Homemade Lรคrabars: Apricot Almond Bars
Homemade Larabars made with dried apricots, almonds and dates. These are easy to make and cost less than store-bought Larabars. Find flavor variations, too.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Last week, I snuck off to Atlanta for a magazine conference. And for once, I thought to bring back-up snacks for my travels. They provided sustenance in the mornings, when breakfast ten floors down seemed so far away, and kept me calm when our flight home took a sudden detour from Chicago to Indianapolis during dinnertime.
Eating well, and often, is so ingrained in my daily life that I forget how crucial it is until I leave my kitchen behind for a few days. I rarely mention it here, but Iโm hypoglycemic. Skipped meals, simple carbs and junk food turn me into a shaky, miserable, mumbling messโฆ and if you ask my mother, a monster. Iโm at my worst when Iโm hungry, and my most cheerful best when Iโm well-fed. Thatโs why this food blogโs motto came to be โcelebrating whole foodsโ.
I tried my first Larabar earlier this year, so I wonโt assume that you have experienced one yet. Larabars are โenergyโ bars made with real ingredients like dates, nuts and other dried fruit or add-ins like chocolate. Their ingredients list is remarkably short, and they are surprisingly delicious for packaged food. Somehow their sum is greater than their parts.
Being a curious person (see also: cheap), it didnโt take me long to try making them myself. Iโm glad I did, because these little square snacks made all the difference for my mood during the trip.
I canโt claim to be an expert on Larabar flavors, but I have sampled several of my manโs favorite flavors, like cherry pie and apple pie. Heโs the one who got me into Larabars and Trader Joeโs tart dried apricots in the first place. Iโve also tried a few of Larabarsโ cleverly named date and nut combinationsโcashew cookie and pecan pieโbut those arenโt my favorites. The best ones, in my opinion, include some sour fruit and/or citrus zest to counteract the datesโ drab honey flavor.
For this batch, I used dried apricots to brighten up the fruit mixture, which are more affordable per ounce than, say, dried cherries. I chose almonds for the nut portion; their nutty sweetness provided complementary flavors along with protein and substance. Lastly, I added a pinch of sea salt because sea salt makes everything better (from savory dishes to oatmeal, smoothies and chocolate desserts, try it). My version isnโt offered by Larabar, so youโll have to make your own if you want to try it. Plus, I think mine are less expensive even with organic ingredients.
Final verdict? The apricot-almond version got a thumbs up from my Larabar expert. They gained skeptical approval from my mom, who asked for another when we were sitting on the Indianapolis runway. I shared one with our editor, who has already emailed me for the recipe; another editor asked me if I sell these things. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have. Iโm done with the store-bought kind!
Homemade Larabars: Apricot Almond Bars
Homemade Larabars made simply with dried apricots, almonds and dates. These are easy to make and cost less than store-bought Larabars. Recipe yields 16 squares.
Ingredients
- 1 ยฝ cup almonds (or other nuts, raw or roasted but definitely unsalted)
- 1 generous cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup dried apricots (or other dried fruit like cherries, cranberries or dehydrated apples)
- pinch sea salt
- (optional add-ins: small amounts of lemon zest, lime zest, nut butter or cocoa powder)
Instructions
- Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper or wax paper. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are chopped (stop before they start turning into nut butter). Pour them into a bowl.
- Process the pitted dates, dried apricots and sea salt until the dried fruits are mashed into a paste. They may try to ball up in the processor, in which case youโll want to stop and break up the mixture with a spoon before continuing.
- Break up the fruit mixture and add the nuts to the food processor. Process until the chopped nuts are incorporated evenly into the fruit mixture. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, and use your hands to press it into an even layer.
- Chill the baking dish in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut the fruit-and-nut blend into squares or bars (I cut mine into 16 squares).
- Wrap each bar tightly for individual servings (see notes). These bars should last for a couple weeks at room temperature, but store them in the refrigerator or freezer for prolonged shelf life.
Notes
- Recipe created with guidance from The Kitchn and Damy Health.
- For more flavor ideas, check out Larabarsโ official flavors.
- My parchment paper wrappers didnโt stick together well, but looked really cute when wrapped with brightly colored washi tape. Plastic wrap or plastic bags would be easier.
- If you want to change up the shape, try rolling the fruit-and-nut mixture into balls.
- Sorry, I donโt know how to make these without a food processor. This affordable Cuisinart food processor is a worthy investment.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi Kate,
I finally got around to making these for some friends with a new babyโฆ.but, after tasting, I had to make a second batch so we could keep the first one at home to eat :) Thanks for another tasty recipe โ we live in Lawrence, and I love knowing that one of my all time favorite bloggers is so close (hope thatโs not weird)!
