Woo so what a week it was last week. Had an amazing week at PaleoFX with a bunch of friends geeking out on the latest and greatest in Paleo with the biggest names in the community. If you want to read about it you can in my PaleoFX Roundup. It was definitely a much needed vacation for me but I can honestly say I am going to sleep a lot more now that I am back to work.
Well after all that I am posting this recipe because I wish I had made some of these prior to have them to snack on during lunch. We were all so busy running around that most of the time I missed lunch or just didn’t prefer the one option being served and these things are like Paleo Crack. I have had them taste tested by a few friends and their kids and they all tell me they taste like fruity pebbles. Random I know but thats pretty bad-ass if they do. Enjoy!
Apple Pie Caveman Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups dates pitted
- 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup dried apples
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Place your dates, macadamia nuts, apples, and almonds in a food processor or really strong blender.
- Pulse until your dates, macadamia nuts, and almonds are in small chunks and transfer to a mixing bowl
- Add in all remaining ingredients. Using your hands mix well to ensure an even coating of everything
- Once mixed, using parchment paper, flatten out your mixture to the size of bars your want or you can use individual ziploc bags and form them inside the bag
- Place in refrigerator and let cool, then enjoy
- If these don't taste like apple pie to you, then play with the spices, you can add some nutmeg or cloves and mix the flavors around. The possibilities are endless but make sure you come back and let me know what you used :)
***Disclosure: If you purchase any of the products linked in this post or products through the links on the right side of my page, I receive a small percentage from the respected affiliate programs***
Hey there! These sound delicious .
These look amazing!.
Do you have anything for pumpkin bars?
Thank you…Susan
Not at this time but that’s a great idea for a new recipe! We do have many other awesome pumpkin recipes you can try: https://civilizedcaveman.com/?s=pumpkin
Thanks for the recipe George!
I just made them and they are the best bars I’ve ever tried. I’m going to try the basic recipe and use different fruits and chocolate chips too. Just have to make sure I don’t over indulge!
Ah that makes me so happy!
I don’t have any coconut oil. What can I use instead?
The recipe sounds amazing. I was wondering however if I missed the nutrition facts or if they were provided? I’m mostly interested in calories and carb count per bar… thank you.
You can find nutritional info on an app like my fitnesspal
That is a great idea! I love hearing all of the creative ways everyone does things to make it work one way or the other for them. I will keep that idea in mind!
I am planning on making this, new to your site and enjoy looking at all the recipes. For this recipe, I am short on dates. What can I add to substitute
How about dried figs?
I made these yesterday and they were delicious. Will be making them more often. I made the first batch in squares then rolled the rest which are great to pop in your mouth. Keep the recipes coming. Love them.
I will and thank you!
Is there something else I could use in place of the macadamia nuts?
You could try another high in fat nut.
Brazil nuts?
I just found these the other day and made them yesterday. They taste yummy, but they fell apart rather than stick together. Maybe I didn’t use enough dates? Or could I add some water?
You could do either. Depends on the date size… try again and let me know how it turns out? :)
Since I had no macadamia nuts and love flavor, I read the comments and this is what I ended up doing:
I heated up 1/4 cup raw honey (it was hard) with 4 Tbls coconut oil, 2 Tbls almond butter, 1/2 tsp each nutmeg and clove, 1/4 tsp cardamom, 4 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp vanilla until just mixed smoothly. I then placed it in the food processor with 1 cup raisins, 2 cups dates, 1 cup raw cashews, 1/2 cup almonds and 4 Tbls freshly ground flax seeds. I pressed it all in an 8″x8″ pan and stuck it in the fridge. Of course I had a taste before it went in and it’s delicious! The only thing I might do differently next time is cut out the honey, as it is a bit sweet. Thanks for the recipe guideline!
You are welcome! I’m glad you were able to make it work :)
Made these last night but with cashews and not macadamia nuts and they are great!!!
Cant wait to try out more recipes!!
(already live on the banana pancakes for breakfast)
Awesome news Neil, thanks for the comment
I made these the other day…but they crumbled apart. The taste was delicious and I plan on putting the crumbles over homemade vanilla ice cream.
Any ideas on why they crumbled? I put them in the fridge like you said…maybe I didn’t leave them in the food processor long enough. Was the coconut oil meant to keep them together?
Yes Jodey that is what the coconut oil is for, you could add a few more dates as they vary in size
I made these yesterday and they were fantastic. Easy to make and delicious! I didn’t have macadamia
nuta, so I used cashews and they were amazing!
