Thick, soft and wonderfully gooey gluten free date squares. These bars are made with a buttery, oat and brown sugar cookie-like base topped off with a not-too-sweet date filling spiced with instant coffee and a sprinkling of cocoa powder. All of that topped with with a final dusting of the simple crisp topping. Naturally gluten free with vegan and oat free options available!
ARE OATS GLUTEN FREE? – LEARN MORE ABOUT GLUTEN FREE OATS
Did you know that date squares are also sometimes known as matrimonial bars? Apparently the crumb crust and topping brought together through the date filling symbolise two people solidifying their love and relationship through marriage. Sweet, right? (Don’t hate me for that pun!)
Funnily enough I learned that after making a batch on my wedding anniversary. It was only after I had a batch of bars baking in the oven that I looked up where Date Bars come from (Canada in case you didn’t know) and stumbled upon that little fun fact.
But enough of all the chit-cat – let’s get baking!
How to Make these Gluten Free Date Squares
Altogether these bars are very easy to make. The prep takes about 10 – 15 minutes tops without too much effort needed. The ingredients are all fairly straight forward and things you likely have on hand already. Dates are the most exotic ingredient needed here.
The Filling
To make the filling – you’re going to need a blender. Simply add all of the filling ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth, or mostly smooth. I prefer leaving a few chunks of dates left intact for some added texture.
Unlike traditional date squares I added a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee and cocoa powder to my filling. Dates are very sweet and I think the coffee and the cocoa help to tone it down while bringing out additional highlight flavours. If you prefer, you can absolutely leave both of those out.
The Crust & Topping
I took a lot of inspiration from Blueberry Crumb Bars when making these date squares.
The crumble crust and topping and based on the same recipe – the main difference here is that I chose to use rolled oats in addition to all purpose flour for some added texture (similar to Raspberry Crumble Bars recipe). That being said, oats are not mandatory for this recipe! If oats are off the table for you, you can increase the amount of gf all purpose flour instead and you’re good to go. Check the recipe notes for amounts.
To make – simple whisk together all of your dry ingredients until combined, then stir in the melted butter until a soft, crumbly dough forms.
Once you’re ready, press about half of the dough into a prepared baking pan to form the crust then pour and smooth the date filling over the top. Finally, sprinkle the remaining crumble over the top of everything and that’s it! Place in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes.
Substitutions and Additions
How do I make these oat free?
- Instead of using 1 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour and 1 1/4 cup roll oats, just use a total of 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour.
- If you’re making these for a friend or family member who follow a gluten free diet – make sure they can have oats or just make it oat free to be safe. Some celiacs still react to oats, even if they are labelled gluten free.
How do I make it dairy free?
- Just use a non dairy butter or coconut oil. If you use coconut oil just make sure it’s softened and mix it into the dough instead of melting it. Keep in mind that coconut oil will also make for a more crumbly crust.
Can I use another type of date?
- Technically yes, but you may need to tweak the recipe to accommodate different dates here. Medjool dates are larger and softer than most other types of dates. They also have a more caramel-y flavour that lends itself here well.
- If you use another type of date you’ll probably need to add more and your bars might not be quite as sweet.
Optional Add-Ins
- You can get creative adding things in with your filling for added flavour and texture. Chopped walnuts, candied ginger pieces and chocolate chips scattered throughout would all work well in here.
❤️More Date Recipes❤️
- Carrot Cake Bliss Balls
- Healthy Chocolate Coffee Smoothie
- 2 Ingredient Nut & Date Balls
- Date Caramel
- Chocolatey Hazelnut Date Balls
- Chocolate Covered Dates
Gluten Free Date Squares
Thick, soft and wonderfully gooey gluten free date squares. These bars are made with a soft, buttery, oat and brown sugar cookie-like base topped off with a not-too-sweet date filling spiced with instant coffee and a sprinkling of cocoa powder. All of that topped with with a final dusting of the simple crisp topping.
Ingredients
Filling
- 10 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Crust & Topping
- 1 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend (175 g)
- 1 1/4 cup certified gluten free oats (115 g)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (165 g)
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup melted butter, dairy or non dairy (170 g) OR softened coconut oil (160 g)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Lightly grease and line an 8x8inch square baking tin. Set aside.
