Date Bars

I love looking for new recipes that give my kids lots of energy to keep them going throughout the day. Ramadan was here and I wanted to make sure they had energy after breaking their fast for other activities like football and to study. These date bars hit the nail on the head and they were fantastic. Easy to carry and great for long car rides, you will want to make a huge double batch to last the whole week. 

Why I love this recipe so much? 

I love this recipe because dates contain so much natural sugar and energy which is great for growing kids. Dates are an ingredient I always have at home. Regardless of whether it’s Ramadan or not, we always have a stash of dates at home. I use dates to make milkshakes and cakes for the kids too. If you want some other date recipes, check out the recipe links here: 

Date And Nut Smoothie 

Sticky Toffee Pudding 

Carrot and Date Loaf Cake 

Ingredients 

400 grams dried pitted dates- chopped 

1 cup water 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Oatmeal crust 

2 cups oats 

1 cup flour 

3/4 cup light brown sugar- packed 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 cup butter- cold- cut into cubes 

Instructions 

1. Place dates and water in a saucepan. Cook it on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until the water is absorbed and the dates are soft. Remove it from the heat and add the vanilla. Mix it through then allow it to cool to room temperature. 

2. Preheat the oven to 180c. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper and set it aside. 

3. In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients for the oatmeal crust. Pulse the mixture 2-3 times. 

4. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. 

5. Press 2/3 of the oatmeal crust into the base of the pan. Spread the date puree over the top of the crust. Then top with the remaining crust mixture. Press it down to compact it. 

6. Bake the date bars at 180c for 30-40 minutes. 

7. Cool the bars for 1 hour then slice.