Snack healthy with these homemade Larabar lemon balls! Made with almonds, dates, lemon and coconut, these little bites are tasty, portable and take onlyĀ 10 minutes to make!
How was your holiday weekend? Did you do anything fun? We had oneĀ Memorial Day cookout on the calendar, but it got postponed due to the rainy weather so most of our weekend was pretty low-key. We hung out with friends, grilled out at home (weāre kind of addicted to these spinach and fetaĀ turkey burgers so we made them twice over the weekend) and did a bunch of houseĀ chores. We cleaned out the garage, planted some flowers, fixed aĀ toiletā¦Ā oh,Ā the joys of being a homeowner. This weekend was actually our one year home anniversary! Itās pretty cool to think back about all the projects weāve tackled thus far and all the projects still on our radar. <–Ā Fingers crossed thatĀ renovating our master bath and kitchen willĀ happen soon!
Before I get off on a tangent about home projects, letās talk about these lemon balls shall we?This recipe is actually one I created and shot months ago, but I wasnāt happy with the photos so it got pushed backed for a while. Luckily, Maria and I had a chance to make them again last month and theyāre ready for their EBF debut. It seems as though you allĀ love theĀ homemade Larabar recipes Iāve posted so Iām excited to add this lemon coconut version to the mix.
If I’m being honest Iāve never really been a huge fan of lemon-flavored baked goods or treats. I’m more of aĀ chocolate and peanut butter lady, but lemony flavored desserts areĀ growing on me. When you combine lemon with sweet ingredients (like dates) the tangy lemon flavor adds a pop of brightness without being too sour and itās actually quite refreshing. Iām a fan!
If youāre a lemon-lover you will adore these balls! They take about 10 minutes to whip up and are perfect for snacking throughout the week. I love having a couple before or after a workout or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
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Made with almonds, dates, lemon and coconut, these little energy bites are tasty, portable and take only 10 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds, raw or roasted (no salt added)
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates* (10–12 dates)
- juice from 1 lemon, about 2–3 tablespoons
- zest from 1 lemon
- Ā½ teaspoon vanilla
- Ā½ teaspoon sea salt
- ā cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Add almonds, dates, lemon juice, zest, vanilla and sea salt into the bowl of a food processor (affiliate link). Pulse until almonds are chopped and a soft ādoughā forms, you may need to scrape the sides of the processor a couple times.
- Using your hands, form the dough into balls.
- Put shredded coconut into a small bowl and roll each ball into the coconut until evenly coated.
- Eat immediately and store any extras in the fridge or freezer for later consumption.
Notes
*If you’re dates are dry, you may need to soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes for them to soften. Just drain them well before using.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 94
Did you miss some of the other homemade Larabar recipes I posted? Check them out:
Blueberry Muffin Larabar Balls
Coconut Chocolate Chip Larabars
Donāt see your favorite Larabar flavor? Leave me a comment with which flavor youād like me to make next.
Elizabeth Dillman says
May 31, 2016 at 12:16 pmJust made these and they are fantastic!
★★★★★
Brittany Mullins says
May 31, 2016 at 2:14 pmYou are fast!! So glad that you like them. š
Roxana says
May 31, 2016 at 12:40 pmThese look great!
Izzy Bruning says
May 31, 2016 at 3:40 pmWow these look so yummy!
https://plantbasedizzy.wordpress.com/
Susan Wilson says
May 31, 2016 at 4:19 pmI love lemon treats! I definitely want to try these…but I don’t have a food processor!! Do you have one you recommend? Also, what size (capacity) would you recommend?
Brittany Mullins says
May 31, 2016 at 11:18 pmHi Susan. I have a 9 cup Cuisinart food processor. I love it and use it all the time — much more than I thought I would! I think they’ve discontinued my model (seen here: http://amzn.to/1r2ma66), but overall I like the Cuisinart brand and would definitely recommend it.
Jill @eatcleancrush.com says
May 31, 2016 at 9:16 pmThese look great. I love lemon treats and the fact that there is no added sugar!
Brittany Mullins says
May 31, 2016 at 9:24 pmThank Jill. I hope you get a chance to try them. š
Christianne says
June 1, 2016 at 6:05 amI love Larabars, but I am a poor (and married) college student. Making my own has been the way to go for a while. God bless the medjool date. Always love getting new flavors, can you try the pb&j bar next? They are my fave, and I’m no good at making up recipes š
Brittany Mullins says
June 1, 2016 at 8:32 amOh yesss! I can totally do the PB&J bar next!! š
shashi at runninsrilankan says
June 1, 2016 at 9:40 amHappy 1 year Home Anniversary! And, I sure am happy to see these lemon balls – so simple and summery!
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says
June 1, 2016 at 10:53 amI have always been a fan of Larabars! These are great recipes and lemon coconut is my fav!
Brittany Mullins says
June 1, 2016 at 1:53 pmMe too! Thanks Lauren. <3
Briana says
June 1, 2016 at 1:09 pmYum, love me a homemade larabar (laraball?) I just recently tried a mint brownie larabar and am now addicted. I’d love an at home recipe that tastes just as good!!
Brittany Mullins says
June 1, 2016 at 1:53 pmOh! I love the mint brownie Larabar idea!! I love all things mint chocolate. I’ll add that to my recreation list. š
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
June 1, 2016 at 10:04 pmI don’t think there can ever be enough ball recipes out there, love the lemon tartness of these!
Brittany Mullins says
June 2, 2016 at 10:23 pmThanks Gina! I agree, the more balls the better. š
Sylvie says
June 2, 2016 at 2:22 amThese are right up my alley, I love everything tart and lemony!
Renee says
June 2, 2016 at 9:01 amCan you use almond flour/almond meal as a substitute for raw almonds if you do not yet have a food processor?
Thanks!
Also, what brand food processor do you recommend for a reasonable price?
Joan says
June 3, 2016 at 11:11 pmI always use my blender, but wonder what the difference is…
cris carmi says
June 2, 2016 at 12:41 pmI’m looking forward to making these! Just wondering why you call them Larabar? Thank you š
Brittany Mullins says
June 2, 2016 at 10:23 pmHi Cris. Larabar is a brand that makes popular snack bars (http://www.larabar.com/). This recipe is very similar to their Lemon Bar, but in ball form. š
Kori says
June 3, 2016 at 10:45 amI think my love of lemon anything comes from my grandfather who always enjoyed a lemon meringue pie, baked by my mom, on his birthday. š Every one of these recipes looks in-credible! I will have to set aside time to make each one for me and my fiance. We love Larabars, but I keep wanting to make our own. Thanks!
Dot says
June 4, 2016 at 7:29 pmGoing to try these tonight. I was thinking of a lemon raspberry and almond larabar?
Brittany Mullins says
June 5, 2016 at 12:53 pmOh, I love that idea. With dried raspberries? Let me know how they turn out. š
Kris says
June 15, 2016 at 8:43 amJust made these and although it took longer than 10 minutes, they turned out superb. Look just like the photo too! Hard to stop at just one.
★★★★★
Brittany Mullins says
June 15, 2016 at 8:56 amHooray! So glad that you they turned out, Kris!! Enjoy.
Amelia Abbott says
August 4, 2016 at 3:09 pmFinally made these and they are delicious!!! So excited to keep them in the frig and eat them in place of the expensive Larabars.
★★★★★
Brittany Mullins says
August 5, 2016 at 3:50 pmWoot woot! So glad you were able to make them recently. Enjoy!! š