Homemade "Laraballs"

My family loves Larabars.  But it's so much cheaper to MAKE them.  

Cate gave me the great idea of rolling them into balls!  Perfect portion control.  (And she taught me that you can make a whole bunch at once and store them in the fridge for about a month...if they last that long!) They make a great on-the-go snack. My boys (the big ones) love them. McKlayne...like most other things...it just depends on how she's feeling that day. They're also great when you want something to give you a little energy before you workout, without a heavy meal on your stomach.

We've tried several recipes over the last few months and tinkered around with the proportions until it was "just right" to us.  The original larabars are made with cashews instead of walnuts, but we've modified it to maximize the nutritional benefits.  You can use cashews, if you'd prefer, they're still great for you, but I love that we're getting those Omega-3's with the walnuts.

Here are our two favorite recipes:

Cherry Pie:

3/4cup dates
1 cup cherries*
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts

Dump all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulverize until fine...take about a tablespoon (maybe a little more?) and roll into gumball-sized balls.  This recipe will make about 18-20 balls.

*Locals: I've only found tart, dried cherries (with no added sweetener) at Village Foods.

Lemon:

3/4 cups walnuts
1 1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 cup dates
2 lemons

Dump the first three ingredients into a food processor.  Zest one lemon and add to the processor.  With a strainer, juice the two lemons and add to the processor. Pulverize until fine. Take about a tablespoon (maybe a little more?) and roll into gumball-sized balls.  This recipe will make about 26-28 balls.

For both of the above recipes, we notice that the longer they sit in the fridge, the more flavorful they become.  And...if you're looking to save money on all of the above pricey items, the best deal I can find around here is to buy the nuts and dates at Sam's.