These delicious drool-worthy date bars have a buttery cinnamon crust, with a gentle bite and a sugary oat topping.
Dates, Dates, and More Dates
My recipe uses a healthy 3 cups worth of deglet noor dates. Make sure to pack them into the measuring cup before chopping them.
I cooked the dates with sugar and water until thickened, which took about 10 minutes. Off the heat, I tossed in a splash of Appleton rum, a handful of shredded coconut, some nuts, and a bit of orange zest. (FYI, I substituted the walnuts for pecans in the second batch, and it was just as good.)
Make sure to cool the date mixture down before spreading it on the crust. (You can transfer the hot mixture to a plate and place it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.)
The Crust
The crust is a mixture of butter, flour, oats, cinnamon, orange, salt, and baking soda. I love this recipe because you use the same mixture for both the crust and the topping. When pressed down firmly into the dish and then baked, the mixture turns into a cookie-like crust. The topping, meanwhile, bakes up loose and tender having just been lightly sprinkled on top.
These are so delicious – make a batch as soon as you can. They make a perfect snack for any time of the day.
Happy Baking!
Date Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups dates pitted, chopped
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1½ cups water
- ¼ cup coconut sweetened, flakes
- ¼ cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon rum Appleton
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup butter (unsalted), soft
- 1 cup brown sugar dark
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups oats
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ground
Directions
- Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan with pan spray. Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Combine dates, sugar and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium high heat stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken up considerably. Remove from heat and stir in coconut, walnuts, rum and zest. Set aside to cool.
- Cream butter and sugar in a Kitchen Aid bowl with the paddle attachment for one minute. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
- Spread 2½ cups of the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Pat down the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan. Spread the date mixture on top. I like to use a mini offset spatula to spread the filing. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top and just gently press it down.
- Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned on top. Let cool completely before cutting.
- Store in refrigerator for up to a week.