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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Date Crumb Bars

[heart_this] · May 12, 2009 · 78 Comments

Date Crumb Bars

I am not really sure why, but I seem to have been amassing quite the collection of dates. I guess that every time I saw them on sale I picked some more up but I was not using them quickly enough. One of the reasons that I was collecting the dates was because they are naturally sweet and I enjoy baking with them, often replacing some of the sweetener with some dates. One of the dishes on the top of my to try list with dates was date crumb bars. The crumb bars are basically a filling, in this case dates, sandwiched between two layers of crumbs. Given that I was just thinking of dates as being naturally sweet, I decided to use very little sweetener in the date mixture and go with something natural like honey. The crumbs are made from flour, sugar, butter and rolled oats. Of course I took the opportunity to use a little whole wheat flour in the crumb mixture to make these bars just a little bit healthier. The date crumb bars were nice and easy to make and they turned out great! The last time that I made crumb bars they did not hold together too well so this time I made sure to pack the bottom layer of crumbs in really well and this time they held together nicely. The date and honey mixture was amazing! It was sweet without being too sweet and nice and moist and helped to hold the bars together. Now I am looking forward to making more things with all of the dates that I still have left!

Date Crumb Bars

Date Crumb Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Servings: 9
ingredients
  • 1 pound dates (pitted and chopped)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter (melted)
directions
  1. Bring the dates, honey, water and butter to a boil, remove from the heat and let sit until they cool down to room temperature.
  2. Puree until smooth.
  3. Mix the rolled oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
  4. Stir in the butter until it forms crumbs.
  5. Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 inch square baking pan.
  6. Spread the date mixture on and top with the remaining crumbs.
  7. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 25 minutes.
Similar Recipes:
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Strawberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars
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Overnight Oatmeal – 8 Ways!

Bars, Dessert, Food, Recipe, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Justin says

    May 13, 2009 at 12:43 am

    i’m not usually a dates guy, but this looks good!

    Reply
  2. Amy says

    May 13, 2009 at 12:44 am

    I don’t usually cook or bake with dates but this looks really yummy!

    Reply
  3. La Table De Nana says

    May 13, 2009 at 12:48 am

    Date squares ..are my all my life favorite squares..

    Reply
  4. Marta says

    May 13, 2009 at 12:55 am

    These look so great! Every time I’ve attempted this kind of squares, they’ve miserably fallen apart on me. I’ll try this recipe and hopefully they’ll stay together 🙂
    I also love dates, especially the Persian ones, which don’t have that syrup outside and which are so sweet and creamy, they just melt in your mouth. No need to chew!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. unconfidential cook says

    May 13, 2009 at 1:08 am

    There’s a place outside of Palm Springs, Hadley’s, that has Date Shakes. I love the banana version. So good! Other than that, I don’t really eat dates, though these bars sure have a pull….

    Reply
  6. Ciao Chow Linda says

    May 13, 2009 at 1:32 am

    Kevin – These do look good and similar to another recipe a Canadian friend of mine used to make all the time. She called them “matrimonial cakes.” Have you ever heard of them?

    Reply
  7. ttfn300 says

    May 13, 2009 at 1:36 am

    love the new header!! these sound fantastic, love me some dates 🙂

    Reply
  8. Zesty Cook says

    May 13, 2009 at 1:54 am

    Kevin… I love dates and I am a huge fan of this bar. Wondering if you could send some from TO for me 🙂

    zesty

    Reply
  9. Shelly says

    May 13, 2009 at 2:10 am

    I love dates, and I bet these are fantastic, Kevin! Heck, combined with oatmeal these are practically health food 🙂

    Reply
  10. Donna-FFW says

    May 13, 2009 at 2:21 am

    These sound delicious Kevin, I love the topping!

    Reply
  11. Dishesdone says

    May 13, 2009 at 2:40 am

    Those look great!

    Reply
  12. Maria says

    May 13, 2009 at 2:57 am

    What a great treat! The bars look fantastic!

