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.
Great recipe! I first made it with no flax or blueberries, because I didn’t have any.
I also make a chocolate version for my daughter; I just add two heaping spoonfuls of cocoa powder. The dates are so sweet that no added sugar is needed.
I should have this recipe memorized by now as we are constantly making it in our household. Everyone loves it and I feel good about doling it out anytime they ask ♥️
I’m so glad to hear that!
I’ve made these bars a few times now. They are sooo good! My toddler loves them, they aren’t overly sweet and they are perfect for travel as they stay together and don’t crumble. I’m thinking in the future I will switch up the flavours to keep things interesting for my little like cashew butter and cherries or peanut butter and strawberries. Amy do you think they would stay together if I mixed the fruit right in or is it better to keep in just ontop?
You can’t overdo the blueberries on this one. Kids and I both weren’t a fan. Love YTF, but this one wasn’t for us.
If I wanted to double the recipe and make in a 9×13, what would be the bake time?
I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure, but I would guess 4 additional minutes to set the center.
We love these bars. I add 1 cup of raw cashews that I soak for 30 min with the dates before blending. I also add 2 tbsp of hemp seeds. Not too sweet and fabulous texture. Yum!
Are you supposed to remove the skin from the dates?
No, I never have
I don’t have a food processor, but my blender worked fine for these. I used natural peanut butter and some chopped nuts/chocolate chips for more of an after dinner snack treat. The texture and taste was great, I love all of your bar recipes! Im so happy to not have to buy snack bars from the store anymore and love knowing exactly what goes in them.
Hi! These are so good, but mine came out a little moist. Do you think that is just an over baking issue? Or is there something I could add to moisten? I have an electric oven for the first time and feel like the baking times tend to be off a bit. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Hi- do you mean they came out dry?
Yes! Sorry about t
Yes! Sorry about that
Yes! Sorry about that!
Yes! Sorry about that!
Didn’t have flax seed so subbed hemp hearts and my daughter is gobbling these all up! Delicious
AMAZING! I’ve made soooo many of your recipes and this one is definitely in my top 3. It’s so quick and easy AND healthy and delicious! It checks all the boxes. LOVE it!
Would you also be able to use oat flour?
Sure
Could I use prunes instead of dates? My toddler struggles with constipation so often looking for sneaky ways to get prunes into her diet!
I haven’t tried them that way so I can’t say for sure but it might work similarly! Let me know if you try it.
Sadly a miss with my kids, but I blame myself, not the recipe! I tried sunflower seed butter for the first time ever. The brand I chose was salty and not that tasty. Therefore, my kids hadn’t tried sunflower seed butter either and they aren’t sure how they feel about it. I also didn’t grind my flax seed down thinking it would grind with the oats…it did not. It gave the bread a “whole grain bread” feel. Over all, it bakes up great and is super easy to put together and I would make this again but with almond butter. Lastly, I couldn’t find a measurement for sesame seed, so I didn’t add them.
Delicious! I ate them right along with my toddler. However I totally forgot the sesame seeds because I didn’t see them on the ingredients list. Maybe it’s not displaying right on my mobile. No big deal; these baked perfectly and are so yummy!