Date Bars

Recipe Ingredients

Here's a friendly peek at the ingredients in this recipe.

Chopped Pitted Dates: These naturally sweet, chewy gems bring all the rich, earthy flavor and a lovely, jam-like texture to the filling. We suggest using prepackaged chopped dates to make things easy.

Granulated Sugar: While dates are sweet, a little granulated sugar enhances their natural flavor and helps achieve that ideal filling consistency.

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness and a wonderful moistness to our crumbly topping and base.

Butter: Butter brings richness, flavor, and helps hold our crumb mixture together, creating that irresistible tender-crisp texture.

All-Purpose Flour or Whole Wheat Flour: Flour provides the structure for our delicious crumb, whether you choose classic all-purpose or the nutty goodness of whole wheat.

Quick-Cooking Oats: Oats add a delightful chewiness, a wholesome flavor, and that signature crumbly texture we all love in date bars.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Water, baking soda, salt

How to Make Date Bars

Let's get those delicious Date Bars baking! Here are the simple steps. See the recipe below for full details.

1. Cook the Filling

Cook the date filling over low heat and stir constantly for about 10 minutes, just until it thickens. Overcooking can make it too stiff, while undercooking will leave it too watery. Once thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

2. Oven and Pan Prep

Heat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of your 13x9-inch pan with shortening. This helps prevent sticking and makes for easy removal!

3. Mix and Press

Mix ingredients until they form a crumbly mixture (make sure to use softened butter in this recipe). Take half of this crumb mixture and press it evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. This will be your base!

4. Layer It Up

Carefully spread your cooled date filling evenly over the crumb crust then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the date filling. Gently press it into the filling.

5. Bake, Cool, and Cut

Bake bars until the top is a beautiful light golden brown (25 to 30 minutes). Cool the bars in the pan on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes then cut.  

How to Store Date Bars

Proper storage will keep your Date Bars fresh and delicious.

Room Temperature

Once completely cooled, place the bars in an airtight container. Store them at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Refrigerator

Store the cooled bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. Chilled bars can be enjoyed cold, or you can let them come to room temperature before serving.

Freezer

Once completely cooled, cut the bars into individual servings. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour until firm (this prevents them from sticking together). Transfer the frozen bars to a freezer-safe airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag. You can place parchment paper between layers if stacking. Store for up to 3 months.

Thawing

Take out the desired number of bars and let them thaw at room temperature for an hour or two, or overnight in the refrigerator.