We Have a Winner!
Hasn’t it been a beautiful day?
Something about seeing a friend (who happens to be a blogger and author) on the Today Show can just put a smile on your face.
I wasn’t the only Pea excited about it.
Lulu said, “We HAVE that book!”
I said, “I KNOW HER!”
Gigi said, “I want to be on the Today Show.” I hope she gets on somehow besides showing up on a Smuckers’ jar in 2111.
I was so proud of how well-spoken Caitlin was, and of course was thrilled to see the book get the national attention it deserves, but I still don’t think they even got to scratch the surface of how stellar this book is. (I know…the book and I are in fact getting a room). Luckily, I get to give a copy to one of you so you can see for yourself. And that winner, by random number generator is:
#333: April from Crazy Fabulous Life! She said:
The note I’d leave to myself would be this:
You are beautiful. Please stop abusing your body and love it because it is perfect just the way it is.
Please send me your mailing info to peasandthankyou@hotmail.com and I will make sure you get your book! But you can’t have mine.
Do you know what else is beautiful? Cookie dough.
I’ve always loved it. Whenever my mom would make cookies when I was little, I’d stand and peer over the edge of the bowl begging for a spatula-ful. Or a spoonful. Or a fingerful. Beggers can’t be choosers.
It reminds me a lot of someone else I know.
Fine.
My mom would say, “If you eat any more cookie dough, you won’t get to have any cookies.” Fine by me, hand over the dough, woman.
It got worse. Much worse.
If we went to Dairy Queen for Blizzards, I’d order the Cookie Dough flavor, of course, but I wouldn’t stop there. I’d dig around in my cup with my red plastic spoon, avoiding every piece of cookie dough I possibly could, like it was a walnut or even worse, a raw tomato. Then, when I’d reached the bottom of the cup, I would have about 20 to 30 little cookie dough nuggets I could eat in one or two blissful bites. Mmm….nuggets.
When my brother and I were 12 and 10, we became “responsible enough” to stay home by ourselves on the rare occasion my parents might get to actually go out for an hour or two without us. We’d each use that time as the window of opportunity to do the things we wouldn’t dream of doing if they were home. How responsible!
My older brother would grab the cordless phone and head to his room, blaring Eazy-E and talking to one of his several girlfriends on the phone. I would head to the kitchen and attempt to make cookie dough. Not cookies, mind you. Cookie dough. Try and guess which one of us ended up on the Homecoming Court at the dance and who was um….intentionally babysitting for the neighbor kids that night (and most likely trying to make cookie dough in their kitchen).
The problem was, I couldn’t just make a big bowl of the Nestle TollHouse recipe from the back of the bag and expect my mom not to notice and punish me. She might even ground me from going to the dance! Oh wait, nevermind. So I’d take a small bowl, put a tablespoon or two of flour in it, a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of butter, a splash of vanilla and some chocolate chips, and then I’d mix it all together. And it would taste…absolutely nothing like cookie dough. Yet my love affair continued.
I finally got my hands on the Cookie Dough Larabar today (thank you, Andi!), but it was after I had successfully made my own version. Lucky for you, my culinary skills have come a long way since the age of 10. Call me Eazy…or just call me E.
Cookie Dough Lara Sarahbars
Makes 8 bars (each bar has 250 calories, 14 g. fat, 30 g. carbs, 7 g. protein)
- 1 c. raw almonds
- 2/3 c. pitted dates
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1/2 t. sea salt
- 1/8 c. organic chocolate chips
Grind almonds in a food processor or high speed blender until the texture of wet sand. Remove from blender and set aside.
Add dates, vanilla and salt to blender and blend until very finally chopped.
Add almonds back to blender along with chocolate chips and pulse just until a “dough” starts to come together.
Pour mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper and press into a large square.
Refrigerate for at least an hour, then cut into eight pieces.
Looks like a Larabar.
