‘Indecisive’ is practically my middle name. Between different types of breads, salad dressings, and even apples, it tends to take me an ungodly amount of time to buy groceries. Now, I’ll have even more to waffle over because the folks at Larabar have created four additional flavors! Adding two bars to both their original and Jocolat lines has brought their count up to 20 total varieties- That’s a lot to pick from even for the decisive! Luckily, I was able to get my hands on all of the newest bars, so there were no tough choices this time around.
Naturally gravitating to the chocolate-y side of the spectrum inherent in the Jocolat line, my first pick was the tempting Chocolate Hazelnut. Although the chocolate flavor turned out to be rather mild and more one-dimensional like cocoa, it still came through, proving to be a good medium between candy and granola bar. The sizable chunks of hazelnut would lead one to assume that they have a prominent flavor, but they were really only present as a nice textural element to me. Soft, chewy, and slightly sweet like their old offerings, this one will certainly fit right into my normal rotation.
Chocolate Cherry sounded pretty decadent, but this snack would certainly not be confused for a truffle or cherry cordial. Tart cherries dominate, almost entirely pushing the chocolate out of the picture. With virtually no sweetness to speak of, those who aren’t quite so sugar-crazed might be happily surprised, but it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.
Astonishingly, it was the non-chocolate varieties that really appealed to me. The Coconut Cream Pie was the unexpected favorite in this batch. Incredibly rich with coconut flavor, I daresay it’s the next best thing to eating the fresh fruit itself. Studded with nuts and coconut flakes and yet so soft that it’s almost like eating raw cookie dough, I couldn’t get enough of these. As a fair-weather coconut enthusiast myself, I’m betting that even those wary of this tropical delight will even enjoy these bars.
The last flavor will undoubtedly find mass appeal as well, especially for those peanut butter lovers out there. Justly named Peanut Butter Cookie, it was just as incredible and nutty as you might hope. Admittedly a bit greasy and crumbly, all textural failings are swiftly forgotten as that intense, unadulterated peanut flavor spreads itself across your palate. Large pieces of peanuts surface every now and then to contribute a satisfying crunch, and trust me, it really does satisfy! Impossibly filling for such a tiny snack, one of the babies can keep you going for hours. Now, if only they came out with a chocolate version for this one…
It might be difficult to pick out only a few flavors from the overwhelming number of Jocolat and Larabars out there, but the good news is, it’s hard to go wrong with whatever you choose!
[Written for Go Dairy Free]