Date Bars

5 from 102 votes

Date bars are made with a gluten-free buttery oat crumb mixture and filled with naturally sweet dates and nuts; they're easy to make and so delicious!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Rest Time 1

Total Time 2

Servings bars

Calories 210kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Filling

1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup chopped pecans finely chopped

For the Base

1 ½ cups oat flour
1 cup rolled oats
⅔ cup dark brown sugar packed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper hanging wider than the pan so it hangs from the sides. Grease the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add dates; simmer until very soft and thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in lemon juice and pecans.
Combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in large bowl; stir to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until moist clumps form. Press half of oat mixture evenly and firmly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread date mixture evenly on top of the base crust. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture; press gently to adhere.
Bake until the top it set and the bars are golden brown at edges, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack (about one hour). Cut into 16 bars and serve.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store the remaining date bars in an airtight container. They will last up to 7 days in the fridge or in the freezer for 3 months.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

To make them vegan, you can use melted coconut oil or vegan butter (which is what I would recommend)
To make them refined sugar free, substitute the 2/3 cup brown sugar for 1/4 cup maple syrup.
Instead of oat flour, you can use almond flour or even regular all-purpose flour.
Instead of pecans, you can use any other finely chopped nuts or other add-ins of your choice.

Nutrition