Tastes like cookie dough. Not a Cookie Dough Larabar. Cookie. Dough. My bar beat out Lara in a taste test: 3 Peas to Zero.
Speaking of dates, word is that Pea Daddy and I may get one this weekend. I imagine Gigi will cue up the forbidden Miley Cyrus (she lost me after the whole “hooker in a nest” video).
And Lulu will tear out those stifling pigtails and throw on a “hand wash-only” tutu to wear outside.
Do what you will, you little rebels. Just stay out of my cookie dough.
Your little girls are bad to the bonee tutus and all! Mummm I am obsessed with nuggets of cookie dough. However I only eat vegan cookie dough- something at raw eggs gets to me!
yay! glad you got the package! and I’m very excited to make the Sarahbars … but, I don’t have to cut it into pieces and share, right?
enjoy your date (if you get it!)
I like your cookie dough bar recipe! I’m going to try it. First, I have to resist the real cookie dough that’s in the fridge. *sigh*
Jenn
Mmmm those look delish!!! IT was amazing seeing Caitlin on the Today Show…so inspiring and wonderful!
LOVE the looks of your “Sarahbars” (cute name, too!) I’ve always wondered how easy it would be to reproduce Larabars since they only have a few ingredients. I have to admit I’ve had the same kind of relationship with cookie dough…I haven’t tried the new Larabar, but I’m thinking why bother when I can make your version?
Your girls seem to get more and more beautiful by the day. Lulu’s features are really starting to show – she and Gigi both look so gorgeous and very healthy!!
A beautiful day indeed! I just want to tell you that your post the other day on Lessons in Beauty truly touched my heart. I even devoted my entire post to your amazing sentiments last night. Thank you for always being my inspiration to become a powerful and inspiring woman.
Chocolate-Covered Katie made cookie dough Larabars even before the Larabar company, and they are amazing! She’s done pretty much every other flavor you could dream of too.
You MUST check these out! You won’t be sorry:
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/baby-making/
You can thank me later
.
Hi again, I re-read my comment and was worried it sounded a bit rude with the “you can thank me later” part. I was just kidding about that part! I was just so excited to share all the yummy Larabar variations with you
. My favorite is the peanut butter 
.
Hey Mary, I wasn’t offended in the least. I LOVE Katie and would love to try her versions too! Thanks for the link! Maybe I just will thank you later.
I love cookie dough too! In fact, I would rather eat dough than cookies..and my mom told me the same thing! I have my own lil recipe for high raw vegan cookie dough that I love and to me, it tastes like REAL cookie dough. Your Sarahbars (like the name…that youre using it! I am never sure if that’s kosher or not to use it so I never do) but they look awesome!
Congrats to the book winner too!
Mmmm cookie dough. I always loved it too and felt sick at the thought of eating an actual cookie after all that dough.
Laughed out loud about babysitting on dance night. My best friend and I were “above” going to prom. Right. We just didn’t have dates. Oh, well. Somehow I managed to muddle through life without memories of polysatin gowns, plastic solo cups of hooch and vomitting in someone’s backyard. Well, I do have some of these memories (thanks college!) but still.
These bars looks delicious!
Laura
I just recently tried that Larabar and loved it, so I can only imagine yours rock! I also love the name, Sarahbars, obviously
I want one of those Sara(h)bars right now. I guess I’d settle for one of the Larabars, which I haven’t found around here yet. Can you just ship me some of yours instead? Thanks.
I haven’t been able to find the chocolate chip lara’s, so I’m definitely thinking of making my own!
I just love your blog, I always enjoy your posts!
Sarabars sound delicious! 
WOOHOO!! I am so excited!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I had been anxiously waiting for the new Larabar flavors to come out until I read the package and it said “MAY CONTAIN MILK”, and well, I can’t have dairy. Also, I am new to reading your blog and just love it. It makes me laugh everyday. Thank you!
