Super Granola Date Bars – Recipe
This recipe came up at a spur of a moment, after I made an error in purchasing chopped dates, rather than chopped figs, intending to make Cream Cheese Fig Bars.
Since I never baked with dates before, it was a wonderful experience, and the Granola Date Bars turned out great.
I will definitely make these again, since they make a perfect mid morning, or mid afternoon snack, not to mention the abundance of fiber in these.
Next time I will try to mix in some Super Cranberry, Cherry, and Almond Muesli, made by Dorset Cereals, which I love for breakfast.
I guess the good old saying “If God gives you lemons, you have to learn to love lemonade”, supports well the creation of this recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 oz chopped dates (2 cups)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup (Organic Vanilla Almond FlaxPlus Granola (or increase the oats by 1/2 cup)
- 1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( I used unbleached flour)
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (may use margarine)
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
Instructions
- Combine dates and water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to boil, and cook 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
- Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, granola,baking soda, salt and brown sugar.
- Mix well, to incorporate all ingredients.
- Stir in melted butter, and mix to moisten dry ingredients.
- Measure 2-1/2 cups of oats mixture, and press gently into a 9 x 9 inch baking pan, to make the bottom crust.
- Top with date filling, leaving 1/4 inch margin all around the edge, free of filling (to prevent filling from crusting up, and burning during baking).
- Combine chopped nuts with the remaining oats mixture, fill the margin around the date filling, and spread the rest on the top of the filling.
- Press gently into the filling.
- Bake at 350 degrees F, for 2o minutes.
- Cool in pan on wire rack.
- Cut into serving size, 1 x 3 inch bars, or 1 x 1 inch bite size chunks.
Notes
This recipe is NOT for The Fat Smash Diet phase I, but is OK in phase III.