Homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars
Published 6/14/2024
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With just 4 real-food ingredients, you can make these delicious homemade Larabars! I have been a huge Larabar fan since college and who knew they were so easy to make.
I was OBSESSED with Larabars in college. I bought them every single week because I love how minimal their ingredient lists are. So, we just had to make our own copycat Larabars, and friends… something this GOOD shouldn’t be this EASY, but it is.
Did you know, that if you buy your ingredients in bulk, you can make these bars for less than $1 per bar. I call that a win!
Most co-ops and health food stores, like Whole Foods and Fresh Tyme, have amazing bulk sections. Be sure to check them out! You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
What You Need for Homemade Larabars
- Medjool dates: The key to this recipe! Make sure you are using soft dates. If your dates are older/harder, you will likely need to add a few teaspoons of water.
- Unsalted peanuts: The peanuts get blended with the dates for the perfect indulgent, nutty flavor.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Peanut butter and chocolate chips make the world go round. Together, they taste delish!
- Sea Salt: Just a pinch is all you need. Trust me, it makes a huge difference in flavor!
Food processor: You’ll need a food processor to blend everything so these copycat Larabars come out nice and smooth.
Where can you buy medjool dates?
We recommend buying Medjool dates in the produce section, as they are much fresher than the packaged section. The softer the dates, the easier they are to pulverize in the food processor.
Featured Comment
“OMGGGGG I JUST MADE THEM AND HOLYYYYY THEY TASTE SO GOOODDDD I LOVE HOW INEXPENSIVE THIS RECIPE WAS AND HOW EASY IT WAS!! NGL BLENDING THE DATES AND PEANUTS TOOK A BIT OF TIME BUT WHEN IT FINALLY BLENDED I WAS SO HAPPYYYYYY! THE BARS ARE SO NICE AND MOIST I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE AGAIN! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!!” – Yoshi
Need to Swap Ingredients?
You can swap the peanuts for cashews to make a DIY cashew Larabar recipe. Our 3-Ingredient Cashew Date Bars are delicious! You can also use almonds to make a homemade almond Larabar.
You can also add different mix-ins, such as dried fruit, coconut flakes, or protein powder, for an extra boost of nutrition.
How to Store Homemade Larabars
After making these delicious homemade Larabars, you’ll want to keep them fresh and ready for snacking. Here are a few ways to store them:
Room Temperature: If you plan on taking these bars on the go, they can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Just make sure to keep them in an airtight container or bag.
Refrigerator: Store your bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer: You can also freeze these bars for longer storage. Simply wrap them individually in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container before freezing them. They can last for up to 3 months.
Homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars
Ingredients
- 20 Medjool Dates, pitted (fresh)*
- 2 cups unsalted peanuts
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- First, line a square cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Next, pit 20 dates. Then, add to food processor.
- Add peanuts and salt and blend on high until your dough has formed. You may need to stop a few times to scrape the sides. Your dough should be sticky, yet not too wet.
- Transfer your food processor into the fridge for 5 minutes to cool just a tad. You want to do this so the chocolate chips don’t melt! Once slightly chilled, add the chocolate chips and give it one last whirl to combine.
- Transfer dough into cake pan and use your hands to spread out evenly. If you spray your hands with cooking spray, there will be less sticking.
- Place cake pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
- Remove from freezer and let sit for 5 minutes until you can wiggle the bars out of the cake pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 bars.
Tips & Notes
- Make sure you are using soft dates for this recipe. If your dates are older/harder, you will likely need to add a few teaspoons of water.
- Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- If you’re eating these bars as more of a snack, feel free to cut the serving size in half to make 16 total bars!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These were a little sweet for us so next time I would reduce the amount of dates a little. I think they would have blended up much better in a Vitamix. We loved the fresh peanut taste – which you don’t notice so much in real Larabars. Also, I would recommend refrigerating them for an hour rather than freezing. Chocolate is more flavorful when it is not too cold.
Hi, could you please tell me if you use roasted or unroasted peanuts? Thank you!
Hi Steph! Either one will work, as long as they are unsalted!
OMGGGGG I JUST MADE THEM AND HOLYYYYY THEY TASTE SO GOOODDDD I LOVE HOW INEXPENSIVE THIS RECIPE WAS AND HOW EASY IT WAS!! NGL BLENDING THE DATES AND PEANUTS TOOK A BIT OF TIME BUT WHEN IT FINALLY BLENDED I WAS SO HAPPYYYYYY! THE BARS ARE SO NICE AND MOIST I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE AGAIN! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!!
Hope this message finds you feeling well and in good spirits.
I’m also a Larabar junkie and my fav is the chocolate chip peanut butter.
So finding this simple lil recipe was a real treat.
Cheers,
Pepper
these homemade peanut butter chocolate chip bars looks so chewy and yummy, very unique and they seem to be bursting out with flavor!
Has it really been eight years since you graduated high school? Girl, you do NOT look a day over 25. 😉 ANYWAYS, these homemade copycat LARABARs look AMAZEBALLS and I want to dig into one RIGHT now! This flavor is one of my favorites aside from, ya know, ALL THEIR OTHER PEANUT BUTTER BARS!
AW THANK YOU!!!! Big ol’ 28!
LARABAR Bars are a brand. You may consider changing the name of your recipe to avoid being sued.
The correct term is “nutrition bars”.