Awesome. I am so glad you enjoyed
I used your recipe as a base to the nuttier version I did. I used dried pineaapples (not a fan of apple), dried coconut flakes, cashews, almonds, and pecans. I didn’t put cinnamon either (not a fan). Anyway, here’s the link to the version I made. :) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1drT8ny3Mr8B2H1fry_0Ya1AL6Wa9H0li1yruc2W2x3w/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks for the comment and awesome ideas, I will try it sometime
This is my new Favorite Site!! Been a month living the Paleo Life and LOVE it!! This recipe is AMAZING!!!!! It was hard not to just eat it straight out of the food processor! I did substitute dried apples for fresh apples! Can’t wait to eat all of them!!
Oh that makes it even sweeter, I am so glad you love it and thanks for coming to my site :)
Oh man, George! I added about a teaspoon of cardamom – my new obsession – and a 1/4 teaspoon of ginger. Fantastic! i just crumbled some into my chia pudding and my stomach is very happy.
That sounds amazing
Hmmm… this recipe looks like a good one to continue my obsession with cardamom!
Go for it Em :)
I made a version of these tonight with my daughter. We substituted Trader Joe banana chips for the dried apples and pecans for the macadamia nuts. They turned out delicious. She and I will both be taking them to school for snacks. :)
Oh those sound delicious :)
So. Good. Made one batch “by the book” and they were actually a little too sweet for me. Second batch I cut the dates in half and added 1 C. Raisins. Yum! So simple and so tasty. Might try dried cranberries next!
So glad you loved them :)
These are amazing! I made a few substitutions b/c I couldn’t get to my pref store: 1 C dates + 1 C raisins. Unsalted mixd nuts instead of Macadamias. Dried pineapple instead of apples. Used only 1 Tbsp coconut oil & 2 teaspoons cinnamon. I mixed everything up in the food processor until it started to stick together. Yours are lighter in color than mine. I think I pulverized mine more! I rolled them out, sprinkled them with chopped nuts & cut them out with a heart cookie cutter. I’m in charge of taking treats to a get together, so had to make a treat that I could eat that others would like, too. I think this will work! Lots of Paleo recipes are edible, but if given the chance, most non Paleo eaters would take the grain/sugar laden ones. This one is more than edible. It’s tasty!
Have you tried freezing these? I plan on trying it to see if they will save longer so I can make them in bulk.
I do freeze them and they keep well Darla
So tasty! My husband and I are about half way through our 30-day Paleo challenge and needed a sweet treat. These fit the bill perfectly. They were actually a little too sweet for my taste and I ate them for dessert, not snack. Made another batch tonight and cut back the dates to 1 Cup and used 1 Cup of raisins. Also used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape them for Valentines day!
Awesome. So glad you love them and yes as you continue to get further into paleo, your taste buds get more and more sensitive
I haven’t tasted these yet. Though they are cooling in the fridge, I’m looking forward to trying them :D
I do have to say that I had to put some honey in the mix in order for it to hold.
I’m sure they are going to be GREAT!
Thanks! :)
Awesome, I hope you love them
Just a hint – I have found that adding a tablespoon or two of hot water will make a dry batch hold together really well, without adding more calories.
Thanks for the tip!!
I made a version of these today-used brazil nuts instead of macadamia, 2 small fresh apples instead of dried, and threw in some ginger and nutmeg with the cinnamon. They came out delicious! And I used the ziploc bag method which made it easier to bring to work :)
That sounds like an awesome combination
I have just started eating paleo and this looks like a good substitute for the sweet cravings! Are there any foods you keep around that help with that?
I recommend you doing a 21 day sugar detox to help with that. You shouldn’t have foods to satisfy a craving since your only further enabling it
just made these. Except used bananas instead of dates. just got a couple of them and mashed them up with my bare hands with all the nut mixture. Will let you know how they go, in the fridge currently!
Oh please do, that sounds interesting
Well! I just made these and am IN LOVE with them! Of course, Paleo sweet treats all tend to start with dates so I was dubious as to how these could taste more like apple pie than date bars, given the ratio of dates to dried apple! HOWEVER…the spice!! that’s it really isn’t it? Its that delicious cinnamon, and I also added about 1/2 a tsp of ground cloves as apple and cloves always go together in my book…and voila! it tastes SO delicious..and a lot like apple pie!! lol..kind of a cross between apple pie and Christmas fruitmince pies, an absolute favourite, which I am struggling to imagine not having this Christmas (first paleo Christmas for me)…but these might just fill the gap! thanks so much..just found your blog so am going to enjoy looking over it, for sure! (from Jessie, a Kiwi, living in Oz!)
