Decadent Almond Butter Date Bars

Indulge in these rich and flavorful almond butter date bars with a crumbly oat crust!

Ingredients

2 ½	medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1	cup water
½	cup unsalted butter or coconut oil at room temperature, plus more for greasing the baking dish
½	cup almond butter
6	tablespoons maple syrup
6	tablespoons granulated sugar
1	teaspoon kosher salt
2	rolled oats
1 ½	all-purpose flour or oat flour
1 ½	almond flour
1 ½	teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a small pot, combine the medjool dates and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until the dates break down and the mixture thickens.
  3. Prepare a 10x10-inch or similar-sized baking dish by greasing it and lining it with overhanging parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the room temperature unsalted butter or coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. In a food processor, pulse the rolled oats, all-purpose flour or oat flour, almond flour, and baking powder until the oats are broken down. Add the remaining crust ingredients to the food processor and pulse until crumbly. Alternatively, use quick cooking oats and mix the crust by hand if a food processor is not available.
  4. Press 3/4 of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Evenly spread the date filling over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining quarter of the crust mixture on top to create a crumbly topping. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 60 minutes until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool for an hour before cutting into squares.
  5. For best freshness, store the almond butter date bars at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Jul 19, 2024