5-ingredient SunButter Date Squares with sunflower seed butter, Medjool dates, oats, and almond flour naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
I’ve been seeing flashes of black out of the corner of my eyes for the past few days.
I chalked it up to glare in my glasses or a trick of the peripheral vision.
Last night as I was about to click off the lamp and head upstairs to bed, I saw the same flash of black with an accompanying tail scurry across my living room floor rug and behind the AC unit door.
The good news is that I’m not hallucinating after long days behind the camera and I don’t need to get my eyes checked.
The bad news is that it appears I have a mouse in the house.
Or a rat, to be honest, I didn’t get a good enough look to carefully categorize by species.
Having never cohabitated with anything bigger than a spider, you can imagine my shock to suddenly share my living room with a pet I didn’t purchase on all fours.
He’s probably scouring the house for any bits remaining from my recipe shoot yesterday with SunButter and dates.
While I’m dealing with rodents, you guys should probably make these SunButter Date Squares.
They’re made with just 5-ingredients in 30 minutes for an easy vegan and gluten-free breakfast, snack, or dessert!
Was this a smooth enough transition to go from the great mouse detective to breakfast bars?!
Let’s find out.
An Ode to Oat Bars
One of my most popular recipes on the blog is my Raspberry Oat Crumble Bars.
Have you tried them yet?
For a while now I’ve been wanting to experiment with different variations.
I adapted the recipe using No-Sugar-Added SunButter and dates to make another soon-to-be classic.
In this variation, a rich nutty base and crumble encompasses a sticky sweet date paste center.
They’re packed with plant-based protein, healthy fats, and naturally sweetened with dates and pure maple syrup.
How to Make the Filling
First I like to easily mix up the date filling so you have it prepared in advance.
For the date filling you need:
- Medjool dates
- filtered water
- No-Sugar-Added SunButter
If your dates are dry and stiff, try soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes then drain and rinse and add to the blender softened.
Add a spoonful of spoonful of SunButter for extra creaminess.
Blend until you have the dates are well chopped, then add splashes of water and re-blend until you have a thick paste.
I recommend adding water in 1-2 TBSP increments and using a spatula to recombine.
The final date filling should be thick, sticky, and smooth, with minimal date pieces.
Okay, now, set that aside.
How to Make the Crust
The crust and crumble and crumble are the same in this recipe, making for easy assembly!
For the crust and crumble you need:
- rolled oats
- almond flour
- No-Sugar-Added SunButter
- maple syrup sweetener
The mixture of oat and almond creates that “cereal” flavor while No-Sugar-Added SunButter functions as a deliciously creamy oil-alternative.
If you’re looking for an entirely nut-free variation, trying subbing oat flour for the almond flour.
No blending is required here!
Simply mix everything in a large mixing bowl then transfer to the parchment lined square baking dish.
Press 2/3 of the mixture in to form the base, then reserve the rest for crumbling after you spread the date paste on top.
Bake Them
Once you have all three layers set, it’s time to bake!
The squares should be done in under 30 minutes, depending on your oven.
The bars are done when the date filling looks browned around the edges and the crumble topping is golden brown on top.
Allow the pan to mostly cool before slicing into even squares.
They store well in the fridge for up to one week and can be frozen for long term storage.
How to Enjoy Them
These SunButter Date Squares are perfect to make ahead for easy workweek breakfasts.
They’re also great for a quick concise snack or nutritious dessert that tastes like pie.
Serve them cooled or reheat before serving for a gooey decadent experience.
I think they’d be fantastic served warm under a scoop of ice cream this summer.
Enjoy!
If You Start Your Day off With These SunButter Date Squares, Let Me Know!
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.
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Want more grab and go bars? You’ll love my Blueberry Maple Baked Breakfast Bars, PB&J Baked Breakfast Bars, and Raspberry Oat Crumble Bars.
XO Lauren
SunButter Date Squares
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 9-12 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
5-ingredient SunButter Date Squares with sunflower seed butter, medjool dates, oats, and almond flour naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
Ingredients
Date Filling
- 2 cups pitted and packed Medjool dates
- 1 TBSP No-Sugar-Added SunButter
- filtered water, as needed
Crust & Crumble
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup No-Sugar-Added SunButter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- First, prepare the date filling. If your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes before adding to the recipe. Add the dates to a high speed blender with the spoonful of SunButter and process until perfectly smooth and creamy, adding splashes of filtered water as needed to get the blades moving. The filling should be thick and spreadable. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with coconut oil.
- Add the almond flour, oats, No-Sugar-Added SunButter, and maple syrup to a bowl and stir until everything is thick and well incorporated. The mixture will be thick and sticky.
- Press 2/3 of the mixed “dough” into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the date filling on top of the bottom layer. Finally, use your hands to crumble the remaining dough and sprinkle it on top.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake it for 28-30 minutes, until the crumb topping is crisp and lightly browned on top.
- Allow the pan to cool completely before slicing them into squares.
- Store leftover SunButter Date Squares at room temperature for several days or in the refrigerator for up to one week. They can also be frozen for long term storage.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Method: Oven-Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
This post is brought to you by SunButter, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
Absolutely loved the combination of the oats, sun butter, and dates! My whole family loved it and we warmed it up and paired it with some vanilla ice cream for dessert last night.
Thanks so much for the comment, Carolina! I’m so glad you and the family enjoyed them!
XOXO Lauren
These bars are the perfect lunch dessert or midday snack! The SunButter in both the oat base/topping and the date filling ties everything together in a really subtle way. This absolutely feels like a refined twist on the classic Raspberry Crumble Bar, and so drool-worthy they were gone in only a week!
Hi Tessa,
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them–they’re so tasty and fun to have on hand!
XOXO Lauren
Hi Flora, i’m looking forward to making this. Can I use Jumbo oats instead of normal rolled oats? Thankyou
Hi Karen,
The jumbo oats *may* lead to a thicker chewier texture, but should still work if you don’t mind that. Let me know how it turns out!
XOXO Lauren