Homemade Larabars

I discovered Larabars a few weeks ago and really love them.  The great thing is that there are only a couple of ingredients and no added sugars, just the fruit sugars.  I also loved the fact that there are so many variations of flavors and the fact that they are high in fiber, protein and good fats.  The only thing I didn't love about them was the price.  The cheapest I found them was $1.25/bar (and the bars are small) so I set out to find a recipe for making them myself.  I found this  recipe at Oh She Glows and after doing a bit more research just changed it up again.

The basic premise is equal parts dates and other dried fruits and just adjust the nut amount accordingly.  Grind up the fruits into a paste, remove from food processor.  Grind up nuts until very fine and starting to stick together add the fruit paste back in and process until well mixed.  Press into 8X8 pan and refrigerate.  Once firm cut into 12 bars and, if desired, wrap individually.   Depending on the type you make you may need to add a couple tablespoons of water or for added flavor use 100% juice.

Here are the combinations I've tried so far (with good reviews from my husband and kids).

Cranberry:
1 C dates
1C dried cranberries
1 1/3 C almonds
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Chocolate Coconut:
1 C dates
3/4 C coconut
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 C almonds

Cinnamon Raisin:
1 C dates
1 C raisins
1 1/3 C almonds
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

You can use whatever nuts you like; I just have almonds on hand.  Depending on the flavor Larabar uses pecans, walnuts, cashews, peanuts or almonds.  Here is the link to the Larabar product page, if you click on a flavor they list all the ingredients.  Enjoy!