Another chocolate recipe?
My goodness, you’d think this was some sort of chocolate-covered blog.
Oh wait; that’s right. It is.
The first time I tried a Larabar, I didn’t really like it. My mistake was in choosing a cherry-flavored bar. Someone should’ve shaken me and said, Hello! Of course you didn’t like it, Katie. It has no chocolate!”
When I tried a Jocalat chocolate Larabar, it was love at first bite. As a busy college student with no time to bake brownies, these bars offered a quick cure for my chocolate cravings (or a stopgap anyway. I doubt I will ever find a cure for my chocoholism… but that’s perfectly ok with me!)
Recently, I’ve been having trouble locating Jocalats. Thank goodness I know how to make my own chocolate Larabars.
Plus, they’re cheaper than store-bought and save packaging too.
Hot Fudge Brownie Larabars
Based on the recipe for Fudge Babies.
- 1 cup walnuts (120 g)
- 1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates (220 g) (I love SunMaid dates, as they’re much softer.)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp cocoa powder (or even Dutch cocoa)
- optional: 1/8 plus 1/16 tsp salt (I always add it)
- optional: chocolate chips or even a piece of a chocolate bar or baking chocolate
Blend all the ingredients, using a food processor or Magic Bullet. No need to blend the dates first; I just blend everything all at once in my MB. If you use drier dates than SunMaid, you might have to add up to 1 tbsp water. Form into bars. It might help to put dough in a plastic bag and close the bag, then shape into a bar. (Feel free to experiment with different nut combinations. I often sub almonds or cashews for some of the walnuts.)
Click for more flavors: Homemade Larabar Recipes.
What are your favorite Larabar flavors?
One of my favorite homemade larabar flavors: Homemade Oatmeal Cookie Larabars.
As for the real Larabars, my favorite flavors are the plain chocolate Jocalats and the cookie dough Larabars. I love making up my own flavors and am thinking chocolate-raspberry might have to be next! Any other flavor suggestions for homemade Larabar recipes you’d like to see?
Less? hmm.. I was just in Honduras (on a cruise, not doing something noble like mission work) and I purchased some organic chocolate and cacoa bars… maybe I’ll melt a little in to combat the dryness I’m assuming the hemp powder will bring to it. This way I don’t have to sacrifice any of the delicious chocolate taste. Side note- my friends always tell me I should start a blog, to talk about clean eating and share recipes. My response is: what’s the point I would simply just have a page with links to chocolate covered Katie (with clean substitutions when necessary) this one didn’t need any at all. Needless to say 5 of my facebook friends got a link to the fudge babies on their wall at 8am this morning with the caption “MAKE THESE! (if you don’t like them, I’ll eat them)” Spreading the CCK love around the East Coast!
Aw lol Suzi, that really means a lot to me. 🙂
Katie! thank you so much for this recipe! I tried it over the weekend and they were a hit to even people who are not “healthy”- they are all gone! haha! I will have to make another batch soon and also try a few more flavors! great job!
Hi Katie–I just had to say thanks. I made the Hot Fudge Lara Bars, substituting almonds because I didn’t have pecans. I also used drier dates, so I added a little almond butter. I tasted them while they were still in the food processor, and promptly doubled the recipe! They were still a bit dry, so I just added a tich of water. (Next time I’m going to try a little orange zest). Anyway, these were fantastic and believe me, will be a repeat performer in this household! Thanks again!
Is this recipe vegan??
all my recipes are vegan 🙂
they all are.
I made these tonight, very tasty! But maybe I pulverized/blended it a bit too much because I could practically ring them out and squeeze liquid out as I was forming them. Maybe oil from chopping the walnuts too much? I’d love to give these another try if you have any suggestions… I have them in the fridge now hoping that will help solidify them 🙂
Sorry, I’ve never had that happen 🙁
Hope they firmed up!!
Let me say I don’t have much luck in the kitchen but after drooling over your pictures for weeks I finally decided to give this a shot. Oh, Katie I really wanted these to work out but sadly they do not look anything like your pictures. I realised I needed to add water once I saw the smoke coming from my Magic Bullet but then I ended up with more of a cake batter (which does taste yummy but is not the grab-and-go treat I was looking for!) I guess it was because we don’t have the sun maid brand of dates here or I just need a more powerful Magic Bullet. :/
If using a magic bullet, maybe you should try a smaller serving? But yeah, I’ve only ever done the sunmaid ones in my bullet.
I love the lara bar recipes!! The cashew cookie bars!! So easy!! Just put both ground up dates & cashews in a plastic bag, close it, knead it together, and flatten it!!
Now, for the entry to win the Vit-A-Mix, where do we leave our comment? Here on this post? Or do we just have to put 3 comments on Facebook?
Leave the comments on my actual blog (not facebook), but on the vitamix post. 🙂
Would it be easier to make this in a food processor or Vit-A-Mix. I have a food processor and love it, bit is a Vit-A-Mix the same?? Just more??
Food processor 🙂
I have been wanting to try these for a while. They are way better than the Lara bars from the store.
Oh wow! These are really good. My 7-year-old loves them, and keeps asking for more.
I like Lara bars but have always thought they are an acquired taste. These homemade ones are so much better!
Hi there.
These are delishhhhhh. But I have a problem. Its to dry and powdery. They won’t bind and form into a bar. Did I put to much Cacao powder? What do I do? Add more vanilla ext? I tried forming them in a baggie but they still kinda fell apart. Helppp! 🙂
Hi chantel!!!
I’ve had the same problem myself with the larabar recipes, FINALLY figured out the the dates I was using were way to dry, more like a raisin than a date. I tried using a brand called “sunmaid” and they worked great. If you’re sure that’s not the problem, then just add a little banana to help stickify the mixture (-;
Just made these and subbed in unsalted almonds…they are better than any regular brownie I’ve ever made! 🙂
Oooh Katie, I’d like to see a Cinnamon-Roll Larabar!
(These Hot Fudge Brownie Larabars are awesome!)
Katie, do you use a Magic Bullet to make these?? I think I just killed my MB making these! It took forever for everything to start blending together, then it started smoking! I unplugged it for a a few minutes, but when I tried to start it again, it wouldn’t come on. 🙁
I’d use a food processor (like a Cuisinart) for best results. If you use an MB, you have to do smaller serving recipes, like the Cashew Cookie recipe.