Hello, date lovers! Here’s an earthy-sweet treat that’s ready in about an hour—plus, it will give you a week of wonderful desserts and afternoon snacks that the whole family will love. The filling for these classic date bars is made with just 3 ingredients and 1/4 cup of sugar, making the most of the date’s intense natural sweetness. Sandwiched between a brown sugar and oat crumble, these taste so wonderful. Enjoy your date bars with a cup of coffee and a little me-time in the afternoon or a big scoop of ice cream after dinner. Or better yet, both!
Here's a friendly peek at the ingredients in this recipe.
Chopped Pitted Dates: These naturally sweet, chewy gems bring all the rich, earthy flavor and a lovely, jam-like texture to the filling. We suggest using prepackaged chopped dates to make things easy.
Granulated Sugar: While dates are sweet, a little granulated sugar enhances their natural flavor and helps achieve that ideal filling consistency.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness and a wonderful moistness to our crumbly topping and base.
Butter: Butter brings richness, flavor, and helps hold our crumb mixture together, creating that irresistible tender-crisp texture.
All-Purpose Flour or Whole Wheat Flour: Flour provides the structure for our delicious crumb, whether you choose classic all-purpose or the nutty goodness of whole wheat.
Quick-Cooking Oats: Oats add a delightful chewiness, a wholesome flavor, and that signature crumbly texture we all love in date bars.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Water, baking soda, salt
Let's get those delicious Date Bars baking! Here are the simple steps. See the recipe below for full details.
Cook the date filling over low heat and stir constantly for about 10 minutes, just until it thickens. Overcooking can make it too stiff, while undercooking will leave it too watery. Once thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
Heat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of your 13x9-inch pan with shortening. This helps prevent sticking and makes for easy removal!
Mix ingredients until they form a crumbly mixture (make sure to use softened butter in this recipe). Take half of this crumb mixture and press it evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. This will be your base!
Carefully spread your cooled date filling evenly over the crumb crust then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the date filling. Gently press it into the filling.
Bake bars until the top is a beautiful light golden brown (25 to 30 minutes). Cool the bars in the pan on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes then cut.
Proper storage will keep your Date Bars fresh and delicious.
Once completely cooled, place the bars in an airtight container. Store them at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Store the cooled bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. Chilled bars can be enjoyed cold, or you can let them come to room temperature before serving.
Once completely cooled, cut the bars into individual servings. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour until firm (this prevents them from sticking together). Transfer the frozen bars to a freezer-safe airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag. You can place parchment paper between layers if stacking. Store for up to 3 months.
Take out the desired number of bars and let them thaw at room temperature for an hour or two, or overnight in the refrigerator.
In a 2-quart saucepan, cook the Date Filling ingredients over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool 5 minutes.
Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch pan with shortening.
In a large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until well mixed. Stir in flour, oats, baking soda, and salt until crumbly. Press half of the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Spread the date filling over the crust. Top with the remaining crumb mixture; pressing lightly into filling.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack. For 36 bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while bars are warm.
| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 2&½g | 13% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 20g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 85mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 25g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g | 7% |
| Soluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 17g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 2g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Potassium | 140mg | 4% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 10% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||
