Larabars vs homemade larabars

so a while ago i tried a larabar and then made my own and they tasted exactly the same...

people know the ingredients to larabars are just dried fruits and nuts  blended together so why do you buy them? is it because the wrapper has the calorie content, because its a 'label', becasue its a pretty shape compared to a homemade one or is it out of conveinence?

home made larabars are way cheaper and you can put any flavour you want into them and you can make them in bulk and make them any size or shape. 

which do you preffer? the actual or 'fake' larabar? what are your pros and cons towards homemade ones (if you ever made them) to the real things?

Convenience.

If I'm ever out and I desperately need *something*, I know nipping in to a grocery store and getting a larabar is a decent choice. If I'm in a huge hurry in the morning I can just grab one and go. Why do people use instant oatmeal? It's all about convenience (for me anyways). ^_^

I'd love to try making them at home at some point though.

I tried to do them once at home.

With a blender. (No food processor or Magic Bullet)

It was good but I hated the 'clean-up' part and it was VERY VERY difficult to do this without a Magic Bullet or something like that.

Could i please have the recipe. They are really hard to find here in Australia, I have seen then once so the recipe would be great

Im an Aussie too!!! i've only ever had the cinnamon roll and jocolat. the cherry, pistachio and key lime are the only other flavours avaliable in australia but they're like $4!!!! YIKES!!

theres a brand in queensland chaytanya who prudce things called yummy bars and theyre basically like larabars except with edible rice paper over the bar... they are HELL better than larabars in my opinion but they're like $3.50 so a treat... :D. the cocnut one has chickpea flour in it... sounds weird but totally good! they have a website just tyope chaytanya in google...

i dont really have a recipie i just process dried fruits usually 8 dates and a bunch of cranberries until they form a ball in the food processor. then take that out and add as much and any nuts i want. then ill combine the two by hand and roll them into different sized balls or make cookie shapes with cutters... i have love heart larabars... for christmas ill make gingerbread man and use christmas flavours and colours! the good thing about these is that you can make em small or big. if its normal servings ill get about 3 from 8 dates, handful of cranberries, 1/2 cup nuts

i've made really interesting flavours but nothing beats dates, peanuts, walnuts, cinnamon and salt.... and then eaten with pretzels! mmm now i want to make one with bananas or apple and cinnamon

i made a baklava one (dates, cranberries, walnuts, pistachios, cinnamon and a drop of rose water)

i also intend to do one with cocoa and coconut but haven't made them in ages! i just love that with homemade ones you can make any flavour you want and you can shape them into any size, make your own packaging and its so easy yet like vanilla said very sticky! good think i don't do the dishes eh...???

just remember to make them in a food processor not a blender otherwise its too difficult to get the mixture out of the bottom!

Ok I'm english living in Spain and I have no idea what you guys are talking about! Any recipes I could have a look at cause they sound interesting

I make homemade ones all the time, though it doesn't stop me from buying the "real thing" since I probobly have one almost every single day. Hahah.

Pros: They cost less (especially when you buy discounted nuts and dates from a bulk bin), you can control the size and shape, and you can create whatever "flavors" you want.

Cons: Messy clean up afterwards, more time consuming, less convenient for quick snacks, don't have a very long shelf-life, don't come with nutritional information, and of course, you have to own a good quality food processor.

I like eating both bars. I really don't compare the two since they are often very different. However, I have "copied" some of the Lara flavors and they have been pretty spot-on.