Almond Joy Meets Lara Bar

The perfect snack bar made with just 4 simple, nutritious and delicious ingredients.

Lara bars are great.  They are made with simple ingredients like nuts and dates, have no added sugar and taste great.  Unfortunately, they are also expensive.  So this is my version!  And because I can do what I want in my version - I've added coconut and chocolate to the mix.  Instead of an Almond Joy,  (candy is not the best snack) you can enjoy the same flavors with no added sugar.  All of the sweetness comes from the dates.  Plus, you get fiber (not in candy!) and nutrition that comes from whole foods.  Wrap them in plastic wrap and you have a snack that can travel in a lunch box or purse.

1 cup Dates

1 cup Almonds

1 cup shredded Coconut (unsweetened)

1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
(I use Enjoy Life which are soy and dairy free)

In the bowl of your food processor, combine the almonds and dates.
If the dates are tough, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes to soften them up.
Pulse several times until the nuts are coarsely chopped and the mixture sticks together.

Add the coconut and chocolate chips.

Pulse just a few times until the mixture comes together.

Don't over process - you want the bars to be a little chunky.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Transfer the mixture to the pan and press evenly with a spatula.

Fold the parchment paper over and press again, 

compacting everything well and making sure that the mixture is evenly distributed.

Refrigerate for one hour.

When the mixture is chilled, it is ready to be cut into 6 bars.

(They are large, so you might want to cut each bar in half.)

Wrap each bar separately in plastic wrap.

Makes 6 large snack bars.