Mmmm, I love cookie dough too, it’s right up there with peanut butter desserts. Your childhood story was hilarious and reminded me of myself-you rebel
Wow those look delish and will be made soon!
Also, your daughters are absolutely beautiful! Their personalities come screaming out of my monitor in every picture! I love it!
I totally saved the cookie dough pieces for last, too. I don’t know HOW anyone ever assumed that meant I didn’t want them; don’t they understand the love of cookie dough?
um, i’m kinda ashamed to admit that i do the same little mix up of cookie dough in a mug. often times it doesn’t have chocolate chips and it only kinda tastes like cookie dough. there’s just something magical about sugar and butter. like on SATC, this is definitely one of my single-girl eats!
i know i’m totally a black sheep, but i don’t really love cookie dough…i like mine straight out of the oven
i’ll be making this recipe though…especially since your KIND bars were so great and now i can’t get enough of them!
OH my. As if I could LOVE you anymore!! Andi just very kindly sent me larabars as well and I thought the choco chip cookie dough was INsanely sweet and not much flavor. I am sooooooo excited that you made your own.
Have fun this weekend!!
Mama Pea,
I know, I was so excited to see Caitlin on TV – she did such a great job. I would have been so nervous, but she seemed so calm, and I was just so proud of her.
I didn’t know Larabar had come out with a cookie dough flavor, but I’d much rather have a Sarahbar and am bookmarking this recipe for when I get home. CD LOVES cookie dough!
Have fun on your date this weekend, and I love your new header and your sidebar/Twitter photo is beautiful as well.
Just when I think you can’t be any more AWESOME, you go and do this! I simply have to make this recipe and everyone else in the world should, too. Right now.
Happy Friday Mama Pea!
I had a multiple year affair with the Pillsbury Cookie Dough in a tube. I’m easy like that.
I remember my stepfather saying, “If Cookie Dough was meant to be in ice cream, they would have put it in there already!” Must have gone straight to Ben and Jerry’s ears cuz just a few years later it was there biggest seller.
Frankly, I agree. All that ice cream just gets in the way.
I really hope I am not the only person who giggled by the phrase “Grind almonds in a food processor or high speed blender until the texture of wet sand.” but it is VERY possible.
Apparently there is a vegan milkshake cart in downtown Portland that makes an incredible cookie dough milkshake…now that just sounds dangerous.
PS. Yes, I’m older than cookie dough ice cream.
can’t wait to try the sarabars! and thank you for showing us how much fun parenting can be and how not to take life so seriously. my mother would never have allowed me to wear a “hand wash only” anything outside just to play. you are awesome.
These look delicious and a tad healthier than the real deal! Can’t wait to try them!
mmmmmm cookie dough, my mom always said I would get sick if I ate too much but I didn’t care. I never got sick ( SHE LIED) and we all chow down on the cookie dough still.
The kids and I are heading out for errands today and we have our post it notes~Let Operation Beautiful commence
Regan was looking at your blog with me and said “Hey mommy, those are my friends on the computer”
Wow, you are such culinary genius!
Yum! I’m allergic to almonds, though.
Do you have any ideas for a non-almond substitute? The only nut I can tolerate is peanuts…hmmm….
You could definitely use peanuts! I’m guessing it would taste more like the Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Larabar.
My high school band sold cookie dough in the tub one year for a fundraiser and I bought two for myself just to eat out of the fridge…unbaked. And those premade toll-house things were college staples
Now I will make your cookie dough to be a bit healthier and make my stomach happier.
i need a real food processor. if for no other reason than to make these.
I can’t find the new Larabar flavors! Looks like I’ll be trying a batch of your homemade cookie dough bars instead. Yum!
These look great! I only have a Magic Bullet, maybe I could halve the recipe… maybe make it in two batches? Hmm… I need a bigger blender. Oh Miley. I’ll have to look up this hooker-nesting situation, you’ve got me curious.
