Healthy Oatmeal Date Bars
by Tracy Shaw
These healthy oatmeal date bars are prepped in just 10 minutes and ready to enjoy in less than an hour. Perfect for a healthy snack or on-the-go breakfast idea.
We create delicious and healthy recipes here at Healthy Family Project. And I have created many different recipes that feature many different varieties of produce and other better-for-you products, so when I got the chance to make a create with something we haven’t featured before I was pretty excited!
DATES.
Now, I’m sure you all have seen dates in the store, heck, you may even have some at home right now! They are naturally sweet, delicious to snack on right out of the bag, but they are also great in many other ways.
Do you remember Fig Newtons? Actually, they still sell them in stores now…Well, now that I say that…I would guess that FIG Newtons are made with FIGS, not dates…but I feel as though the texture is kind of similar, especially when you bake with them. Full disclosure…I could be 100% wrong, because I haven’t had a fig in well, over 30 years and it was in one of those cookies. BUT, I had a medjool date today, and I have been having one of these Oatmeal Date Bars for breakfast all week.
And they are amazing.
WAY better than those cookies I had when I was a kid.
Promise.
Did you know that dates are one of the oldest fruits in the world? They have been around for centuries. Dates are a nutritious fruit that a good source of fiber, potassium, and antioxidants.
I used medjool dates in my healthy Oatmeal Date Bars. Medjool dates are a type of date that is native to Morocco but is now grown in other parts of the world. Medjool dates have a smooth, chewy texture and a sweet flavor, but they are considered to be the “premium” date. I didn’t compare regular dates to these medjool dates, but I can tell you that the medjool dates are indeed delicious.
Alright, now that I feel like I have given you a quick history lesson on dates, let’s chat about these tasty Oatmeal Date Bars shall we?
Healthy Oatmeal Date Squares Key Ingredients
- Medjool dates
- Quick cook oats
- Water
- Lemon juice & lemon zest
- Cinnamon
- Flour
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Honey
I know that may seem like a lot of ingredients to make date bars, but they are pretty common ingredients, hopefully you already have most of them in your house right now!
Oatmeal Date Bars Simple Substitutions
- If you can’t find medjool dates, you can use regular dates.
- Feel free to use maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
How long are Oatmeal Date Bars good for?
If you are storing them at room temperature, they are good for about 4 days. If you store your date bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will be good for about a week.
Can you freeze homemade Oatmeal Date Squares?
Sure can! You can wrap them individually for an easy morning breakfast, just toss one in the refrigerator before you go to bed and it will be thawed when you are ready to go! This recipe does make 16 servings, so you may have enough leftover to freeze depending on how many people are snacking and grabbing an easy breakfast.
Healthy Oatmeal Date Bars FAQs
Q: How do you make healthy oatmeal date bars?
A: Dice and boil pitted Medjool dates with water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and zest. Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, honey, melted butter, baking powder, and salt for the topping. Press half the oat mixture in a pan, spread the date mixture, then add the rest of the oats. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.
Q: What can I substitute for Medjool dates in oatmeal bars?
A: If you can’t find Medjool dates, you can use regular dates in this oatmeal date bar recipe. The bars will still turn out great!
Q: How long do homemade oatmeal date bars last?
A: Oatmeal date bars will last about 4 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container. For longer storage, they can be frozen for up to a month.
Q: What makes these oatmeal bars healthy?
A: These bars are packed with fiber from the oats and dates. They are naturally sweetened and contain healthy fats from butter. The bars are also vegan and dairy-free.
Q: Can you make oatmeal date bars without butter?
A: Yes, you can make these bars dairy-free by swapping the butter for coconut oil or olive oil. The texture may be a bit different, but they’ll still taste great!
Ok, let’s get to my healthy date bars recipe shall we?
Delicious Oatmeal Date Bars
Ingredients
Ingredients For Filling:
- 2 1/2 cups medjool dates – diced pits removed
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice – approx juice from one lemon
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Ingredients for Crisp:
- 1 3/4 cup quick oats
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 10 tbsp melted butter – 1 stick + 2 tbsp
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place all the ingredients for the date filling except the baking soda into a medium sauce and bring to a boil. Boil for at least 5 minutes until the dates break down. Add the baking soda, stir well and remove from heat.
- Place all the ingredients for the crisp into a medium size bowl and mix well.
- Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Pour half the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan and gently push it down.
- Pour on the date filling, using a spatula spread it out evenly over the bottom of the oat crisp.
- Add the remaining oat crisp on top of the date filling. Gently press it down.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool before enjoying!
Are you using vegan butter for this recipe as butter is a dairy and non vegan?
Good morning! We used dairy butter in this recipe 🙂
This recipe looks promising. Thank you. Regarding the Nutrition section, are the nutritional facts per whole recipe? Or per serving? If per serving, what is the serving size?
Good morning Barb! I apologize for my delayed response! Yes, the nutrition facts are per serving and as the recipe is shown, it will make 16 servings. Perfect for sharing or meal-prepping breakfast and snacks for the week!
My mom had always make a very similar date bar, however, it contained a good amount of sugar in the date mixture, so I’ve tried to avoid making them, even though they are a favorite of mine. I tried this recipe because the sugar content was so much lower and they tasted great! I did do a couple of things differently. I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil instead of all butter and I added a small amount of salt to the dry crumb mixture. I had to make additional crumb mixture as I felt like it wasn’t enough (probably because of what I was used to when mom would make them.) Great recipe, thank you!
Good morning Barb! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them and that they reminded you of your mom’s 🙂 I love your additions and substitutions…I’ll definitely have to try them the next time I make them.
Can you use  old fashioned oatmealvs quick?
Hi Jean! I did a quick search, and it looks like Quaker says YES 🙂 https://www.quakeroats.com/oats-do-more/why-oats/the-difference-between-our-oats – let us know how they turn out!
Worked perfectly 🥰
Glad to hear it Hannah!! Thank you for sharing 🙂