    Reply
  13. The Cooking Photographer says

    May 13, 2009 at 3:07 am

    I laughed when I read this sentence: “I am not really sure why, but I seem to have been amassing quite the collection of dates.”

    What a fun opening line! The date bars look and sound fantastic too. Next time there are dates around town I’ll pick some up for these.

    Reply
  14. Konosur says

    May 13, 2009 at 4:07 am

    Mmm, looks like a good substitute for power bars!

    Reply
  15. Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says

    May 13, 2009 at 4:18 am

    WOW these look so wonderful – I have not cooked with Dates before – now would be a great time to try!

    Reply
  16. Diana says

    May 13, 2009 at 4:32 am

    Yum! I love dates and have been looking for a good cookie/bar recipe. This sounds perfect — I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  17. The Cast-Iron Darling says

    May 13, 2009 at 4:39 am

    these look delish! date squares are the perfect not-so-guilty sweet to have around. 🙂

    Reply
  18. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    May 13, 2009 at 5:07 am

    A delightful treat!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  19. Laura says

    May 13, 2009 at 6:30 am

    I loove dates! These look fantastic! I usually just eat them straight up with a little almond butter stuffed inside but after seeing your post I am now contemplating almond butter date bars…!

    Reply
  20. Sylvie says

    May 13, 2009 at 6:35 am

    I always thought that I didn’t like dates until I tried my friends date and walnut cake and loved it. The bars look great and it’s always good to have a baked treat that is a little healthier than the rest.

    Reply
  21. Koruklu says

    May 13, 2009 at 6:45 am

    I know the tasted of such bars!!! Heavenly!!!

    Reply
  22. Parker says

    May 13, 2009 at 11:42 am

    One of my favorite squares/bars, they look wonderful.

    Reply
  23. Christelle says

    May 13, 2009 at 11:44 am

    These look gI’m rather a savory tooth so that a bit rich for me, I have no doubt these would be a success around me though 😉

    Reply
  24. Jessica says

    May 13, 2009 at 11:53 am

    Someone could win my heart over with a bar like this! Delish!

    Reply
  25. Peter M says

    May 13, 2009 at 1:00 pm

    Kevin, you should have brought some of these in a tub as a palate cleanser!

    Great to meet you yesterday…drinks soon!

    Reply
  26. Dawn says

    May 13, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    this is the ONLY way I will eat dates. I could never eat them plain, but when I had them in a crumb-like cake oh man oh man.
    So yeah, Kevin this is good, really good!

    Reply
  27. pookiepantry says

    May 13, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    i love eating dates plain, and never really thought about baking with them. i’m definitely bookmarking this for later, thanks!

    Reply
  28. Phoo-D says

    May 13, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    These look wonderful. I love the combination of oats with the dates. Yum!

    Reply
  29. Debbie says

    May 13, 2009 at 2:34 pm

    Looks very good Kevin!

    Reply
  30. ♥Rosie♥ says

    May 13, 2009 at 2:54 pm

    I do like baking with dates mainly I admit in a rich fruitcake. I just adore these date bars of yours Kevin…so bookmarked!

    Rosie x

    Reply
  31. Rita says

    May 13, 2009 at 3:21 pm

    Hummmm. LOVE this!!!

    Reply
  32. Karen says

    May 13, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    I love dates and these bars look really nice. Probably my favorite way to eat dates is to pit them and stuff with walnuts. Yum!

    Reply
  33. Anonymous says

    May 13, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    I really like the stickiness of dates!

    Reply
  34. Shreya says

    May 13, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    So healthy! Amazing snack:-) Wish I could bake:-( Is there any way I can make such bars without having to bake, like instant stuff that I could just mix and heat and cool and cut into bars or something?

    Reply
  35. Christie's Corner says

    May 13, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    These look lovely. I like that you add cinnamon but wonder how sweet they are. I find lemon juice keeps date squares from being cloying. Or do you like your desserts full on?

    Reply
  36. elly says

    May 13, 2009 at 5:27 pm

    These look great. I love dates!

    Reply
  37. [email protected] says

    May 13, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    I’m planning on making a chocolate banana bread with dates as a sweetener. I hope mine turns out as good as yours!

