These Ultimate Date Bars start with a sweet buttery oatmeal crust and topping and they are stuffed with a delicious date filling.  An original Betty Crocker recipe from years ago, these are the ultimate date bars.  They are not only scrumptious but addicting too! 

Date Bars.

I am so excited to finally have the opportunity to share this recipe for Date Bars with you, and let me tell you why.  I’ll just say…many moons ago when I was around 12 years old, my mother used to buy a date bar mix in a box by Betty Crocker.  For one thing, my mother made almost everything homemade, so it was a treat in itself if I got to pick out a box mix of anything at the grocery store and bring it home.  I must have been on my best behavior for once when my mother gave in to my pleading for that little Betty Crocker box.  I can still smell the aroma of those hot straight from the oven Date Bars.  I couldn’t get enough of those warm crumbly bars with that thick sweet date filling but my dad couldn’t either, so I had to hurry up and pour myself a tall glass of milk and dive right in.

A few years later, Betty Crocker stopped making their Date Bar Mix and I was one unhappy person.  I often had a hankering for those delectable little bars and thought it just not right that Betty Crocker could do such a thing.

In 1998, my husband gave me a 1998 Betty Crocker Cookie Book and I immediately started thumbing through the pages, and yes there it was on page 72, right before my eyes, the recipe was called “The Ultimate Date Bars”.  I got so excited that I drove to the grocery store and bought two bags of diced dates and came home and went right to the kitchen.  An hour or so later, that familiar sweet aroma filled my kitchen and I felt like I was 12 years old again.

So now it’s my pleasure to share this divine recipe with you.

Let’s talk about the dates

You can use chopped dates in a bag. If you do, they come with a sugar coating that prevents them from sticking together.

Or…you can use whole dates and chop them yourself.

If you prefer to use whole dates that’s fine.  However, dates that are already chopped are lightly coated with sugar to keep them from sticking together.  Whole dates are very sticky.  Here’s a couple of tips if you decide to chop your own whole dates…

  • Run your knife under cold water several times during the chopping process, or
  • Spray your knife several times with cooking spray during the chopping process.
Date Bars.

I baked them until they were a light golden brown on top and sliced them into bars while they were still warm…

Date bars.

Let me just say, If you like dates you’ll love these delicious date bars and if you’ve never tasted a date, you don’t know what you’ve been missing.  I couldn’t wait to get a glass of milk and dive into these heavenly bars while they were still warm.  Absolutely divine!!

If you love date recipes, you might like my Date Nut Bread recipe too!

This is an updated repost from May 2017.

If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love getting your feedback! 🙂

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Date Bars

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 24 reviews
  • Author: Cindy Gibbs @ My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 45
  • Yield: 20 Bars 1x
  • Category: Bars/Cookies
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These Ultimate Date Bars start with a sweet buttery oatmeal crust and topping and they are stuffed with a delicious date filling.  An original Betty Crocker recipe from years ago, these are the ultimate date bars.  They are not only scrumptious but addicting too! 

 

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Crust and Crumb Topping

  • 2 sticks real butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups quick or old fashioned oats, (I use quick)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Date Filling

  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) chopped pitted dates
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the Crust and Crumb Topping

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and brown sugar with a wooden spoon until light and creamy.  Add the dry ingredients and mix well.  Set aside.

For the Date Filling

  1. Add the dates, sugar, and water to a two-quart pan. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened.
  2. Using your hands or a spatula, press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ pan. Spread the date filling over the crumb mixture. Crumble the remaining crumb topping over the filling and lightly pat the topping into the filling with your hand.
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the date bars are light golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars while warm.
  4. Store in an airtight container. Bars will stay fresh for up to 5 days.