Date Bars
Updated
Updated
These Date Bars are a classic recipe made with a sweet Medjool date filling between two layers of oat crumble crust. I absolutely love their perfectly thick, chewy, and tender texture. Pure yum!
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5 STAR REVIEW
Easy Date Bars Recipe
Dates, in my opinion, are one of the most underrated fruits. We love them, and this easy date bar recipe is another reason why!
Made with a sweet Medjool date filling sandwiched between an oatmeal crust and crumble topping, these oatmeal date bars are simple to prepare and packed with flavor. I think they make a great addition to holiday parties, but can be enjoyed anytime.
Looking for more date recipes? You’ll love this date nut bread, as well as these super easy to prepare almond joy stuffed dates, and if you like energy balls, you should try these date balls.
Date Bars
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
- 2½ cups Medjool dates, pitted and finely diced
- 1 cup water, (or brewed coffee)
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp vanilla, (or rum)
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
FOR THE CRUMBLE
- 1¾ cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the center. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, with a slight overhang on 2 sides.
- In a medium sized pot, add the dates, water, orange juice, butter, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil, then add in the baking soda. Reduce heat to a gentle bubble and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the dates have broken down, stirring constantly. Let cool.
- Make the crumble. In a bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press half the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the date mixture on top in an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining crumble and press lightly (allowing some of the date mixture to still show.)
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown. Let cool completely before slicing into bars.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Date Bars Step by Step
Get the oven going and line a baking dish: Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the center. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, with a slight overhang on 2 sides.
Soak dates: In a medium-sized pot, add 2½ cups Medjool dates, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp orange juice, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then add in ½ tsp baking soda. Reduce the heat to a gentle bubble and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the dates have broken down, stirring constantly. Let cool.
Make the crumble: In a bowl, combine ¾ cups oats, 1 cup flour, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp cinnamon. Cut in ¾ cup + 2 tbsp butter with a fork or pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Layer the date bars: Press half the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the date mixture on top in an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining crumble and press lightly (allowing some of the date mixture to still show).
Bake: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown. Let cool completely before slicing into bars and enjoying.
Recipe Variations
- Replace the water. Replace the water with coffee for a more complex layer of flavor.
- Add in nuts. Pulse 1/3 cup toasted pecans in a food processor, then divide the crumble mixture in half and add the pecans to the top half.
- Add spices to the crumble. In addition to the cinnamon, you can mix in a pinch of nutmeg, cardamom, or ground ginger for more spicy warmth.
- Include more orange flavor. A teaspoon or so of orange zest mixed into the crumble adds even more citrus flavor.
How to Store
You can store these date bars at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Just keep them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers.
If you’d like to keep your date oatmeal bars for longer, you can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
These bars also freeze well up to 3 months. You can either layer them with parchment paper in a freezer-safe container or wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap.
Serving Suggestions
I find these date bars go down well with a refreshing Starbucks Caramel Frappe or a sweet and creamy boba tea, though the kids usually prefer a rich and comforting white hot chocolate.
Excellent. Much like my mom’s recipe but adding the orange peel steps it up a cuts down on the sweetness. Also used vegan butter without affecting the taste so all could enjoy!!
Made this recipe and loved them so much. They reminded me of the date bars my grandma used to make but we never got her recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
These sound wonderful. I love date bars. Te ingredients are going on my shopping list right now.