    Reply
  38. Kalai says

    May 13, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    Date bars look so great,delicious and healthy recipe with dates.

    Reply
  39. Heidi says

    May 13, 2009 at 6:38 pm

    I haven’t had dates in a long time… these look great!

    Reply
  40. Cookin' Canuck says

    May 13, 2009 at 8:15 pm

    Date bars take me straight back to my childhood. The store up the street from us made the tastiest date bars and it was always a treat to be able to buy one. Thank you for this recipe!

    http://www.cookincanuck.com

    Reply
  41. Anonymous says

    May 13, 2009 at 8:22 pm

    We just tested a date tart this weekend, so it’s fun to see you have this ready on your site today. Dates are one of those things that have grown on us, so this looks really great.

    Reply
  42. pigpigscorner says

    May 13, 2009 at 8:27 pm

    I love dates but have never used them in my cooking. Looks so yummy!

    Reply
  43. meeso says

    May 13, 2009 at 10:02 pm

    I make a dessert similar to this, and it’s so delicious!

    Reply
  44. Daziano says

    May 13, 2009 at 10:23 pm

    Gosh, those look amazing!

    Reply
  45. Helene says

    May 14, 2009 at 2:36 am

    When I was young I made a lot of date crumb bars. It’s been ages since I have not made them. Looking at these I’m craving them again.

    Reply
  46. [email protected] says

    May 14, 2009 at 3:36 am

    I like the ingredients in this recipe. Very healthy and I lately looking for healthy.

    Reply
  47. Marie says

    May 14, 2009 at 6:54 am

    Those look fabulous Kevin! Date squares have long been a real favourite around here!

    Reply
  48. Saee Koranne-Khandekar says

    May 14, 2009 at 9:53 am

    Your new asparagus-speared-blog title inspired me to do things to mine as well…come and take a look!

    Reply
  49. Juliana says

    May 14, 2009 at 2:31 pm

    Wow, I usually do not care for dates, but this one looks fantastic. Have to try it.

    Reply
  50. Kelly says

    May 14, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    I LOVE dates. I discovered that I did when I made some chorizo stuffed, bacon wrapped dates for a party. They were sweet, chewy, and moist. Your bars look lovely, and I think they would make a darn tasty breakfast!

    Reply
  51. Elaine says

    May 14, 2009 at 3:01 pm

    I’ve never really like dates because I thought of them of being too sickly sweet. But your bars could change my mind. 🙂

    Reply
  52. Jen says

    May 14, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    Not really fond of dates, but that really looks delicious it makes me want to eat one now

    Reply
  53. Kirby! says

    May 14, 2009 at 3:37 pm

    I LOVE dates! I have been using them a lot more in baking too, and I even used dates to make my own Lara bars. Your crumb bars look super tasty!

    Reply
  54. Pam says

    May 14, 2009 at 4:13 pm

    I haven’t had date crumb bars before – they look and sound tasty.

    Reply
  55. Bridgett says

    May 14, 2009 at 4:20 pm

    Ah, look at that topping! So yummy.

    Reply
  56. Alisa - Frugal Foodie says

    May 14, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    These look heavenly!

    Reply
  57. Talita says

    May 14, 2009 at 7:41 pm

    Your photos are so clean and good-looking. Those crumb bars look really yummy!

    Reply
  58. Steph says

    May 14, 2009 at 8:19 pm

    I love dates! This is the perfect recipe for me!

    Reply
  59. diva says

    May 14, 2009 at 9:33 pm

    i like these bars. i def love any sort of bar with loads of dried fruit and nuts and that crumb topping looks like it’ll give a good crunch to it. perfection!

    Reply
  60. Kevin says

    May 14, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    Christie’s Corner: I quite liked them and I did not find them to sweet. I like the sound of the hint of citrus that the lemon would add though and I will have to try that next time.

    unconfidential cook: I like the sound of using dates in a shake.

    Ciao Chow Linda: This is the first that I have heard of matrimonial cakes. You learn something new every day. 🙂 The recipes for them look pretty similar to this one.