Thank you so much for the comment Jessie. I am so glad you love them and hope you try many more. You will also love your first Paleo Christmas. Hi from California and thanks for liking me all the way from Oz
Doubled this recipe and pressed into a 9 x 13 for bars (treats) for my children’s lunchboxes this week. I used raw cashews and upped the spices-lots of fresh nutmeg, Vietnamese Cinnamon, Cloves and pinch of Ginger. We love a good spicy flavor in everything. Really delicious, easy to make. Thanks for the great ideas ( FYI- my 12 year old is making your paleo banana bread and I have your bacon/garlic studded beef roast in my pressure cooker as i write this so many thanks George for keeping my whole family on the a better path).
That is so awesome your 12 year old is baking my bread. I hope you all love it. I can’t wait to hear your verdict :)
Woohoo I love that. I want to rename them to monkey bars now
What is the best way to store these and what is their shelf life?
Airtight container in the fridge and I would so no longer than a week
OMG!!! Just made these! They are wonderful, don’t hold together too well but they are delicious. I made some adjustments. Used EVOO instead and also added dried apricots. Yummy! :) Thank you for a nice healthy recipe! :)
I am so glad you enjoyed, hope you make and like many more
I just made these, but with more almonds than macadamia nuts (didn’t have enough macs), dried cranberries instead of dried apples, and added some dried coconut, cacao nibs, and a pinch of nutmeg. Somehow it tastes like rum raisin! Weird, but yummy!
i made these last night and found that they crumbled apart as soon as i picked them up. they were about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. maybe a little honeywill hold them together better? after they crumbled i placed the crumbles on a sheetpan and toasted the mixture up and put it ontop of my pumpkin coconut icecream!!!!!
That sounds amazing
I LOVE these! I gave up gluten a year ago but have spent the past year substituting everything with the packaged gluten free alternatives. If the package said gluten free I was jumping up and down excited. Of course, I was just substituting gluten for sugar and soy (something I’m supposed to steer clear of). I’ve followed you on FB for awhile now but just recently stared really paying attention. I recently cut out processed sugars and basically stay away from any food in a package. I’ve been experiementing with paleo type recipes the past couple of weeks and so far, this one is my favorite. With fall on the horizon it is all the better. This is a perfect fall treat. My husband and my oldest son love them too. Thanks!
I am so glad you all love the recipe and that you have been experimenting more. Look forward to hearing about what else you make
Suck on that cliff bars.
Dude these were incredible.
I don’t have any coconut oil, so I used 1 Tbsp EVOO and 1 Tbsp Unsweetened Coconut Milk. I’m certain the end result was the same. Tasted like a nutty apple pie. I suggest 3 Tbsps of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
Made these the other day for a pre workout snack. I followed the directions exactly and they turned out PERFECT. I will never buy another packaged bar again.
Next time I plan on trying one with cocoa powder and coconut flakes. The possibilities are endless with this recipe. Thanks a ton!
You are so welcome. That flavor sounds amazing. Let me know how it turns out please
Can I use fresh apples?
It won’t make the bars the same
These look awesome. How long do you think they would keep for? Would love to send some to my deployed hubby… Thanks!
If you vacuum seal them they will make it through the mail fine, and once they are tasted once they wont make it for more than a day lol
Did you use the dried apples that are like the mostly dried chewy kind or the completely dry apple chip variety?
The dried chewy kind :)
Do macadamia serve a better purpose? Would walnuts work?
You could try walnuts for sure. Macadamia nuts are a little stickier so it helps
Made this with Penzey’s Apple Pie spice mix – YUM
Oh that’s a nice quick way to make this
George, I am about to make these and the caveman crunch for the first time for an all weekend hiking/camping trip. I will let you know how everyone loves it! :)
You haven’t made the caveman crunch yet? OMG you will LOVE it
I Just made some of these. It was tough to do with a regular blender but doable. In the fridge now, can’t wait to eat them. Tried a taste of the mix and it was Awesome. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are most welcome, dont eat them all at once haha
I shared them with some family and friends, They all loved them! I find these kill my sweet crave.
Awesome. I love these too and sometime they are too sweet for me
can you use fresh apples versus dried apples? Like just normal red apples? Tahnsk!
