Date Bar Recipe

Make a Dessert Featuring Oats, Brown Sugar & Dried Fruit

© Lynn Smythe

Oct 2, 2009

Date bars are an old fashioned bakery treat, which are filled with old fashioned oats and a moist and sweet dried fruit filling. Date bars can be served as part of a decadent breakfast, as an after school treat, or as a dessert, at the end of a meal.

This recipe makes approximately 16 small date bars. The date bar recipe is extremely dense and sweet, a small serving is all that is necessary to satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth. Date bars taste great served along with a cup of strong, hot coffee, sweet tea, or a glass of ice cold milk.

Date Bar Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups chopped, pitted dates
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all--purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 3/4 cups (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter - room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

Date Bar Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray an 8 by 8 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Add the water to a medium sauce pan placed over medium heat.
4. Stir in the chopped dates, and simmer, while stirring occasionally, until a thick paste is formed.
5. Turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, then let the date mixture cool down while preparing the oat bar mixture.
6. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
7. Stir in the oats.
8. In another bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
9. Mix the butter and sugar mixture into the oat and flour mixture, until well blended.
10. Spread half of the oat bar mixture onto the bottom of the baking dish.
11. Evenly spread the date filling on top of the oat bar mixture.
12. Evenly spread the remaining oat bar mixture on top of the date filling.
13. Place the baking dish in the oven, and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the filling is bubbly, and the oat topping has started to brown around the edges.
14. Place the baking dish on a wire rack, and let cool slightly before serving.
15. Cut the cooled date bars into squares.

Recipe Tips and Suggestions

1. 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, can be added to the oat bar mixture if desired.

2. Light or dark brown sugar can be used to make the date bars.

3. Use old fashioned oats, when making the date bars, not instant or quick cooking oats.

4. Top individual servings of the date bars with a bit of sweetened whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.

5. Add a bit of lemon, or orange zest, to the pan of date filling, as it is cooking.

Homemade Date Bar

Ingredients to Make Date Bars

Oat Topping for Date Bars

Date Filling for Homemade Date Bars

Pan Full of Date Bars

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