Wow, this recipe for Date Bars with blueberries is so good. It’s super moist and easy for little ones to chew, and it’s made with a handful of wholesome ingredients that taste seriously good, too. It’s ready in under 30 minutes and stores amazingly well.
This date bar recipe is a yummy snack or breakfast since it’s easy to eat and seriously satisfying. It’s lightly sweet and has the most delicious flavor combo from almond butter and dates. It’s made with a base of rolled oats, eggs, and almond butter—and blueberries and dates—so you’ll know the kids are getting a nice mix of nutrients in each bite.
It’s easy to make this date bars recipe gluten-free if you use GF oats, and it is packed with protein and beneficial fats for the little ones … though I love it just as much for myself! It works great as a toddler breakfast or preschool snack, too.
(You may also like my Blueberry Oatmeal Bars, Healthy Breakfast Bars, Cereal Bars, and my Oatmeal Bars.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to make this easy date bars recipe.
- Medjool dates: I use Medjool or Deglet Noor dates here, pits removed, as they are nicely sweet and moist, which makes them easy to blend.
- Rolled oats: Instead of flour in this recipe, we use whole grain rolled oats, which are sometimes called “old-fashioned oats” at the store.
- Baking powder: A little baking powder helps these bars rise nicely and bake through evenly.
- Ground flaxseed: I like to put a little flaxseed in this recipe for added nutrition. You can use additional oats if you don’t have any on hand, though.
- Eggs: Eggs help the batter stay moist and the bars bake through. If you can’t do eggs in your family, the best option in this recipe is a liquid egg replacer.
- Almond butter: I prefer the flavor of almond butter with dates and blueberries, but you can also use peanut butter or sunflower seed butter if needed. You could use melted coconut oil, too.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla adds pleasant flavor to the mix.
- Blueberries: I like to add fresh or frozen berries to the top of this batter to bake through and add flavor. We love blueberries, but see what your family enjoys most.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Below is an overview of how to make this date bars recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full information, including timing and amounts.
Step 1. Soak your medjool dates. Drain, pat dry, and remove the pits. This helps them to be moist and easy to blend.
Step 2. Grind the oats into a coarse flour in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients except the berries.
Step 3. Grind to blend into an even mixture.
Step 4. Transfer to a pan and sprinkle with blueberries. Bake.
How to Store
This simple date bars recipe stores in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can put the date bars into an airtight container or wrap each bar individually and store in a zip-top bag. Either way works! You can eat it cold, at room temp, or slightly warmed, depending on your preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use peanut butter or for a nut-free version, try Sunbutter. If you choose unsweetened versions, the final taste will be just slightly different but really similar.
This date bars recipe calls for medjool dates which are big and moist. You can also use Deglet Noor dates. I call for soaking them for a bit before using them in this recipe so that they plump up even more and help the flourless batter hold together well. Look for them in the refrigerated section of your grocery store or you can find them here on Amazon.
Best Tips for Success
- Soak the dates to be sure they soften up nicely and are easy to blend into date bars.
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Trade in chocolate chips or chopped walnuts for the blueberries.
- Bake just until golden brown. If it starts to brown more deeply, cover with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Sub in peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for the almond butter if desired.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
- Add ¼ cup honey, maple syrup, or sugar to the batter to make slightly sweeter bars.
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If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think below in the comments!
Blueberry Date Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates (pitted)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup almond butter (or peanut butter or sunflower seed butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup blueberries
Instructions
- Place the dates in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for 30 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and remove pits.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.
- Place the oats into the bowl of a food processor and grind into a coarse flour, like the texture of instant oats. Add the baking powder, salt, flaxseeds, eggs, almond butter, vanilla, and dates. Process until smooth, about 15-30 seconds.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the blueberries over the top and press gently into the batter.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Cover with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent the edges from browning too deeply.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Slice into bars, place into an airtight container or a zip-top bag, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Soak the dates to be sure they soften up nicely and are easy to blend.