I literally lol’d at the DQ cookie dough blizzard thing. That was exactly how I always ate them too! I also tried making my own at home, but it never quite turned out right. My cookie dough was always too soft, even after I froze it.
I am definitely going to have to try this recipe though! Sounds yum to me!
Thank you for spreading the operation beautiful word
to us as well as your girls!
I rushed out to grab a copy and can’t put it down! I LOVE everything about it!
I teach first grade and am looking very forward to tying operation beautiful into this school year. I want each of my kiddos to leave this year having a better appreciation for their own beauty, others’ beauty, and a better knowledge of where true beauty comes from. I also think the occasional sticky note in the teachers’ restroom might be just what some over stressed, under-paid, and sometimes unappreciated teachers need to lift their spirits.
Thank you for all that you do Mama Pea, and never forget that YOU are beautiful!
Aw, Krista, I’m so glad! I think that this book would be a great resource in EVERY school. I’m so happy you are spreading the word too! Enjoy the rest of your summer
This recipe may be the very thing that pushes me over the line to splurge on a Vitamix. Why can’t you guys live in California?! I’m sure we could come to some sort of nannying/cookie dough arrangement
dude mama, how long as it been since i’ve seen you? i’d say it’s been a grip, but really, it’s been a grip and a half.
(wow. i just said a grip. in my heart i clearly am still a pot smoking 17 year old with a skateboard in the back of her jeep and an epitaph sweatshirt. seriously, that was me at 17. try and picture it)
anyways, we should fix that. i’ll let you bring cookie dough
I do not know what a grip is. Did you not read the above post and see what I was doing in my teenage years? I just emailed you…would love to see you soon too!
ha, i used to do the same thing (pick out all the cookie dough pieces and save them for last) with the cookie dough parfait from tcby. i haven’t tried the cookie dough larabars but your bars sound yummy…and i have all the ingredients to make them, hmm, it must be a sign to go make them!
I think you are onto something with your “Sarahbars.” Open Pea Bakery?? I’m sure you have the time for something like that…
Glad to know I’m not the only one who ran to make cookie dough when left alone. I’d eat it from the huge mixing bowl until I felt sick. I found a grocery store that carries the BEST vegan cookie dough from a bakery in DC called Sticky Fingers, so now it’s my fiance who is eating dough till he gets sick
I may have to try creating your healthier version.
Dangit! I wish I would have read this post *before* I went to the grocery store today. I practically got everything BUT dates, heh!
They sound amazing. And I love cookie dough topo!
Hey pretty lady!
.
I make my own cookie dough larabars too… Homemade’s much better, especially when you have two cute little helpers such as your girls
Way to go with the dough!
Oh man, that sucked.
hahaah I just laughed out loud when you said that comment about the Smuckers ad on the today show!
Thats so cute she wants to be on the today show….one day
cookie dough is the devil and I mean that in a good way
I think Lulu is channeling her inner Ke$ha in that picture. See you tomorrow! Wait – we’re not part of your “date” are we? Cuz, we’re not really into that. Anymore. I keed, I keed.
so funny your post was about cookie dough, Lori and I have been making chocolate chip cookies all week…nothing beats fresh cookies out of the oven….but we do love our share of cookie dough too!!!
those bars look amazing. i’m definitely trying them! so easy too!
adorable kids
Those look so good! I am especially excited to see that recipe because, given my sugar intolerance, I actually cannot have the Cookie Dough Larabar! Now I’ll get to enjoy them – improved! – in Sarahbar form
Ahhhh, finally, a cookie dough I can eat sans-belly ache. Love it
Buying some dates, making asap. Thanks 
I was kind of a cookie-dough ice cream addict as a kid….so I am seriously contemplating making these bars and stirring them into some fro-yo.
those look so good!
YUM! Way to go, Miss Mama… those look fab! I’m going to whip up some of my own tomorrow, if I have time.
