My go-to energy boost before and/or after a workout is a Larabar. Have you ever tasted of their awesomeness? They are soooooo yummy! My favorite flavor is (you probably already guessed...) Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. My fitness instructor always says to eat 30-45 minutes after a good workout, so I keep a handful of these in my car for a quick snack. I have wanted to try making them myself to see if I can reproduce the real thing, and the good news is they only have four ingredients .
You'll notice that one of the ingredients is dates but don't you dare let that deter you. Trust me, when you mix dates with peanuts and chocolate it's like a magical explosion in your mouth. My oldest son loves these and requests them all the time for school lunches.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars
14 SERVINGS
PREP: 8 minutes FREEZE: 30 minutes READY IN: 38 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
- 16 ounces pitted dates
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- pinch sea salt
DIRECTIONS
- In a food processor, pulse the peanuts until they are in fine pieces (the size of little Nerds candies, or a little smaller)
- Add the dates and pulse until they are in smaller pieces (about half the size they were originally).
- Add in the chocolate chips and sea salt and pulse until everything is mixed nicely together.
- Pour the mixture into a 9x9 pan, firmly press the bar mixture down with your hand.
- Place into the freezer for 30 minutes to make cutting easier.
- After 30 minutes cut bars into 14 even pieces and wrap individually for later use. Place them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
NUTRITION FACTS
1 serving (1 bar) 129 calories 3.1g fat 26g carbs 2.2g protein 21.5g sugar
These are much cheaper to make yourself. I can buy them at the store on sale for $1 per bar or I can make them for under $.50 per bar. In full disclosure, I keep both on hand (yes, we eat that many of them!) I like the wrapping that Larabar uses. For some reason it prevents the chocolate from melting so they are better kept in the car, or in a backpack for hiking. I use the homemade larabars for my son's lunch and when I'm going directly home after a workout, or need a mid-day pick me up. They are also wonderful for filling that sweet tooth craving!
Enjoy!
Recipe Adapted from
Lauren's Latest.
2 comments:
I've never heard of Larabars before, but these look awesome! I love the simple list of ingredients too! Yummy!
Thanks, Lindsay! If you ever try the real thing you can let us know how they compare, but we hope you love these as much as we do!
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