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Sub in peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for the almond butter if desired.
- Store the bars in an airtight container (or individually wrapped in plastic wrap) in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw to serve.
Nutrition
This post was first published January 2018.
I subbed peanut butter which I think was a mistake. I will make it again with almond butter and anticipate that it will taste better. Texture is great. I also used a different type of date that I had on hand. Love that it’s made with nutritious ingredients.
Yummy! Both my little girl and husband loved these. They have a dense texture and a delicious flavor.
Hi Amy, want to try this recipe but Medjool dates are quite expensive. Would I be able to use Deglet dates?
Hi- Yes, I think that should be fine!
I actually made these for me, not children. They are a great snack during work. I do recommend folding the blueberries into the batter to get more berry flavor. I also used packets of instant oatmeal because that’s what I had on hand. They worked perfectly.
I am trying to add in more iron for my toddler and wanted to add hemp seeds. Should i just add them or sub them for something else?
You could add a small amount if you want!
Would I be able to sub hemp seeds since I don’t have flax?
I haven’t tried them that way but it should probably work similarly.
Great recipe! The first time I made this, I didn’t have sesame seeds so I just left them out and it was still great.thanks Amy! We love your recipes !!
I’m really anxious to try this recipe but I was just wondering if you have any suggestions for an egg substitute?? My daughter has an egg allergy but I know she would LOVE these…
I haven’t tested this with an egg replacer and I’m not sure that it would work well due to the other ingredients in this. I have a lot of other egg-free bar recipes though if you want to look and see if there’s something else that might work!
Hi there! My little is allergic to sesame seeds. Do you happen to have suggestions for substituting those? Or is it okay if I just omit? Thank you for all the delicious recipes and making it a whole lot easier to feed kiddos!
I think you can just omit them and/or add additional oats. And you’re very welcome!
Hi,
I was wondering if I could substitute dried figs for the dates.
Thank you,
Louise
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure. Dates have an ability to be creamy when blended that isn’t like any other dried fruit so I am not sure the batter would turn out the same way.
Hi! If I don’t have flaxseed, ok to just leave out?
Love your recipes!! Thanks.
I’d use additional oats instead!
A general question / suggestion: is there a way to display amount of fiber in your recipes? I think that’s pretty important to know for toddlers. I imagine this is a function of the software you use to get the nutrition info estimates, but thanks in advance if you can provide it at least for this recipe.
Oops, sorry — I revisited the table and found the line for fiber! (It just wasn’t where I am used to seeing it, right under total carbs.) Feel free to delete my comments on this.
Can I make this in a muffin tin if I don’t have a cake pan? Couldn’t tell if they would be too thick or not. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it in a muffin tin so I can’t say for sure but I would think that would work okay!
Hi Amy,
I’m wondering if you could sub unsweetened shredded coconut for the rolled oats (you mention this as a sub in one of your other recipes) AND sub melted, cooled butter for the almond butter (you mention this also as a sub in another recipe) in this recipe??
Thanks in advance!
Hi Sarah! I don’t think you can sub coconut entirely for the oats (in some of my other recipes, you can sub additional oats for the coconut, but not the other way around) since I doubt they’d be absorbent or hold the batter together like the oats do. You may be able to use regular flour if you prefer? I would think that the butter would work okay though! Let me know if you have any other questions!
This one is such a keeper. Easy to make, healthy, different enough from my usual muffins–everyone loved it! Was dessert last night and breakfast this morning 🙂 Thanks for another awesome, doable recipe.
Thanks for letting me know that Brooke! I’m so glad you guys like this!
Hi Amy, great recipe. What nut free option could be used in place of almond butter?
Hi Kelly- You could try Sunbutter in place of the almond butter if that’s a doable ingredient. I have not made this recipe with it, so I cannot guarantee that it would work exactly the same way, but I have used it as a direct replacement before so I think you’d have a good result.