An old-fashioned homemade Date Bar recipe with a chewy center and a lightly sweetened crumb topping!

Vintage Date Bars Recipe
A few years ago we held a garage sale at our church as a fundraiser for our Beds for Kids program. Our church gym was packed with everything you could possibly imagine! In addition to the garage sale we had a bake sale. My Grandma made a lot of pies, bread, and Date Bars for the sale! People flocked to her baked goods.
One lady was so excited about the Date Bars that she stood in nostalgic awe as she enjoyed every bite! It reminded her of her Grandma’s recipe, which she didn’t have. My Grandma gave her this recipe and it was like she had struck gold!
If this sounds like something you would enjoy, then make sure you try my Grandma’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Homemade Oatmeal Bread, and Easy Homemade Cherry Pie!

What You’ll Need for the Crumb Coating:
- 1 1/2 cups Quick Oats
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla
And the Date Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups Dates, Pitted
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 3/4 cup Water
- 3/4 – 1 cup Walnuts, Optional

How to Make Date Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 9 pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine 1 1/2 cups quick oats, 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cold butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 tsp vanilla. Cover pan with half of the mixture and pat down firmly. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, make the filling by combining 1 1/2 cups pitted dates, 1/2 cup honey, and 3/4 cup water by stirring until thick and creamy. Stir in 3/4 – 1 cup walnuts if desired. Pour over crust and distribute evenly.
- Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over the filling and pat down.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Recipe Notes:
- Butter – The original recipe calls for shortening, which is Crisco. The difference? Butter gives you a soft crust and Crisco gives you a crispier crust.
- Freeze – To freeze, let the bars cool completely, cut into bars, and place in a freezer safe bag.

More Dessert Bars:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Cheesecake Bars
- Raspberry Streusel Shortbread Bars
- No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
- Apple Pie Bars
- Strawberries & Cream Crumb Bars
- Easy S’mores Brownie Bars + VIDEO
- Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Date Bars

Date Bars, an old-fashioned homemade Date Bar recipe with a chewy center and a lightly sweetened crumb topping!
Ingredients
Crumb Coating
- 1 1/2 cups Quick Oats
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Date Filling
- 1 1/2 cups Pitted Dates
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 3/4 cup Water
- 3/4 - 1 cup Walnuts, Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 9 pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine crumb coating ingredients: quick oats, cold butter, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla. Cover pan with half of the mixture and pat down firmly. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, make the filling by combining the pitted dates, honey, and water by stirring until thick and creamy. Stir in walnuts if desired. Pour over crust and distribute evenly.
- Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over the filling and pat down.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
