Monday, July 20, 2015

Paleo Raisin Nut Bars Recipe- Larabar Style, Vegan, Date Free

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I love Larabar type bars. And so do my kids. They're easy to make, very delicious, and allowed on all sorts of diets that are pretty restrictive. Including the 30 day Paleo reset.
So I'd fully planned on making Larabar type bars for the kids... only I had no dates. That's a problem, since they are both the glue and the sweetness in the bars.
But I did have a huge box of raisins at home that I bought in bulk, so I decided to see if maybe I could try to make my bars using only raisins and no dates.

Well, I'm posting this recipe with caveats.
It tasted great!
Its texture could use some improvement. Meaning- I kept it in the freezer, and even so it was a bit sticky. I would use less water, a little more nuts, and a little more coconut oil next time I use this recipe. As it is, it really is awesome. And if you do it exactly as written, hopefully your family will inhale it as fast as mine did. But if you want to make it even more perfect, I suggest the changes written in parenthesis below.

Paleo Raisin Nut Bars Recipe- Larabar Style, Vegan, Date Free

Ingredients:
3 cups raisins
1/2 cup boiling water (try 1/3 cup next time)
2 cups ground nuts or seeds (any nuts, or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds or coconut- a mix is fine) (try 2 1/2 cups next time)
1/4 cup coconut oil (try 1/3 cup next time)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Pour boiling water onto the raisins in a food processor, and let sit for a few minutes.

2. Blend up until it is as smooth as you're going to get.

3. Add ground nuts/seeds to the food processor. Don't make the mistake I made and add them whole- it was REALLY REALLY hard to get them ground up this way. Add the nuts/seeds already ground up!

4. Add the chia seeds and coconut oil, ginger, and cinnamon.

5. Lay it out flat on a lined baking tray.

6. Freeze for a few hours, or until solidified.

7. Cut into bars.

8. Enjoy!

Are you a fan of date nut bars? Have you ever had raisin nut bars? Does this look like something you'd try at home?
What is cheaper for you to get- raisins or dates?

2 comments:

  1. Last night I made the Larabar recipe you have posted in the past. I have to tell you they worked out great but there is one problem with them. They taste so good that it is hard to resist eating more then one or three or more :) I actually often substitute raisins or sultanas for dates. The best dates for me are the Meejool and they can be cost prohibitive. Raisins and sultanas are a great substitute in many things.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh, I have never tried this with raisins!!

    ReplyDelete

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