Another recipe passed down from Mama’s kitchen…. I make these Oatmeal Date Walnut Bars every year as part of my Holiday Baking Extravaganza.
These bars make a great addition to any cookie tray because of their pop of color…. and not just from the dates, but they are a perfect canvas when topped with colored sugars, nonpareils, or sprinkles. I use red & green sugars at Christmastime, but could just as easily use pastel nonpareils for Spring!
And don’t make the mistake of thinking this is just another dessert….. These bars make a perfect breakfast treat! Sip your coffee with one of these, and you’ll be in heaven. After all… it is Oatmeal and Fruit… that’s a balanced breakfast, right? I, for one, have had one of these every morning since I made the tray of them!!
- 2 (8oz) packages Pitted Dates - chopped
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- ½ cup Walnuts - coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Water
- 2¼ cups Flour
- ¾ tsp Baking Soda
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 1¼ cups Butter - softened
- 1½ cups Granulated Sugar
- 2¼ cups Raw Quick Cooking Oats
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Grease a 13 x 9 pan
- For filling - Combine dates, sugar, and water in a saucepan, and cook over Medium heat, for 5 minutes stirring constantly
- Remove from heat
- Add lemon juice and walnuts
- Cool date mixture
- For crust - Mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Set Aside
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add flour mixture and oats until combined
- Press half of the crust into the bottom of the pan
- Drop spoonfuls of the filling over the crust, and spread evenly
- Sprinkle remaining crust by hand
- Press down lightly
- Bake 25-30 minutes
- Do not overbake - Crust should be light golden
- Cool
- Cut into bars
Here are a few other recipes you may like:
Dark Chocolate Pecan Butter Toffee
Candy Cane Dipped Oreo Cookies
Leave a Reply