Nut Free Old Fashioned Date Bars are a version of my grandma's Date Nut Bar recipe without the nuts. These chewy bars are a favorite around the holidays!
These Date Bars have been in my family for many years at Christmas as part of our holiday baking. You can often find these on our Christmas Eve cookie tray alongside Christmas Butter Cookies, Chewy Oatmeal Cookies and Santa's Whiskers Cookies.
This is an old fashioned recipe that has chopped dates and nuts. The batter is baked in a pan and then cut into bars before being rolled in powdered sugar.
Because of my nut allergy, I was never able to try these bars. Recently, my mom offered to make a half batch without the nuts so I could try them.
I really liked these bars! They are chewy and sweet. According to my mom, removing the nuts just took away the crunch, but the flavor is otherwise the same.
These bars make a great gift or addition to a cookie tray. Because they are coated in powdered sugar, they are also good for winter and Valentine's Day!
Love dates? Try this Sticky Toffee Figgy Pudding that has dates pureed into the cake batter!
Mix and Bake the Batter
In a large bowl, mix the ingredients in the order given, stirring after each addition.
Spread the batter into a 13x9-inch pan lined with parchment paper that extends up the sides of the pan so that the baked bars can be lifted out of the pan after cooling.
Note: the photos of the batter in the pan are from a batch that my mom made for family that do contain nuts, but the nut free batter looks very similar.
The batter will be thick. An offset spatula is helpful to spread the batter into an even layer.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The top needs to be completely browned. It may take longer than 30 minutes depending on your oven.
The longer you bake, the chewier they will be rather than soft. They will still look gooey on top if they aren't browned.
Finish the Bars
Cool at least 20 minutes, then use the parchment overhangs to lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board.
Cut into 4 columns and 8 rows to yield 32 rectangular bars.
Roll each bar in powdered sugar to completely coat.
Storage
Store the bars at room temperature in an airtight container.
Gluten Free Option
I haven't tried it myself for this recipe, but I have good luck using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour in place of all purpose flour in a lot of baked goods.
📖 Recipe
Nut Free Old Fashioned Date Bars
Equipment
- 1 13x9-inch cake pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (well beaten)
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups chopped dates (see note)
- ¼ cup honey
For the Coating:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the ingredients in the order given, stirring after each addition. The batter will be thick.¼ cup butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, ¾ cup flour, ¼ cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt, 2 cups chopped dates, ¼ cup honey
- Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly into the prepared.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or longer, until the top is completely browned. The longer the bars bake, the chewier they will be. If underbaked, they will end up soft. When the top is browned, it will no longer look gooey.
- Cool for at least 20 minutes. Use the parchment paper overhangs to lift the bars out of the cake pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into 32 bars.½ cup powdered sugar
- Roll each bar in powdered sugar to coat completely, shaking off excess.
- Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature.
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