Date Squares

Date squares are such a wonderful dessert, aren’t they? A mixture of gooey dates and crunchy crust, you really can’t go wrong. Something you may not know is that 3 dates, in particular Medjool dates, contain 501 mg of potassium, contributing up to a fifth of your daily magnesium requirements!

These date squares are super simple to make and utilize the sweetness of the dates to minimize added sugar.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 350 g dates, soaked
• 1 ½ cup oats
• ¾ cup flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup vegan Becel
• 2-4 tbsp cold water

Directions

1. Soak the dates for at least 1 hour with boiling water.
2. Preheat the oven to 350^oF.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the Becel and combine until a crumb texture is achieved. If the mixture is too dry, add water a tbsp at a time until the crust holds together.
4. In a food processor, add the softened dates ensuring there are no pits – this will break your food processor! Pulse until the dates become a paste.
5. In an 8×8 square baking pan lined with parchment paper, transfer half of the crust mixture into the baking pan and press down firmly.
6. Transfer the date paste into the baking dish and spread evenly on top of the crust.
7. Top with the remaining crust mixture and press down lightly.
8. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.