Date Squares
Oat crumble bars layered over a cooked date filling, a fixture of Newfoundland community baking tables.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 16
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 220 kcal
Equipment
- •Square baking pan
- •Saucepan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- fat
- 8 g
- carbs
- 36 g
- protein
- 3 g
- calories
- 220
Instructions
- 1
Simmer the dates, water and sugar in a saucepan for about 10 minutes, mashing occasionally, until thick and jam-like; cool slightly.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a square baking pan.
- 3
Combine oats, flour, brown sugar and baking soda, then stir in the melted butter until crumbly.
- 4
Press half of the oat mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan.
- 5
Spread the date filling evenly over the base.
- 6
Scatter the remaining oat mixture over the top and press down lightly.
- 7
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, then cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
Chef's tips
Let the squares cool fully, ideally a few hours, before cutting or the date layer will smear rather than slice cleanly.
Ingredient substitutions
- dates → a mix of dates and raisins
Storage
Keeps 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature; freezes well.
Reheating
Not needed; serve at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting while still warm, causing the layers to squash together
- •Not pressing the base firmly enough, so it crumbles apart
Serving suggestions
Cooked Date Squares?
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