So I’ve been a little absent lately, but two things: 1) Your new site is GORGEOUS! I love the heading, and especially the little leaf that is right next to the comment box at the bottom of the page. So cute! 2) I missed out on your giveaway but that post was so beautifully written, and so spot-on for the way I want to raise my kids. (In the future) there will be zero fat talk, judging others’ appearances.
yum yum yum
LIFE IS SHORT… EAT THE DOUGH….LOL
“Sarahbars”…hey I like that!!!
Enjoy date night… rebels in tutus… clear the streets ladies and gentlemen!!!
Those look delicious. I tried making larabars once and they were. not. pretty. I may have to give it a second go!
I did the same thing with DQ Blizzards. Oh how I miss being able to eat those! I also would sneak chunks of the Pilsbury cookie dough logs my mom kept in the fridge. Your Larabar replacements sound much healthier – and tastier! Can’t wait to try these.
holy cow, i was…no, AM…the same way. cookie dough is my crack. i always did/do that w/ the little nuggets in the blizzards or ice cream. its always my go-to flavor. always. and forget about eating out of the bowl. holidays were my favorite bc we’d do LOTS of cookies, which meant more dough than i could stomach. actually, i managed somehow to eat my weight in uncooked product. i’m about to pass out thinking about it. i know whats on the agenda tonight…
thanks for the recipe! cant wait to try it, and die from blissfullness.
DQ Blizzards (and Dairy Queen in general), oh happy mascot of my childhood eating habits! I don’t remember the cookie dough version, but I the peanut butter cup blizzards were an oft-used coercision tool when it came to my mother getting me to do what she wanted. I’m glad alternatives, such as the one provided by your recipe, for me to employ in my future parenting operations.
Thanks for the Operation Beautiful bits too!
Hey! I just started reading your blog and LOVE it! I am a momma to two wild boys and have a little girl on the way. We are healthy eaters but are trying to transition to a meat free…..then maybe vegan diet. I made these bars and the taste was DIVINE! My only issue is I can’t get them to a “dough” consistency. Mine crumbled up and never stuck together. No worries….we made due and just ate the crumbles out of a bowl with a spoon. Any tips?
Hey Lisa, the trick is to grind them enough that they stick together on their own. I bet if you would have kept grinding, they would have stuck together better. The other thing you can do is to add a few more dates (which are stickier) or a splash of water. Then when you are pressing them together, make sure you use a little elbow grease and smash ‘em together good. Hope that helps!
Urgh, you just reminded me that I left a packet of chocolate-covered cookie dough candies in my friend’s fridge at NYC.
I used to pick out the cookie dough from ice cream. Strange, because I dislike chocolate chip cookies, but when they’re raw and chewy, I’m a monster.
OMG, I thought I was the only one who did those single-serve not quite cookie dough things!
oh, yummy!!! I can’t wait to try the Sarahbar!! Especially after making your granola, which turned out SO GOOD!!! And honestly, I went to all the proms, and I probably should have stayed home, because the guys were all such losers, LOL!
Once I have my kitchen stuff from my move on Tuesday, I VOW to make these! Do you have an inexpensive source for dates?
Andrea, I buy them in bulk out of the bins. They are quite cheap this way, and I even found them pitted. Score!
Oh My! Those look soooo good and easy. I am about to move and just packed up my blender…but those look so good I want to rip the duck tape off the box and run to the store to buy date. I guess this will just have to go on my ‘To Make’ list….
Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! Those bars look so good
and I don’t like raw tomatoes either!! yuck :/
I used to do the exact same thing (Dairy Queen!). I literally would pick around them all and then eat them last! Great segue!!!!!
BAH HA HA HA HAH A “Hooker in a nest”! I know I keep repeating myself, but you are GENIUS!
