Old Fashioned Date Bar Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED DATE BARS

Steps:

• Grease 8-inch square baking pan; set aside.
• Combine water, 1/4 cup brown sugar and dates in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Cool at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine all crust ingredients in bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup.
• Press remaining crumbs into prepared pan. Spoon filling over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

OLD-FASHIONED DATE BAR RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare a 9 x 13" baking pan by spraying with cooking spray and/or lightly but thoroughly flouring the bottom (if needed - my pan doesn't need this).
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.
• In a second medium bowl, combine sugar and butter until butter is completely incorporated into the sugar. The mixture will be crumbly, similar to wet sand. (I find it's easiest to do this with my hands, rubbing the butter into the sugar with my fingers, but you can also use an electric mixer.) Add eggs, water, and vanilla, and stir until thoroughly combined. Add the dates and walnuts and stir again to distribute evenly.
• Lightly dump the dry ingredients (flour mixture) over top of the wet ingredients (sugar mixture) and stir just until thoroughly combined. The dough will be very thick and sticky.
• Using a rubber scraper, spread the dough into the pan, pushing it and flattening it until it's an even thickness (dough will only thinly cover the entire pan).
• Bake for about 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
• Let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack before cutting. Cut into 39 sticks that are 1 inch wide and 3 inches long.
• Place at least 1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a wide bowl. Roll each bar in the sugar to coat, tapping gently to remove any excess, loose sugar. (You should actually use only about 1 tablespoon of the sugar to thinly coat the bars, but it makes it much easier to work with them if there is plenty of extra sugar in the bowl. You can discard the excess.)

OLD-FASHIONED DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Mix together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; and gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• Fold in the dates and nuts.
• Spread the batter evenly in a greased 13x9 baking pan and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes or until golden.
• Cool in pan.
• Cut into approximately 24 bars.

GRAMMA'S DATE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine oats, pastry flour, salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and baking soda. Mix in the butter until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the dates, water, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook until thickened. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat. Spread the filling over the base, and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting into squares.

BEST DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar and water. Cook, stirring frequently, until very thick. Stir in walnuts, if desired; cool. , Sift the flour, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl; add oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water over mixture; stir lightly. Pat half into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with date mixture; cover with remaining oat mixture and pat lightly. , Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

DATE BARS

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, cook filling ingredients over low heat about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool 5 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening.
• In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until well mixed. Stir in flour, oats, baking soda and salt until crumbly. Press half of the crumb mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining crumb mixture; press lightly.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes in pan on cooling rack. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm.

GRANDMA'S DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking pan. , Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

CLASSIC DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8-inch metal baking pan. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to simmer in medium saucepan. Add dates; simmer until very soft and thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.
• Combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in large bowl; stir to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until moist clumps form. Press half of oat mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread date mixture over. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture; press gently to adhere. Bake until brown at edges and golden brown and set in center, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into bars and serve.

COPYCAT BETTY CROCKER DATE BARS RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• In 2 quart saucepan, cook filling ingredients over low heat for about ten minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Cool five minutes. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan with shortening. In a large bowl, stir brown sugar, and butter until well mixed. Stir in oats, baking soda, and salt until crumbly. Press half the mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. Spread evenly with cooled filling. Top with remaining crumb mixture, press lightly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until light brown. Cool 5 minutes on cooling rack, then cut into rows while still warm.

OLD FASHIONED DATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• Combine filling ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes till thickened. Set aside and let cool.
• For the base, sift together dry ingredients.
• Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, and dry ingredients and walnuts. Add lemon juice and zest to moisten.
• Spread on a cookie sheet and up the sides.
• Spread cooled filling over crust.
• Combine filling ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle on top and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minute.
• Original recipe calls for the bars to be baked on a cookie sheet pan. We like them thicker, so I put them in a 9 X 13 cake pan.
• Cool and cut unto bars.
• To serve sprinkle liberally with 10X sugar.