Homemade Gingerbread Larabars
Homemade Gingerbread Larabars are naturally sweetened and highly addictive. Packed with great nutrients through the use of almonds and cashews and spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), these are a wonderful travel snack option and a great healthy holiday snack.
Date Bars for Pregnancy and Birth
Friends, I am currently pregnant and CRAVING these homemade Larabars every day…and all throughout the day. I limit myself to half a bar per day, and the flavor sticks with me.
Which is good, because I try to pull dates into my diet more at the end of pregnancy as part of my birth preparation regimen.
But these homemade Larabars are a snacking habit that I think I won’t pause after giving birth because they are just sooooooo tasty.
Perfectly sweet without being too rich. And wonderfully gingerbread-tasting, with a great bit of lemon zest.
Friend, these are one of my absolute favorite flavors of Larabars and well worth trying.
(Please note that I am no medical professional, and this should not be taken as medical advice but rather for what it is: my personal experience.)
Homemade Larabars with Cashews and Almonds
Using cashews in a homemade Larabars recipe might be a first-time thought for you–or it might be just as common as bread.
But why do we use nuts?
One reason is because they add a bit of structure.
Dates are amazing for their sweetness and as a binding agent. But you also need something to bind together, right?
Another is because they add nutrition.
Nuts can be a great source of many minerals, nutrients, and healthy fats. (For a list of great nut options, see this article by Healthline.)
And, finally, their flavor lends a cookie taste to these homemade gingerbread Larabars.
The flavor of nuts mimics the taste of a cookie, making this a truly gingerbread-flavored Larabars recipe.
Can You Make Homemade Larabars without Nuts?
But can you make Larabars without using nuts in the recipe? Yes, you can.
A great substitute for nuts in the recipe could be seeds. Try sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or another favorite seed of choice.
(However, if you don’t have an allergy to nuts, I highly recommend keeping to the original recipe, as the nuts truly do add a lot to the recipe and aren’t a prominent flavor.)
What Is In These Homemade Gingerbread Larabars
Almonds.
Almonds are high in multiple nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous (source).
Some people do have issues eating almonds, however. If this is you, then try another substitute nut, such as pecans or walnuts.
Cashews.
Similar to almonds, cashews are hailed for their high nutritional content. According to Healthline, “[t]hey’ve been linked to benefits like weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and a healthier heart.”
Dried dates.
Dates are the signature ingredient in any Larabars recipe.
Thankfully for the sake of this recipe, dried dates are relatively inexpensive in my part of the world (around $2 USD for one or two pounds of dried dates).
If your access to dried dates is limited (or simply more expensive), feel free to play around with the measurements to see how much you need for your flavor preferences, as well as for binding the ingredients together.
Real vanilla extract.
Real vanilla has several benefits that imitation vanilla simply doesn’t. So use the real stuff. 😉
Ground ginger.
Would it be gingerbread without ground ginger?
If you don’t typically like the flavor of ginger, still try this recipe at least once with the ginger–maybe just using a little bit at first before adding the full measurement.
Ground cinnamon.
Cinnamon is an absolute must in this homemade Larabars recipe–both for the flavor it adds and for the wonderful benefits to the circulatory and immune systems (source).
One thing to note: I am concerned about lead content in ground cinnamon and have switched our family to using Simply Organics brand ground cinnamon. (See this article for more on the topic, if you are unfamiliar.)
Ground nutmeg.
Nutmeg is another spice commonly used in gingerbread cookies.
If you don’t have ground nutmeg, you can omit it. But I highly recommend including it.
Lemon zest.
Pull out a grater and use fresh lemon zest to get that signature gingerbread flavor. The zing of the zest adds so much to this recipe, and it won’t be quite the same without it.
How to Prep Dates for Making Homemade Larabars
Your options for dried dates might be perfectly moist…or they might be exceptionally dry.
If your dates are already moist, then there is no need to soak them before using them in this recipe.
However, if you find they are stringy and dry, then try soaking them in water for an hour or so before draining and proceeding with the recipe.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
After you have made this recipe a few times, you might want to change things up a bit. Here are some ideas:
- Use different nuts. Try using walnuts and/or pecans for a slightly different flavor.
- Up the spices. Try using a bit of ground cloves or allspice.
Tools You Will Need
- a food processor
- a reusable silicone baking mat
- a 9″x9″ baking dish (any kind will do, as we aren’t baking these bars)
- a knife (for cutting the bars)
Ingredients for Homemade Gingerbread Larabars
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 1/3 cups dried dates
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Larabars (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Step One: In a food processor, blitz the cashews, almonds, and dried dates until finely mashed together. (You may need to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure the ingredients are evenly ground.)
Step Two: Mix in the vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest until evenly incorporated.
Step Three: Line a 9″x9″ baking dish with a reusable silicone baking mat.
Step Four: Press the Larabars dough into the baking dish, pressing firmly to make sure the bars stick together.
Step Five: Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
Step Six: Remove from the fridge, remove from the pan and silicone mat, and cut into bars.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container in the fridge, using parchment paper between layers of bars to prevent sticking.
In our experience, these bars have lasted for up to three weeks when stored in the refrigerator.
Homemade Larabars Recipe FAQs
How to Make Date and Cashew Bars?
Making dates and cashew snack bars is ultra-easy when you use a food processor. Simply blitz the dates and cashews together until they form a fine paste, then mix in your other ingredients (such as spices).
How to Make Raw Date Bars?
Date bars (homemade Larabars) are wonderful because they are naturally sweetened and easily made in a food processor.
All you need to do is blend the dates until they form a fine paste. If you are using nuts or seeds in your date bars recipe, you can blitz them in the food processor at the same time as the dates.
If you do not have a food processor, you can finely chop the dates and nuts. But I highly recommend using the processor or a good-quality blender.
Should I Soak Dates Before Blending?
It depends. If your dried dates are stringy and dry, then they may benefit from soaking before blending. If, however, they are moist, then soaking them is unnecessary.
Can You Store Homemade Larabars at Room Temperature?
While you can store store-bought Larabars almost indefinitely at room temperature, homemade Larabars might not last as long, due to packaging.
Because of its use of fresh lemon zest, I highly recommend keeping this homemade gingerbread Larabars recipe in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.
More Great Snack Bar Recipes
Hungry for snacks while traveling? Snack bars are a great option, and homemade is even better. Here are some of our favorite recipes:
Homemade Gingerbread Larabars Recipe Card
Homemade Gingerbread Larabars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 1/3 cups dried dates
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- In a food processor, blitz the cashews, almonds, and dried dates until finely mashed together. (You may need to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure the ingredients are evenly ground.)
- Mix in the vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest until evenly incorporated.
- Line a 9"x9" baking dish with a reusable silicone baking mat.
- Press the Larabars dough into the baking dish, pressing firmly to make sure the bars stick together.
- Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Remove from the fridge, remove from the pan and silicone mat, and cut into bars.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge, using parchment paper between layers of bars to prevent sticking.
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