Cooking
Date Bars
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These date bars are a Canadian classic made with a crisp buttery oat base and crumble topping and a sweet, sticky date filling. They’re perfect for snacking, potlucks, or a casual dessert.
Adapted from Emma Zimmerman | The Miller’s Daughter | Hardie Grant, 2022
This date bar recipe will make you friends. At least, that’s how it worked for my friend Lucie. She passed around a tin of her mom’s date squares at my very first McGill graduate seminar and I decided then and there that this girl would be my new BFF.
Luckily for me, she turned out to be smart, funny and loyal, on top of having great taste in baked goods. Our blossoming friendship was enriched by more shared tins of sweets from her mom, along with a complete Canadian education – from ice fishing and maple tapping to canal skating and poutine eating.
I discovered that date squares are a classic Canadian potluck staple, so it makes sense to give them an update with Canada’s own heritage wheat, Red Fife. This recipe is named after the utterly charming village on the Ottawa River where Lucie grew up: Burnstown, Ontario.–Emma Zimmerman
Date Bar FAQs
Where can I find Red Fife heritage flour?
We’re glad you asked. Heritage flours are a treasure – but they can be a challenge to source. Thankfully, we have the internet. Our friends at Hayden Flour Mills carry Red Fife products.
What does Red Fife flour taste like?
Slow Food Canada explains it best in terms of bread made with Red Fife “… a hay yellow crumb, with an intense scent of herbs and vegetables colored with a light acidity. The nose has notes of anise and fennel, and in the mouth, the bread is unexpectedly rich with a slightly herby and spicy flavor.” We’ve also heard that it lends a tender texture and a nutty, cinnamon-esque nuance to baked goods. Sounds fantastic to us!
Can I make oat flour at home?
Yes, and it couldn’t be more simple. Just add whatever type of oats you have at home (quick cooking, old-fashioned, or even steel cut) to your food processor or high-speed blender and blend until you have fine textured flour, about 60 seconds.
☞ Like bars and squares? Try these:
Date Bars
These scrumptious date oatmeal bars have a crispy buttery topping and a sweet date filling.
Make the filling
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Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line an 8-inch (20cm) square cake pan with parchment paper.
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Place the dates in a small saucepan, add 1 cup water and bring to simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the dates have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and use a wooden spoon to mash into a smooth paste.
If you have difficulty mashing your dates, pop them into the food processor and blitz until smooth.
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Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla, then set aside.
Make the dough
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In a food processor, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and ground spices, then add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Pulse in the brown sugar until evenly distributed.
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Firmly press two-thirds of the dough into the base of the prepared pan. Add the date filling, smoothing it out evenly with a spatula, then lightly sprinkle over the remaining crumbly dough.
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Bake until the top is golden and the date filling is bubbling through the crumble, 35 to 45 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and allow the date bars to cool completely in the pan.
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Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares and serve. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week.
Serving: 1barCalories: 273kcal (14%)Carbohydrates: 40g (13%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fat: 12g (18%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 30mg (10%)Sodium: 79mg (3%)Potassium: 199mg (6%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 27g (30%)Vitamin A: 356IU (7%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 30mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Originally published September 21, 2022
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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David Leite
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