    Kelly: Chorizo stuffed, bacon wrapped dates sound so good! What a great combo of sweet, spicy and salty!

    Reply
  61. Kevin says

    May 14, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    Shreya: I have not seen an unbaked version. These date crumb bars are really easy to bake though. You just pop the pan in the oven for 25 minutes and you are done.

    Reply
  62. Culinary Cory says

    May 14, 2009 at 10:21 pm

    The bed and breakfast I stayed in Toronto served date crumb bars at breakfast. I almost always saved a couple for a late night snack. Yum!

    Reply
  63. James says

    May 14, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    This might be really good, but date, coffee and walnut slice is where it’s at.

    Reply
  64. James says

    May 14, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    to Duo Dishes:

    ‘Dates are one of those things that have grown on us’

    That must look quite odd 😉

    Reply
  65. The DeL Sisters says

    May 14, 2009 at 11:24 pm

    This looks really yummy!

    Reply
  66. mary says

    May 15, 2009 at 9:07 pm

    These look really, really good. You should make fig bars, if you havn’t already.

    Reply
  67. Dimah says

    May 15, 2009 at 9:57 pm

    Yum, What a scrumptious treat!

    Reply
  68. Gloria says

    May 15, 2009 at 10:53 pm

    Kevin this date Crumb bars look wonderful and yummy, really nice pic, Gloria

    Reply
  69. HoneyB says

    May 16, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Kevin, these look absolutely delicious. I love date bars and haven’t had them in a long time!

    Reply
  70. Tessa says

    May 18, 2009 at 11:10 pm

    I never use dates but this crumb bar looks fantastic!

    Reply
  71. Susan says

    May 27, 2009 at 11:09 pm

    Love dates! Definitely going to try this, probably this weekend.

    Reply
  72. md says

    July 5, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    This recipe is so awesome. I've made it 3-4 times already. At first, it was to make my husband happy. But I'm telling you–that warm mix of dates and honey that you make before you spread it on…ay chihuahua. It is great. Thanks for sharing!

    (It has earned a plastic protective sleeve in my recipe book. hah.)

    Reply
  73. fattto says

    November 24, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    It looked very delicious. I have just made it and I am waiting to get it from the oven. I live in Kuwait and we have a lot of dates. I like the idea of dates bars.
    THANKS.

    Reply
  74. basma says

    March 19, 2010 at 7:56 am

    Hi Kiven i tried ur date bar recipe 4 the second time and they asked me to bake it again cuz i put some addition 2 the dough like roasted walnut and some walnut to date filling in addition 2 some Cinnamon and heap teaspoon of cardamom it was nutty and delicious really yummy

    Reply
  75. LBR says

    October 28, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    I am a big fan of dates. I travel through the Gulf for work periodically where date shops are the equivalent of fine chocolatiers and display their wares accordingly. (Such a treat!) Anyway – I recently was introduced to fresh Mazafati dates from Iran. If you come across them, get yourself a box! Unreal. But it would be a shame to cook with them. Going make your recipe tonight! Looks great.

    Reply
  76. Christina says

    January 29, 2012 at 1:34 am

    Just saying thanks for the recipe. This is in the oven at the moment, over here in NZ. I added nuts and dark brown sugar to the topping to make it more streusal-like. Smells wonderful 🙂

    Reply
  77. RWSadur says

    August 4, 2013 at 2:59 am

    My Great aunt use to make these. Minus the honey and substitute of whole wheat flour this is a carbon copy of how she made them. Now all I need are some dates. 🙂

    Reply
  78. Susan says

    December 13, 2016 at 12:10 am

    When I moved to BC back in the 70's, I was going to some kind of 'do', and a lady was raving because someone was going to be bringing 'matrimonial cakes'. Oh wow, thought I , something different. HA!!! I was so disappointed when I found out her matrimonial cakes were only date squares — a staple 'tray bake' from the Maritimes. AND — Did you know….dates are tres yummy when dipped in chocolate (but then again, what isn't, eh>)

    Reply

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