Test Kitchen Tuesday

“Aruba, Jamaica…ooh I wanna take ya

Bermuda, Bahama…”

What in the world does an old Beach Boys song have to do with today’s post?

2Chili has been singing Kokomo around the house for days. It took me a while to realize this is because the actors on Two and a Half Men sang it in a recent episode and it stuck in his brain!

Anyway, with all that tropical influence going on around the house, I was inspired to make an easy tropical treat and these coconut Lara Bar wanna-be bars were born.

Don’t like coconut? Check out some of my other faux Lara Bars:

• Apple pie
• Blueberry
• Peanut butter cookie and cherry pie
• Ginger

Coconut Lara Bars

Print this recipe!

Makes: 6 bars

Recommended Ninja Blender Jar:

• Ninja Pulse: 40 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Kitchen System: 40 ounce food processor bowl with standard blade
• Ninja Mega Kitchen System: 64 ounce food processor bowl with standard blade
• Ninja Professional Blender: 72 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Ultima: 72 ounce jar with quad blade inserted

Ingredients:

• 12 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/4-1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raw pecans

Method:

For all but Ninja Ultima

• Optional: if your dates are on the older side, soak for 30 mins to 1 hour to soften up, then drain
• Pit the dates
• Add all ingredients to the jar of your Ninja blender, pulse 4-5 times to combine, then blend on “2” for 30-45 sections, until the mixture comes together (you should be able to pinch it together with your fingers)
• Put the mixture onto half of a piece of wax paper, fold the other half of the wax paper over the blob of mixture, and use your hands to flatten into a rectangle roughly 3/4” thick
• Cut into 6 equal pieces

For Ninja Ultima:

• Soak dates for 30 mins to 1 hour to soften up, then drain and pit
• Add nuts and coconut to the blender jar and pulse 4-5 times to combine
• Add dates to the blender jar and pulse all ingredients together until the mixture comes together  – you should be able to pinch it together with your fingers (I do not recommend steady state blending this recipe because it will jam in the corners)
• Put the mixture onto half of a piece of wax paper, fold the other half of the wax paper over the blob of mixture, and use your hands to flatten into a rectangle roughly 3/4” thick
• Cut into 6 equal pieces

Nutritional Breakdown: