Since beginning this blog, I’ve created many flavors of Homemade Larabars.
But when, out of curiosity one day, I googled homemade Luna bars, I was surprised to find zero relevant results. Really? No one had made these yet? It was definitely time to change that.
I don’t usually buy Luna bars, but every now and then I find myself craving either one of their chocolate-dipped coconut or nutz over chocolate bars. The following recipe more-closely resembles the latter:
Homemade Luna Bars
Inspired by Homemade Rice Crispy Treats.
- 3 cups rice crispies (I used brown rice crispies. For a less-crispy bar, you can sub 2 cups of the crispies for 1/2 cup oat flour.)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt (I used salted pb, too)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons nut butter of choice (for lower-cal option, see below link)
- 1/2 cup sticky sweetener, such as agave or brown rice syrup (I used agave)
- 2-3 tablespoons protein powder (you can omit)
- melted chocolate chips or Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce
Mix your pb, sweetener, extract, and salt. Melt (either in the microwave or stove), then pour over the cereal and powder, and stir very well, making sure to coat all the crispies. Smush and smash the crispies. (Get mad; it’s fun!) Line a pan with wax paper and spread the mixture evenly into the pan. Place a sheet of wax paper on top of the mixture, then press down as firmly as you can. Really press it down! Spread the chocolate on top, and freeze for at least a half hour before slicing.
Click for lower-sugar and Lower-Calorie Options.
I didn’t bother to figure out the nutritional info for these, as it will vary depending on what protein powder and chocolate sauce you use. But they are probably pretty comparable, calorie-wise, to packaged Luna bars. (The bars in the photos were made with the no-sugar chocolate sauce.)
Do you like energy bars?
My favorites are probably my Hot Fudge Brownie Larabars.
But I don’t always have time to make homemade bars. So if I’m in a hurry and need a quick and portable snack, I’ll often grab a cookie dough Larabar or a chocolate-chip Z bar, or a chocolate Jocalat bar… I’m picky about my energy bars; I only like the ones that have chocolate!
These look so delicious! If you’re a fan of peanut butter, please check out my recipe for peanut butter rice crispy treats with fleur de sel… http://bit.ly/peanutbuttertreats
Thanks!
Katie, how do you suggest we store these once they’re made and sliced up? Fridge or just in an airtight container at room temp? How long do they last (in your estimation)? They are very tasty! Also, I wasn’t sure how much melted chocolate is needed, can you give an amount? We ballparked it but I was curious as to your measurements. Thanks!
Hmmm, I think you should probably keep them fridged or frozen if you use the PMS chocolate, because coconut butter melts at room temp. But if you just used melted chocolate chips for the tops (without coconut oil), I think they’d be fine at room temp. I kept mine frozen and just thawed as needed, which made them last at least a few weeks. As for the chocolate amount, I didn’t really measure either. It’s actually a chore for me to remember I have to measure recipes out if I’m planning to blog them… I like to just throw things together on a whim! 🙂
oh my goodness…how we LOVE these! I just made them and they smelled so good, my husband and I had a hard time waiting for them to finish setting up in the freezer!
These will definitely be on or regular rotation of “snacky” foods to have on hand. 🙂
I actually got some crazy-weird shaped Luna bars because I couldn’t stop picking at them before I had a chance to freeze them and cut into bars ;).
How many bars do these make? I want to make them for the basketball team-12 high school girls. Will I need to double the recipe or anything?
I’m trying to remember… I *think* it makes an 8×8. I’ve made so many recipes in the past few weeks that I’m having trouble remembering :(. I’m so sorry I can’t be more helpful!
hI! love your site!
I tried this recipe using:
-MaraNatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread
-PlantFusion Vanilla Bean Protein Powder + Chocolate GreenSuperFood Powder
-Honey
-Cocoa Crispies
-Vanilla Extract
-Dark Chocolate Chips
Sooo good! thank you for all your creativity!! :))
I’m a first time reader and I’m SO happy I found your site. I can’t eat a lot of dairy and I’m always desperately searching for baking recipes I can actually eat! I”m a big snacker too so Luna bars are a daily staple. I can’t wait to try these!
Aww I’m so glad you found my site!! 🙂
Substituted some coconut and almonds for some of the krispies and used almond butter. OMG you have to try this!!! I froze them first then drizzled with chocolate!! Yummy.
That sounds delicious!
Hey Katie! Do you know what I could add to make these “smores” luna bars? I don’t mind using marshmallows if I have to, but I only have enough puffed rice for one batch, so I don’t want to get it wrong! Thanks for this recipe…it looks delicious!
Sorry lol I am the WORST at knowing how a recipe will turn out until I try it. I have so many experiments that go wrong :-?.
But for s’mores, I think you need to find a nut butter that’s much less strongly-flavored than pb… maybe raw (not roasted) cashew butter? And maybe add some crushed graham cracker crumbs to the mix? And a little marshmallow fluff or ricemellow creme?
These look really easy and yummy! I do love energy bars, especially chocolatey ones! However, I rarely buy them simply because they are often too calorie and sugar heavy for me. I know you’re not a calorie counter, but over the summer, I went from 155 lbs to 120 lbs and I really have calorie counting (paired with lots of exercise of course) to thank for my weight loss and it’s now a habit. Not gonna lie, I get a little obsessive but I’m working on it. I’ve uped my calories from 1,200 a day to around 1,400-1,500 and I’ve managed to maintain my weight for the past 4 months. So, a 200-400 calorie energy bar that has several grams of fat and upwards of 20-25 grams of sugar isn’t worth the few grams of protein and fiber I’m getting from it. I’d much prefer other snacks, but that’s just me. They are delicious of course! I may just have to try your versions so I can control what all goes in them 🙂
Hey Anna Lynn, just wanted to say that Luna Bars, especially these homemade ones, are great for pre and post-workout snacks as you generally need to get a good 50g of carbs with a little bit of protein in to fuel your exercise and to refuel afterward too, especially if you’re working in your aerobic system. So long as you eat them at the right times, those 20-25g of sugar are definitely worth it!
AWESOME!! I have been wanting to make these but never got around to it. I just googled homemade clif Z bars (for my kids) and this came up. Love it!