A creamy date filling nestled between two layers of flavorful buttery crust is all it takes to want to make this date bars recipe. Add the fact that it all comes together with minimal effort, you’ll want to keep this in your regular arsenal of go-to dessert bars.
I ended up making the date bar recipe twice. During the first batch, I questioned the amount of baking soda, thinking it would make the dough too soft, which for me and my tasters it did.
Although the flavor was delicious — one person said, “heavenly” — the texture of the crust was very similar to the date filling. Some described them as “light” but the bars were really more mushy, even though fully baked. We were looking for a crust that offered up a sturdier structure to it.
I remade the date bars, adding 3 tablespoons of toasted oats and substituting baking powder for the soda. Those who compared both versions felt the additions helped with developing a crust they were looking for – soft enough but still had a stable base. (It wasn’t crunchy or hard.)
