Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Lara Bars

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Welp, here's another copycat recipe! I get addicted to gluten free bars and then I start thinking "I could make this and save some money!" That's especially true with Lara Bars because at my local health food store they're $1.49 a pop!!!

One of the things I like about Lara Bars is the ingredient list. Take a look:


If you're having trouble reading it, it only has 4 ingredients: Cashews, dates, chocolate chips, and sea salt!!! 
Unprocessed -- Raw -- Gluten Free -- Dairy Free -- Grain Free -- Soy Free -- Vegan 
Since the ingredient list is so small I figured they couldn't be that hard to make. I've seen several Lara Bar copycat recipes around but I decided not to look at them when creating my recipe because I didn't want to be tempted to copy. Really... how hard could it be?
I knew there were more cashews than dates since they were listed first in the ingredient list so I started with 1/2 C cashews and just winged it from there. I made them 3 times and finally got it perfect. Now time for the side by side. Which one is the real Lara Bar and which one is the fake???

Ready? The real Lara Bar is on the left and my fake Lara Bar is on the right :)
So let's grab a food processor and get started:

I found these at Wal-Mart!!!

I have no idea why the lighting looks so crazy!

1/2 C Raw Cashew Pieces (I haven't tried this recipe with roasted cashews)

7 whole dates, about 1/3 C
1 Tbsp. Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
Pinch of Salt
1. Place the dates in lukewarm water to soften. Let soak 3 -5 minutes then drain off water.

2. Process the cashews until they are finely chopped. Set aside in a small bowl.

3. Add the softened dates and pulse until they are also finely chopped. Add the cashews back to the bowl along with the chocolate chips and salt. Pulse until it all comes together and is almost like a paste, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

4. Lay out 2 pieces of plastic wrap, then evenly divide the dough between the plastic wrap.

5. Using wet hands, form each half into a bar: 3 1/2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 3/4 inch thick. Tightly wrap the plastic around the bars and store in the fridge.

makes 2 bars but can easily be doubled or tripled