Homemade Peanut Butter Larabars

One of the biggest problems I've faced since switching to a whole foods diet is portable snacks.  I've found myself in a blood sugar crash without a snack on a few too many occasions.  Most recently, I had been shopping at an outlet mall and was in desperate need of a snack before making the 45 minute drive home.  My only option?  A candy-bar-only vending machine.  That's a pretty big disaster for a girl that can't tolerate much sugar or caffeine!  So, it was time to get serious about stocking up on some portable, not-too-perishable snacks.  

These little guys are a great, grain-free, no added sugar bar and so easy to take with you on the go.  Big bonus - they keep in the fridge or freezer for a very long time!  This means, you can whip up a whole bunch in one sitting and keep them on hand in the freezer for several months (I'm still testing out how long they actually keep).  So there you go - an easy, healthy, portable snack that doesn't requires hours each week to make!

Homemade Peanut Butter Larabars

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups pitted dates

1 cup salted peanuts

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (salted, unsweetened)

2 Tbsp water

DIRECTIONS

Add peanuts and dates to a food processor and blend until a fine, sticky texture is achieved.  Add peanut butter and water to the mixture and blend again until well-combined.  Press "dough" into a flat, square shape between two pieces of parchment paper.  Place in the fridge to harden a bit, then cut into small rectangular bars.  Wrap bars individually or store in a container in the fridge or freezer.

SERVINGS

Makes the equivalent of about 10 store-bought Larabars.