- Add all of the filling ingredients to a blender and blend until mixed well. You can leave the filling chunky for added texture or blend until completely smooth if you prefer. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the oats, flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder until combined. Stir in the melted butter (or softened coconut oil) until a soft, crumbly dough forms.
- Spread half of the crust/topping mixture across the bottom of the prepared baking tin. Press firmly into the pan.
- Pour the blended up date mixture over the top of the crust. Smooth out the filling into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumble topping over the filling. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 35 minutes until the top has goldened. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Make it Oat Free: Omit the oats and use a total of 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour .
- Optional Add-Ins: You can get creative adding things in with your filling for added flavour and texture. Chopped walnuts, candied ginger pieces and chocolate chips scattered throughout would all work well in here. Instead of blending add-in in with the filling, mix them in towards the end so they stay intact.
- You can omit the instant coffee and the cocoa powder for a more traditional filling.
Danielle says
So good…I tweaked it a little. The filling stayed as is and WOW that ooeey gooey goodness is awesome. My tweak was this….I used a gluten free graham cracker crust base and then added nutmeg and oats to the remaining Graham Cracker mixture and sprinkled it on top. Making it again!
Sarah Nevins says
Oooh that sounds amazing with the graham cracker and nutmeg!
So glad you enjoyed these! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how it went 🙂
Linda says
Scrumptious and easy to make! I used a combination of whole wheat flour and almond flour. I also used a combination of brown sugar and coconut sugar (just to reduce the glycemic index a little). The addition of cocoa and instant coffee is genius! Gives the dates a deeper flavor! A hit in my house!
Sarah Nevins says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed these! Also, thanks for sharing what you changed – it’s always really helpful to know what does/doesn’t work 🙂
Audrey says
Super delicious and quite easy to make but I ran out of crumble and had to add more oats and flour. Perhaps because of the melted butter? Apart From that little hiccup, they were a hit! Oh and I used almond flour instead of gluten free mix since that’s what I had !
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Audrey! So glad you enjoyed these! Good to know it still came out with the almond flour – that’s always really helpful to know 🙂
Denise says
These are amazing! I tasted the filling before baking and it tasted too strong with the chocolate and coffee but after baking all the flavors melded together and it was delicious!
Sarah Nevins says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it – thanks so much Denise!
Joe says
These are called gluten free but they’re made with 100% “all purpose flour “???
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Joe! It’s gluten free all purpose flour which is made up of a blend of various gluten free flours that you can use in place of standard AP flour. You can usually find this available in most major grocery stores. Depending on the brand it might be listed as plain gluten free flour, cup-for-cup flour, or gluten free flour blend.
When I say you can make these without oats by using 100% all purpose flour instead, I just meant that you can leave out the oats and increase the amount of flour used. So instead of the crust/topping being made with oats and flour, it can be made with only flour. I can see how the wording I used could be confusing though so I’ll go back and rephrase that.
Hope that helps!
Bet says
My oat flour and rolled oats topping was gooey and hard to spread over the date filling
I
Sarah Nevins says
Hey there! I think that would have been due to the oat flour. Oat flour can make doughs and batters sticky which would have made it harder to spread. Oat flour also doesn’t always work as a 1:1 substitute for all purpose flour as it usually needs a bit more moisture.
Maree says
Five Stars…So easy – tasty and great to have the alternatives . I’ve made it twice and each time it tasted different and yummy. I added lemon icing.
Sarah Nevins says
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! Lemon icing sounds lovely – will have to try that out myself next time 🙂
Twyla Bortolussi says
l add lemon juice to the dates and cook them first… l am going to try adding prunes to the dates .
Sarah Nevins says
Ooh that sounds lovely!
J says
Do I need to add xantham gum ?
Sarah Nevins says
If your gluten free blend already contains it that’s totally fine but there’s no need to add any additional xanthan gum here. Hope you enjoy the bars!
Cara says
Delish! I tried this recipe for the first time and it is absolutely amazing! Will be making again!
Sarah Nevins says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you thought!