Thanks, Kim! So glad youโre enjoying my recipes. These Larabars would be such a great gift for new parentsโIโll have to remember to give some to my friend who is expecting. Thatโs awesome that you live in Lawrence. Somehow I havenโt made the trip since I moved here! Iโll have to find an excuse to visit soon.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It was a lifesaver on our recent vacation. My daughter is gluten-free and my son has taste/texture issues due to Aspergers, which can make finding places to eat a bit difficult when not home. My husband and children adore these bars and that makes it the perfect,โLetโs wait a bit before we eatโ snack. Our favorites are the apricot-date version and when we add dried sour cherries. I will continue watching your blog for more brilliant ideas. ^_^
Thank you, Deidre. Iโm really glad you and your family enjoy the bars! Iโll try to come up with more gluten-free snacks soon.
Just made theseโฆOH MY! So good! I am excited that I can save money on Larabars by making my own! Canโt wait to try other combinations/flavors :D
Thanks, Danielle! So glad your bars turned out well!
Hi Kate, I do still buy Larabars even though I also make energy bars myself. I donโt always keep stocked up on the homemade kind, and I know the packaged bars will last for a long time, while Iโm not sure how long my homemade bars will last. I like to keep one or two Larabars in my purse or the console of my car for when I need something right away after I skate. I just made some apricot energy bars and they were really good although quite tart. I did end up adding a couple of tablespoons of honey. Your idea of combining the apricots and dates is a good one for getting bars that are flavorful yet not too tart.
Thanks, Mary. I love tart apricots but I can see how they might be a little too tart without dates. The dates also seem to help the bars stick together.
Perfect post swimming workout snack! In the batch I did (and because I was lacking in apricots) I used a cup of medjool dates, half a cup apricots and half a cup dried cherries and found it was really delicious! Trouble is, I gotta hide โem from my teammate now!!
Iโm so glad youโre enjoying your homemade snacks, Lauren! Thank you for sharing your adaptation; they sound so good!
Very yummy!! they beat the store bought ones..Thank you!!
Thanks, Vani! Glad you like them!
Iโve always loved tucking a few raw almonds into a dried apricot for a quick snack. Iโm excited to try your recipe. Love your parchment paper and washi tape idea. So cute!
Hi, I just made this on the weekend, and they are delicious!! I used organic Turkish apricots and California dates, and (I think) local almonds from the farmers market, though Iโm really not sure if they can grow almonds so far in the north. (Northern B.C. Canada) Anyway, these bars rock! Only problem, the dried fruit broke my momโs food processor! I donโt know how the heck that happened.
Iโve made a few batches of homemade โLaraโ bars & these ones are my favorites. Reeeealllly good!!
Hooray! Thatโs great to hear. Thank you, Erika.
So good! I make tons at once and freeze them. They work so well for snacks on the go and for my kidsโ lunches. thanks!
Glad to hear it! Thanks, Billie!
I want to try this recipeโฆ But what do you think if i use prunes instead of dates ? Would it be the same amount?
I am enjoying your blog very much, love the picture/ process!!!
Thank you!!!
Mclara
Hi Maria, Iโm not sure how that will work! If you try it, please let me know.
Would you be able to use fresh fruit instead of dried? And are dried pitted dates the same as just normal dates? Or would I have to soak them?
Hey Caitlin, fresh fruit wonโt work. The bars wonโt stick together and theyโll get moldy. Dried pitted dates are regular dates, but be sure to remove the pits before adding them to the food processor.
I must say that this food seem great and full of energy before workout and after workout for the core strength. Almond is rich source of energy and to buildup muscles. Apricot and almond, both are delicious dry food. Although I donโt like dates that much.
Thanks, Sam! Iโm not a big fan of dates, either, but I love these bars.
I just recently came across your recipe and it is exactly what I have been looking for! Itโs absolutely delicious! I Added a cup of shredded coconut and some coconut oil to a batch and loved that too. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks, Desiree! Glad youโre enjoying the bars. Your coconut version sounds great!
Came here for the recipe, but I am curious about the Trader Joeโs tart apricots. I have only tried their unsulphured Turkish apricots and they lack tartness. I have wondered if their California apricots are tarter but Iโve held back because the are significantly more expensive. (I canโt have the sulphured version.) Which ones do you buy? Thanks!