That would make too much moisture and they wouldnt hold together
ok Thanks!
just made these. They are awesome.
Thanks
Oh awesome, so glad you enjoyed
These are SO good! And I think the trick is you have to shape them into bars BEFORE you cool them…I pressed mine into a square shaped cookie cutter, worked like a charm! I also added a handful of flax seed to the mixture after I pulsed it. Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper around my house!
You are most welcome. So glad you enjoyed
Can you make these using shredded apples instead of dried apples?
Sure can, they might not hold together as well due to the moisture but give it a shot
Oh wow, these are sooooo good! I made a batch for my weekend trip with some friends and am excited to share the bars with them! You are my new favorite blogger/recipe site…thank you :-)
Awww Jill thank you so much. You are my new favorite person ever for saying that :). Have a great weekend trip
Hello! Just wanted to update you that I’ve made these bars practically on a weekly basis over the past few months! I have people requesting the recipe after sharing them and even my picky-eater son loves them. These bars really worked out great for my weekend camping trip because they do not need to be refrigerated. Again, thank you so much for the recipe :-)
Thanks so much for the update, I am so glad you love them like I do. I just want to spread the love of delicious stuff :)
I can’t wait to try these with my oh-so-picky 6 year old! :D
I hope they pass the 6 year old test
How long can these be stored for, if refrigerated? I’m a college student so grab-and-go snacks in between classes are great. If I made a big batch, do you think it’d last the week?
Yes I do, I have refrigerated them and had them for about 8 days the last time I made them cause I made like a quadruple batch. Hope you like them
I made these again last night but mixed it up a little. I used the same ratios of dates and almonds, but I swapped out cashews instead of macadamia nuts, dried cherries instead of apples, lemon juice instead of cinnamon, and added a huge handful of shredded coconut. They are delicious! Thank you again for the inspiration!
You are so welcome and I am so glad you like them :)
HOLY cow these are good. I’m never buying lara bars again!
I doubled the recipe, added lemon juice, nutmeg & clove. Dang bangin!
I can’t wait to try different combinations of fruit. Thanks!
You welcome. Want to make me some now :)
Mine don’t seem to stick together really well though….I don’t have a processor so I chop up apples and dates and do the nuts in a nut chopper, could this be my problem?
So glad you like them and yes the reason they won’t stick is probably from hand chopping them.
I made these last night using a food processor and they crumbled when I cut them into bars (after they cooled). This is a rather simple recipe and I’m fairly compatent in the kitchen, so what could have gone wrong??
WOw these are the best ever,
Very good, thank you! My 3 year old twins and hubby love these and your holiday bars. But my vitamix stops working every time…ugh! I guess I need to get a food processor before I start a fire. Any suggestions?
Ah I use the ninja 1100 and it works like a charm everytime
Funniest thing. I had found a lara bar recipe with dried berries about a month ago, made them, fed them to my 11 year old son who then turned to me and said – “You know Mom, I think these would be great with apple”
“Funny you should say that dearest child of mine – there’s this other recipe I’ve been waiting to try out :)”
He prefers yours by FAR.
Woohoo, kid tested and approved :)
I made 2 dozen, wrapped them individually for lunches and put them in a freezer bag in the freezer. 2 days later they were ALL gone. When I asked what happened I was advised to “make twice as much next time because the kids at school really like them”
Hahaha that is so awesome. Sounds like a winner to me :)
If you can’t find coconut oil is there another oil you can substitute easily?
Ah not really Dannrobin, it will kill the flavor. Coconut oil is sold in most grocery stores now
what did I do wrong? It tastes great just wont hold together :-(
It could be lots of things, the humidity, the dates being a little too dry, these things are tempermental. If they are too oily you can try and freeze them
So excited I found your site! I made these sweet treats (and might I add they are so easy and fast to make)! I can’t wait to try a chocolate chip cherry version! I’m working on trying more of your recipes!
Oh I am so glad to have you, I hope you enjoy them all
FYI… The dark chocolate chip cherry date bars were a hit for Easter!
Oh good to hear, sounds soooo yummy
Hello George,
I have just read post at Deliciously Organic, which was really inspiring, and I had to stop by. I must say that you have done an amazing work here, Civilized Caveman is great. So, you got yourself one new regular follower. As for this recipe, I like it, It is sweet but very healthy.
Have a nice day.
Thank you so much. I am very glad to have you here. Thanks for the feedback
These are so good! I decreased the amount of cinnamon to 1 Tbsp. because I added 1 tsp. of allspice and 1 tsp. of nutmeg. It turned out awesome! My 1 year old couldn’t get enough!
