Date Squares
This popular Date Squares dessert is a great snack to have on hand! It's soft with a light crunch, something everyone will enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature, plus more for the baking dish
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/8 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups dates such as Medjool, pitted
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and lightly butter an 8x8-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a large bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt; whisk until blended.
- Add 3/4 cup butter and using a pastry cutter, combine with the flour.
- Add brown sugar and rolled oats; stir until the mixture is crumbly (don’t over mix).
- Scoop half of the flour-oat mixture into the prepared baking dish and, with the back of a spoon compact it by pressing down gently; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine dates, water and vanilla extract. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the dates are soft, stirring often - while cooking, mash them.
- Remove from the heat and cool off for about 5 minutes.
- Spoon the date mixture on the bottom crust and level it out with a spatula.
- Add the remaining oat mixture and press down gently.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and cool completely before cutting into squares.