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4.49 from 35 votes

Date Bar Recipe

This Date Bar Recipe has a cinnamon oat crust and a delicious date filling. These bars are chewy, soft and make a sweet snack or breakfast!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: date bar recipe, date bars
Servings: 24 large bars

Ingredients

Date bar filling

  • 2 cups dates; pitted
  • 1 1/2 cups water

For the oatmeal crust

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter; cut into cubes
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1 Tbsp. water

Instructions

To prep the date filling

  • Place the dates and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the water has thickened and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

To prep the oat crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and baking soda until combined. Add the butter and continue to process until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add in the oats and water and pulse until combined.
  • Press half of the oat mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a spatula or your hands. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Spread the date mixture over the partially baked crust and then sprinkle the remainder oat mixture over the dates. Lightly press down. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the crust is a light golden brown. Let cool completely and then slice into bars or squares. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. This recipe makes 12 large bars or 24 smaller bars.