These Brown Sugar Date and Walnut Bars taste like an upgraded oatmeal raisin cookie in a bar form. This chewy date and walnut bar recipe will take you back to childhood.
These chewy brown sugar date and walnut bars are addictively yummy. They're comforting in flavor, slightly chewy in texture (from the chewy dates), and every bit delicious!
Other great cookie bars we love include these Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars and S'mores Cookie Bars. Both recipes pair exceptionally well with a glass of cold milk.
What is in these Brown Sugar Date and Walnut Bars?
- Walnuts: Walnuts make up a portion of the base of these bars. The nuttiness from the walnuts works great with the sweet dates and brown sugar.
- Dates: Dates are having a moment. They are a great option when you want to add sweetness to a baked good, but with additional health benefits. Not only that, but they add a delightful chewiness as well.
- Oats: As I associated these cookies with oatmeal raisin cookies above, the oats are necessary for flavor and texture. The oats are just another ingredient that plays so well with walnuts, dates, and brown sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: The butter is cut into the dry ingredients for this recipe. Similar to how you make pie crust or scones, you cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two forks.
- The Usual Suspects: There is a small amount of all-purpose flour in this recipe. It completes the base for these bars. There is cinnamon, brown sugar, eggs, salt, and baking soda to complete the picture.
Recipe Substitutions
You could play with whole wheat flour or almond flour in place of the all-purpose. Pecans and almonds are solid substitutes for the walnuts in this recipe. If you are not a date fan, you could try this recipe with raisins or prunes.
How to make this recipe
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 13-in by 9-in baking pan, set aside.
- For the Crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, crushed walnuts, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. (You have to work fast so the butter does not warm too quickly.)
- For the Filling: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until well blended, and close to the ribbon stage. Add vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Fold in the chopped dates. (can be finely chopped by hand or pulsed in a food processor).
- Assembly: Press ¾ of the crust mixture into the prepared pan. Pour the filling over the first crust layer, making sure to spread evenly over all surfaces. Add the ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the remaining crust mixture. Evenly distribute the last of the crust mixture over the filling.
- Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, these date bars can be frozen. Place in an airtight container or freezer safe zip-top bag with wax paper. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Store these cookie bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To increase freshness, store in the refrigerator.
When the bars are done baking the top should be golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted into the center of the bars, it should come out clean.
Other Recipes You'll Love
- Strawberry Crumb Bars
- Fudgy Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
These brown sugar date and walnut bars entail a delicious blend of nutty walnut flavor, subtle sweetness, and a warming oomph of cinnamon. They are not overly sweet, which I like. And they seemed to be a hit with everyone who tried them. They remind me of oatmeal raisin cookies but upgraded with a healthy dose of walnuts and dates. A full recipe of these bars will generally give you about 24 good-sized bars, but you can cut them however you would like. I definitely suggest making these! Comment below if you do.
Brown Sugar Date and Walnut Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup walnuts crushed
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
Filling
- 12 oz pitted dates pulsed or finely chopped
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature and whisked
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 13-in by 9-in baking pan, set aside.
- For the Crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, crushed walnuts, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. (You have to work fast so the butter does not warm too quickly.)
- For the Filling: In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until well blended, and close to ribbon stage. Add vanilla, stirring to combine. Fold in the chopped dates. (can be finely chopped by hand or pulsed in food processor).
- Assembly: Press ¾ of the crust mixture into the prepared pan. Pour the filling over the first crust layer, making sure to spread evenly over all surface. Add the ½ cup of chopped walnuts to remaining crust mixture. Evenly distribute the last of the crust mixture over the filling.
- Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to one week. For longer shelf-life, store in the refrigerator.
- Crust can be made in a food processor, but be careful not to over-mix.
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