Oh thats a good idea, I will have to try that next
I am in love. My family is in love. My co-workers are in love. I have to hide these when I make them to make sure I actually get some…… Um, ya – these are the BOMB!!!
Woohoo so glad everyone enjoys them :)
I make a recipe similar – coconut flakes instead of the apples and I use toasted almonds with the macadamias. For the spice I use a bit of pumpkin pie spice. I’m definitely going to try the apples – sounds delish!
Oh you should. Let me know how you like it
Just made these with my 3.5yr old and my 16 month old and they were eating the mix out of the bowl quicker than i could get it on the paper – Yumm!
Woohoo that was my intention. Glad you enjoyed
Hey there! These sound delicious – I have made something very similar in the past but gave them up – I found they were making me tired- think it was the sugar in the dates. No one else find this? Maybe just me!!
You are right. Some people have that reaction because of how sweet they are. I eat these only after competitions so I’m already tired lol
Hi George, I didn’t realize you’re in SD also! Wasn’t that blackout something! Anyways I am making these tomorrow, but wanted to let you know your print buttom doesn’t include the ingredients. I’ll figure out how to get this printed. =)
Awww crap thank you, I will email the company that runs that plugin
YW! Oooh, and I guess we chop the dried apples too? I’m adding apricots & unsweetened coconut and using all almonds to mine as well. I may use less cinnamon or I wonder if vanilla extract would be good?
Oh that sounds amazing :)
I added the apples to the processor with the nuts & dates. Otherwise I would have been chopping by hand. I just made these and didn’t read your “vanilla” comment until now and mine are already in the fridge. I think a little vanilla would be good. I actually added in 1/2 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder and a dollop of maple syrup. Sweet treat for my kiddos!
Yes I’ll edt it when I can to say add the apples. I forgot :(
Made them, love them! Sooo simple! Thanks for the recipe!
Love that you love them, you are most welcome
These are great! Added some nutmeg and shredded coconut…a perfect snack.
Awesome I am so glad you enjoyed them
George, Thanks for the receipe, I made these last night and loved them :) Hopefully I will see you at CF BoomBox…
Oh that’s awesome. Can’t wait for Eric to get more space
Just made these, I didnt even have them out of the food processor and my kids were eating it with spoons! so much more affordable than the store bought ones! And they are delicious!
I made these today with a few substitutions. Used walnuts instead of macadamias, added 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut. Only had 1 cup of dates, so used those & added 2 T. of honey, and used half the cinnamon. They are awesome and thank God, they don’t taste like fruity pebbles! I pressed them into a parchment lined pan and put them in the freezer for a couple hours, then lifted them out of the pan and cut them into bars. The real taste test comes when the teenagers get home!
Oh awesome, yea the fruity pebbles was a joke haha. I would never stop if they did taste like that lol
Hubby loves these, takes some to work to eat at break-time since he never eats breakfast before he leaves.
Woohoo I am glad he likes them :)
Woohoo I am glad he likes them :)
mmmm. I’m going to get the items to make these tonight.
Woohoo I hope you love them :)
Any alternative for coconut oil (sucky intolerance)
You could use Grassfed butter
Is there any place you would recommend getting the dried apples or a specific brand?
Any decent healthy grocery store will normally have them not sweetened. You just want to make sure they aren’t dried with sugar
What would you recommend as a substitute for someone with a macadamia nut allergy? Also, would roasting the nuts be okay. I have an allergy to raw almonds, but not if they are roasted. Thanks!
Roast away and just replace it with any nut you like or increase the almonds
These look amazing! Would it be to much to ask if there was a way to add the “pinterest” button to your “Share the wealth”? I really want to add these to my paleo boards but can’t from my iPhone :). Sometimes I forget to add them when I get home to my computer!
Thank you so much everyeone. Annej12 I already pinned it to my board, you can repin it :)
Yay!!! I didn’t know that you are on pinterest! I’m going to follow you now on pinterest too! That sounds kind of stalkerish!
Not at all, thats why I have the pinterest button on my page
Yes please!
I am so excited to try these. My family and I love your recipes! And this is one if the best flavors too!
I can’t wait to try these. I’ve been thinking about homemade Lara type bars since I found out they’re now owned by Monsanto. Faileo!
Oh let me know how you like them
It’s 2021 and this is still a favorite staple in my home! Thanks again for such a great recipe!
sad :(