Copycat Lärabars

I'm on a low-salt kick for the duration of this pregnancy, which means pretty much no packaged anything (Fig Bars and Shredded Wheat are about all I've found). The last thing I feel like doing is baking, though, so Cuisinart to the rescue. I knocked out all four of these in less than an hour, and just gave the processor bowl a thorough scraping out between batches. I also fit everything into the same large loaf pan, with layers of waxed paper in between.

Also #livingoffof: homemade Lärabars, because #nobake, that's why. L to R: carrot cake, cherry pie, dark chocolate brownie, and apple pie.

A photo posted by Emily MacMichael (@emilynd06) on Jul 14, 2016 at 9:00am PDT

Adapted from Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook

Instructions for all varieties:

If your fruit is particularly dry, soak in warm water 5-10 minutes before beginning.

Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with plastic wrap or waxed paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray, Place nuts in a food processor and chop finely (about ⅛" pieces). Add fruit and spices. Pulse until mixture comes together in a ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten evenly. Chill 30 minutes.

Lift mixture from pan and cut into 6 bars. Wrap and store (3 days at room temp, 3 weeks in fridge, 3 months in freezer).

Carrot Cake
½ c. dates
¼ c. raisins
¼ c. dried pineapple
1 c. walnuts
¼ c. shredded carrot
¼ c unsweetened coconut

These came out too moist. The original recipe called for 2 tsp. coconut oil, but I'd skip that. I ended up processing a couple of graham crackers into the mix to make it more coherent.

Cherry Pie
1 c. packed dried cherries
¼ c packed pitted dates
1 c. almonds
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. almond extract

Dark Chocolate Brownie
½ c. almonds
½ c. walnuts
3 T. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. packed pitted dates
¼ c. craisins

Apple Pie
1 c. pecans or walnuts
1 c. dried apples
1½ tsp. cinnamon

I added a bit of lemon juice to this, but it will depend upon your apples.