I go through food phases and when I’m at school, I eat the same foods really often. Part of it’s the convenience factor of not having to think of new ideas or buy a lot of different ingredients, which is the main reason I eat SO much oatmeal for breakfast. My go-to lunches are turkey & cheese roll-ups or a salad…and even my salads go through phases. My current salad on repeat has lettuce, chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, feta, and Greek yogurt dressing.
And then part of the reason I go through food phases is because because I don’t really get tired of foods I love, like fruit and Larabars for snacks.
My current favorite Larabar is the peanut butter cookie Larabar. I eat one just about every day. There are just two ingredients: peanuts and dates. Kind of a strange combo and it definitely wouldn’t make a good trail mix but somehow, when blended together, it makes a healthy peanut butter cookie!
Since they couldn’t be much simpler, I decided to make homemade peanut butter cookie Larabars and they turned out almost identical in taste to the store-bought ones.
I made “Laraballs” instead of Larabars since I knew I’d carrying them around in my backpack and the homemade ones aren’t quite as sturdy as the store-bought ones, so I didn’t want the bars to get broken up. The Laraballs are super good and a fun change from the bars…plus you can eat three of them! Seriously. Three = one Larabar. 
The main benefit to making homemade Laraballs is the cost savings. A cup of organic dry-roasted peanuts was about just under a dollar, and the dates were about $2.50, both from the bulk bins at Whole Foods. That means 18 Laraballs are about $3.50, while 6 Larabars are around $8 or $9. And I apologize for math in a Friday blog post 🙂
If you try out the recipe, feel free to let me know in a comment or take a picture and tag me @livbane on Instagram. Hope you enjoy!
- 1 heaping cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon water
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Add dates to food processor and blend until a paste begins to form. Add peanuts and salt, blending until peanuts are finely chopped and mixture comes together in a ball. Add 1 tablespoon of water if necessary to help everything come together.
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Form into small balls, slightly smaller than a tablespoon each. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for several months.
For one Laraball: 67 calories, 9g carbs, 3g fat, 2g protein, 1g fiber, 7g sugar
So tell me…
What are your favorite types of snack bars?
Do you tend to eat the same foods on repeat? What are some foods you don’t get tired of?
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Sounds like a wonderful pickup treat
They’re really yummy!
Yummm! The peanut butter chocolate chip Lara bars are my favorite. 🙂 These look SO good–plus they are SO much cheaper to make than actual Lara bars, which (no joke) go for $2 a piece at my local co-op.
Yup, I totally eat the same foods over and over! And I never get tired of baked oatmeal, black bean quesadillas, or that lentil soup recipe I shared with you… they’ve been on the menu all fall. 😛
Claire at My Pink & Green Life recently posted…Life Lately: October 2016
I’m currently going back and forth between the PB chocolate chip and the PB cookie Larabars- those are both my favorite! And wow, $2?! So pricy! All of your go-to meals sound delicious!
Woah this makes me so happy. You can’t buy Lara bars here so I have never been able to try them before. But yay now I can make my own!
I really need to get some new snack ideas because I think I eat way too much peanut butter haha.
Oh wow that’s so exciting! Larabars have been my favorite snack for the past couple of years so I’m pumped for you to try them!
I haven’t tried this flavor Laura bar yet, but what better way then to make my own! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. Hope you enjoy your weekend 🙂
Thanks, Jennifer! Hope you have a great weekend, too!
I love Clifbars so much! They have the seasonal flavors out now and I am obsessed with the hot chocolate flavor 🙂 I also enjoy their new line of peanut butter stuffed bars. That speaks to me on a deep level.
Ellie recently posted…The Peanut Principle: My Maine Squeeze
Mmm peanut butter stuffed bars sound delicious!
I loveee no bake bites – but especially if they involve peanuts! These look perfect and I am so with you – balls are so much better than bars 😛
Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Recent Things: Beesy, Beesy, Beesy
They’re a fun change!
Ooh that was a really good idea! 🙂 Making the Larabar flavor that is my favorite into a ball would be ideal! BLESSINGS on your studies Liv. 🙂
Thanks, Emily!
Love the short ingredient list and how good these look!!
Thanks, Sarah!
these sound so good liv! My fav kind of snack bars are lara bars, kind bars, perfect bars, cliff bars, and no cow bars! snack bars are so easy for me as I can just grab them and go 🙂
I always have at least one bar in my backpack!
i love homemade snacks like these! my current fav is actually the chocolate chip cookie dough larabar, or the classic apple! 🙂
also, never apologize for math ;D i mean, i love math, but now you saved your readers from having to do any 🙂
masala girl recently posted…Healthy Holidays Recipe Round-Up — BGB Friendsgiving
HAHA 🙂 I just bought some chocolate chip cookie dough Larabars yesterday to add to my peanut butter Larabar rotation 🙂 As long as they have chocolate, I’m happy!