I just stumbled upon your blog this week and just made these bars this afternoon. These organic/sugar free/righteous treat recipes NEVER turn out as good as I’d hoped they would – until these. You have been elevated to near Goddess status in the eyes of my family. Thank you, from the bottom of our treat craving hearts. My milk-and-cookies deprived children don’t yet realize that you have opened up a whole new world for them.
Janet, this comment made my day. I read it aloud to the family in the car on the way home. Glad you enjoyed the bars and your poor, deprived children too!
I made the cookie dough bars and my boyfriend and I agree…They’re amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
I just made these bars! I didn’t have the chocolate chips so I used a tablespoon of cocoa powder. I also added some unsweetened coconut. Very tasty. The bars are wrapped in saran and in the freezer – perfect fuel for my cycling training. Also a great recovery food – high glycemic carbs and some protein with the ground almonds. Thanks for the great recipe!
Just made these bars – SO GOOD!!! I haven’t even had the Lara bar version yet (I think food bloggers around the world are snatching them up as soon as they hit store shelves!) but these are so good and easy to make, I don’t even need to find them anymore. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Reasons I need to make these now:
1) my newly acquired (even if it’s borrowed) Vita-Mix
2) the lack of new Larabars in the Great White North
3) I also love cookie dough
Hi Sarah! I made your “Sarahbars” last night and am loving them! They really taste incredible. One question, should I keep them refrigerated after I form the bars, or are they cool to hang out room temp?
I kept mine in the refrigerator just to help with freshness, having them hold together, but if yours are moist enough and pretty firm, I think they would be fine at room temp. After all, the original Larabars are kept at room temperature. Good luck!
I just made these last night, though I used 3/4 cup almond meal in place of the 1 cup of whole almonds and since I didn’t have chocolate chips so I just added a tablespoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of honey. They are SO delicious! It’s hard to eat just one bar! Yum!
Hi Sarah,
I stumbled on your blog a month ago and have been silently following. I live half-way across the world and love your recipes. I have tried out quite a few of them with varying degrees of success. (I made black-cherry oat bars inspired by your blackberry oat bars and YUM)
I made these sarah-bars a couple of days ago, dunked them in the refrigerator and forgot all about them until today.
Oh.my.blessed.taste.buds.
I had my eyes closed while eating them and was silently sending up prayers of thanks to the cosmos at large when I realised that I hadn’t thanked you!
Thank you.
English is such an inadequate language.
But from the bottom of my stomach and from every taste bud on my tongue, THANK YOU.
This comment made my day. Of course, being the sadist/perfectionist that I am, I’m now wondering what your “varying degrees of success” were with the other recipes
I am learning to just take compliments though…so, THANK YOU!
LOVE! These are great- taste just like cookie d.ough. And the best part is my ultra picky 3 yr old likes them. I know they aren’t veggies but they are better than any store bought snack bar!
I kinda copied you but made a raw version of this (well, of the chocolate part). Hope you don’t mind!
those bars looks amazing! will definitely try them thanks for the recipe!
Oh my gosh! Thank you so so much for this recipe, I made them for my father-in-laws birthday, he has cancer and is not allowed treats of the sugary kind, so this is just perfect.
Looks wonderful!! I think you did an awesome job! i might have to try to make this sometime…without the chocolate chips though. Nothing wrong with the chips, but I’m giving up sugary treats for Lent. I love Lara Bars, and I’m sure I’d adore your SarahBars too!
I’m surprised Mama P doesn’t have a food processor?
I’m drooling – yummm!
Made these today for my husband and 2 boys. Halved the recipe so we could all have 1 for snack. DELICIOUS!! Thanks for the recipe…..another keeper.
I’m so glad! Thanks for the positive feedback!!!
My “dough” was a bit dry so I added a little clarified butter (ghee) and it made it taste even MORE like real cookie dough! They are wonderful–thank you!!
Send help…can’t.stop.eating.these!
Sounds awesome! I am so excited to make these, and my ever picky hubby is excited about them too!
Hoo-rah!