Homemade Energy Bars

Sweet and chewy Lara-type bars made with simple raw ingredients. These ones are made with dates, almonds and a hint of cocoa.

1/2 cup dates
1/3 cup almonds
2 tsp cocoa powder

Place dates in a food processor and pulse until they form a paste. Set them aside. Place nuts in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add nuts and cocoa to the date paste. Lay out two pieces of plastic wrap before you get your hands messy for the next step. Using your hands, knead the mixture until it is well combined. Divide mixture in half and place on each piece of plastic wrap. Form them into bars and wrap them up. Store them in the refrigerator.

For many more variations on this bar, check out Enlightened Cooking: homemade Lara-type bars. It`s a great post on these incredibly yummy bars with so many different ideas to try. I want to try the chocolate chip cookie dough next time!
Making these bars allowed me to play some more with my new toy, my food processor. It worked like a charm. It only makes 2 bars but those bars actually lasted us a while because we only cut off small pieces of bar to eat at a time. They`re quite sweet and rich so you don`t need very much to feel satisfied. They`re a perfect healthy treat when you have a chocolate craving!