Shape the mixture into bars. This is easiest if you wrap the dough in plastic wrap so it doesn’t stick to your fingers. Once wrapped in plastic, press it into a cookie pan or small casserole dish. You can line it with parchment paper first, if you wish. Once the “dough” is pressed flat, place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until completely firm. Then cut into bars.
Storing Cherry Pie Lara Bars
These are best kept in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. They will last for 2-3 weeks. If you find them to be too hard straight from the freezer, you can let them come to room temperature sitting on your counter.
Freezing Cherry Pie LaraBars
Wrapt these well in plastic wrap or an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Recipe Supplies
More Snack Bar Recipes
- Coconut Granola Bars
- Low Carb Snack Bars
- Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
- Pumpkin Spice Protein Bars
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Cherry Pie Lara Bars Recipe Card
Cherry Lara Bars Reccipe
A delicious, homemade version of these popular, store-bought bars.
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Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Freeze Time: 1 day day
Total Time: 1 day day 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 bars
Calories: 273kcal
Equipment
1 Food processor
Ingredients
- ½ cup dates (pitted)
- ½ cup dried cherries (no sugar added)
- 1 cup pecans
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Gather all the needed ingredients
Place all ingredients in the processor.
Pulse and blend until all ingredients completely mix together.
Shape the mixture into bars. This is easiest if you wrap the dough in plastic wrap so it doesn't stick to your fingers. Once wrapped in plastic, press it into a cookie pan or small casserole dish. You can line it with parchment paper first, if you wish. Once the "dough" is pressed flat, place it in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until completely firm. Then cut into bars.
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25the recipe | Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
This recipe is from the Gracious Pantry® archives and was originally posted on 4/11/10.
