Choco-Coco Lärabars (grain free & sugar free!)

Last Thursday, I shared a recipe for cashew cookie lärabars and today, I'm sharing a recipe for choco-coco lärabars. These lärabars have been my saving grace since going off gluten, dairy and sugar. Since regular granola bars are off limits for me right now, these have been the best stand in! The cashew cookie ones that I shared last week were delicious and these are just as good! I especially love how chocolate-y these are!

I'm anticipating trying different lärabar recipes each week so I will likely be talking about them a lot on my blog. I love how easy these snack bars are to put together. They store so well in the fridge and they make the best grab and go snack!

I made a double match to make sure we had enough to go around my house but I'll be sharing a single recipe today. Add 1 cup of dates to the food processor. Process the dates until they form a paste. You may have to add in a little bit of warm water. I added in about 1 Tablespoon of warm water.

Once the dates are processed, add in 1 cup of walnuts, 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut and 4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder. Then process everything together until it forms a crumbly dough.

I didn't realize how blurry this picture was until I put in full size - ugh! What in the world!? I wish I had noticed when I was baking! Transfer the dough to a bowl. You may have to use your hands to help the dough hold together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface lined with wax paper. The wax paper really helps the dough hold together without getting stuck to a counter.

I wrap the dough up in the wax paper so that I'm rolling over wax paper. I use the corners of the wax paper to form the flat edges. At first, it's tough to shape the dough the way you want it, but the more you make these, the easier it'll get! Roll the dough out to be about 1/4 of an inch thick. Try to get it rolled out as evenly as possible.

Cut the dough into bars. This will work out however you choose to do it. I was able to get 16 bars with a double batch of dough, but I ended up cutting some of them smaller because they were a little too big. I think you will get around 8-12 bars with a single batch (and 16-24 with a double).

I sprinkle a little pink Himalayan sea salt over the bars once their cut. Wrap up the granola bars and store them in the fridge until you are ready to eat them. You could store these in the freezer too, if you prefer. They will last a little longer and they taste great frozen too!

CHOCO-COCO LÄRABARS
yield 8-12 snack bars

ingredients
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
~1 Tablespoon warm water (may be omitted)
1 cup walnuts
1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
pink Himalayan sea salt

directions
1. Pit the dates and add them to the food processor. Process the dates until they form a paste. You may need to add in some warm water.
2. Add in the walnuts, the coconut and the cocoa powder. Process everything together until it forms a crumbly dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and mix it until it holds together.
4. Transfer the dough to a work surface lined with wax paper. Cover the dough in wax paper and roll it out with a rolling pin. Use the corners of the wax paper to even out the edges of the bars. Roll out the dough to be about 1/4 of an inch thick.
5. Once the dough is rolled out, use a butter knife to cut the dough into bars. Sprinkle some pink Himalayan sea salt over the bars. Wrap up the bars and store them in the fridge or freezer.

Let em know if you have questions!