Hey Ren, I buy the unsulphured Blenheim apricots and they are tart and delicious! Iโm not sure what the price difference is, but I think theyโre worth it if youโre looking for tartness!
Hi,,
thank you for this recipe. I am french and Larabar does not exist here (raw bars neitherโฆ). Iโve tried to do your recipe (I just added shredded coconut and lime zest) but unfortunately the texture was really too soft (more like a thick spread, even after 1 night in the fridge). Iโm feeling a bit stupid as it seems a really simple recipe but I wonder what could have been wrongโฆ
Could it be because the apricots were not dry enough? (I bought them in the supermarket, they were very orange, soft and still slightly wetโฆ) Or could it be because I mashed the fruits too long?
thanks for you advice !
PS: unlike the texture, the taste was really good :-)
Hi Sabrina, Iโm sorry to hear your bars didnโt turn out right! I suspect the problem is that your apricots were too wet, like you said. Mine were pretty dry, which made it impossible to over process the almonds (if you run almonds in the food processor too long, youโll end up with almond butter!). I hope that provides some insight.
dear Kate, thanks for your help.
I tried again the recipe with drier apricots. this time the paste was not too sticky (it was clearly easier to remove from the food processor!) but the result was still too softโฆ.I did 50/50 in the quantities of apricot and dates so maybe I will try with more dates than apricots to see it the texture is improvedโฆ and add puffed quinoa to the mix to add a bit of crunchiness :-)
Hi Sabrina, Iโm glad your second attempt turned out better! I think more dates might add too much moisture, maybe more nuts would work better? Puffed quinoa sounds like such a great addition!
I have been making these bars for my boyfriend and my dad. They really like them (especially with the lemon zest)! It is an awful lot of work though because I do not have a food processor; I use a chefโs knife and a potato masher to squish everything together.
On another note, I am wondering if you would be able to create a homemade bar with real ingredients that is similar to a Kind bar. They are another favorite, especially with my mom. She asked me to see if I could make something like that for her, and seeing as how I get almost all of my recipes from your site, I was hoping you might be able to at some point! Thanks for sharing these great recipes.
Hey Rachel! Wow, thatโs a lot of work! Glad you all enjoy the bars so much. I havenโt attempted a Kind bar yet. Crisp granola bars like that usually call for rice syrup, which Iโve been hesitant to use due to the potential arsenic content in rice syrup. I do have some seriously delicious, chewy, no-bake granola bars over here!
Just made these unlike every other comment that just says โthese look greatโ and rates it anyways. Followed the recipe exactly and they look nothing like the picture and thereโs no way I could cut these into 16 squares. The total calories if cutting into 8 so they look like your serving size would put them at over 350 each. Havenโt tried them yet as theyโre still in the freezer. Just disappointed thinking there would be more for less calories.
An 8ร8โณ pan makes 16 2ร2โณ squares, which is more than enough for me. I cut them into 20 pieces (3 cuts one way, 4 cuts the other way). Larabars arenโt all that big, and I usually canโt finish the last couple of bites.
I love how well these travel. My favorite fruits are cherry or blueberry.
These are really tasty! Apricots and dates are two of my favorite dried fruits, I enjoyed the flavor balance of sweet/tart. The ratio of the ingredients made these stick together nicely, which I appreciate. :)
3 years after you first postedโฆI was searching for a Thunderbird Bar recipe โ Almond-Apricot-Vanilla. Only thing missing is quinoa. And theirs doesnโt have dates. Itโs always nice to have a starting point
Hope you get them just right, Jan!
Love that I found this Lara Bar recipe on your site. I have really enjoyed a few of your recipes that use coconut oil over the past few months (e.g., scones with maple glaze is our fav!)
Question: The link is no longer active for the food processor recommended above in this recipeโฆCuisinart. I have never owned one before and was wondering if there is something else you might highly recommend as a good investment. Thank you so much for sharing!
Arlene
Thank you, Arlene! So glad youโre enjoying the recipes. Iโm frustrated that Amazon changed the URL for my food processor. I need to go through and update all the links. You should be able to buy it here!
How long do these last? Iโm about To go on a month long commercial fishing trip and want to know if they will keep that long unrefrigerated.
Hi Kate, I think they will probably last for one month, especially if individually wrapped in plastic wrap.
I made some today. I only had enough ingredients for half a batch. Delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Karen!
I make these regularly for lunches and snacks. Sometimes I add chia seed. Love them in any form!
Thank you for sharing, Nannette!
Just made these with walnuts and unsweetened dried cherries, delicious!