Is it OK to freeze date squares?

Date squares will last in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze really well . Just ensure that the bars are fully cooled before freezing and be sure to freeze in an airtight container.

What are magic squares made of?

A standard magic square of any given number contains the sequence of natural numbers from 1 to the square of that number . Thus, the magic square of 3 contains the numbers 1 to 9. If these nine numbers are simply listed in three rows or three columns, they form the natural square of 3.

Why are date squares called matrimonial bars?

Baked into the old adage Others on the prairies recall they were named Matrimonial Bars because they were “a couple of crumbs stuck together by a few dates .” Or that they represented marriage because the bars had “a firm foundation and a sweet centre, though it looked a bit rocky.”

Why add baking soda to dates?

Notes For the date purée, some will add baking soda to the pan in order to help the dates break down and to soften the skins, but I don't think it's necessary. ... The baking soda may also neutralize some of the tannins which can lead to an astringent taste or mouthfeel. More items... Aug 10, 2023

What can you mix dates with?

Dates pair well with cured meats, cheeses, and nuts (aka the most common additions to boards). Thus, you cannot go wrong by adding these dried fruits to your next charcuterie board. Dates can be presented on their own or stuffed with other tasty ingredients.

Should you wash dates before freezing?

First, select the freshest, ripest of your preferred type of dates. Wash the fruits under cold water, then dry them completely . Freezing wet dates will result in ice crystal formation, which will affect their texture after thawing. Next, you can remove the pits to make using the fruits easier when thawed.

What are date pieces made of?

Nutritious and delicious, Organic Date Pieces are made from Organic dates which are ground, extruded, and then rolled in oat flour . The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

What are the ingredients in farmers market date squares?

Ingredients. Rolled Oats, Sugars (sugar, Glucose, Blackstrap Molasses), Soybean Andpalm Oil Margarine (milk), Dates, Enriched Wheat Flour, Water, Modifiedcorn Starch, Salt, Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Baking Soda, Liquid Wholeegg, Soybean Oil. May Contain: Peanuts, Tree Nuts.

Old-Fashioned Date Squares - Seasons and Suppers (2024)

Classic, old-fashioned date squares, just like the ones Grandma made. Nice and thin, with the perfect balance of date filling to crumb! Can be made in a small 8×8 pan or double for a 9×13 pan.

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Why you’ll love this date squares recipe
What you’ll need
How to make date squares
Recipe video
Recipe tips!
Storing and freezing
Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Date Squares
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Why you’ll love this date squares recipe

These are the classic, old-fashioned, bake-sale, church dinner, pot-luck, just-like-your-Grandma-made kind of date squares. They are thinner than many date squares that you see these days, but in my mind, they offer the perfect bite, with the crumb and date filling in perfect balance.

What you’ll need

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A few notes about the key ingredients …

Oats – These date squares will need old-fashioned, large-flake rolled oats. I haven’t tested this recipe with quick-cooking oats. They may work, though as they are milled finer, the resulting bars would lack the lovely texture of the larger-flake oatmeal. I don’t recommend quick oats here.

Dates – Delicious date squares have been made for years using basic and inexpensive, “baking aisle” dried pitted and chopped dates. That said, whole dried and pitted dates that you chop yourself are also fine. Regular dates or honey dates are both fine, as they are dried dates. I haven’t tested this recipe with Medjool dates. Medjool dates are fresh dates, as opposed to dried dates. They may work, but as I haven’t tested them I can’t confirm that.

Dried dates are typically sold pitted, but if your dates have pits, simply slice the dates in half and pull out the pit before chopping.

Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar is recommended, but dark brown sugar will work in a pinch. The squares will have a darker appearance and a bit more molasses flavour.

Other ingredients you will need – White sugar, salted butter, baking soda and all-purpose flour.

How to make date squares

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Combine the date-filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate until cooled completely before proceeding, about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Make the base and topping by combining the oats, flour and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and stirring together.

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Add the cold butter pieces to the flour mixture and cut in using a pastry cutter, or two knives or rub in with your fingertips.
Cut in the butter until the butter pieces are pea-sized.
Stir together the baking soda and hot water and drizzle over the flour mixture.

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Add about 1/2 of the flour mixture to the bottom of a parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking pan and use a flat measure to press it into the pan.
Spread the cooled date filling mixture over the top of the base, then scatter the remaining flour mixture evenly over top.
Spread the topping out evenly and bake for 18-24 minutes, until golden and set.

Recipe video

Recipe tips!

You can make these squares as a small batch in an 8-inch square baking pan, as I have done here, or double the recipe to make a 9×13 pan of date squares. (Just use the handy “2X” button above the ingredients in the recipe card below and it will be calculated automatically for you!).
It is very important to allow the filling mixture to cool completely before using. Ideally, you will make it ahead and refrigerate so it is chilled when assembling the squares. Any warmth in the filling will melt the butter in the base and affect the cooked texture.
It may look like there is very little filling when you spread it out over the base, but trust me, it will be fine! There will be plenty of date flavour in the finished squares.

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Storing and freezing

Store these date squares in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They keep well, though the crust tends to soften slightly the longer they sit.

Date squares freeze well, so don’t hesitate to freeze for longer storage. Wrap well and freeze up to 3 months.

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Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Date Squares

Classic old-fashioned date squares just like Grandma made. Nice and thin, with the perfect balance of date filling to crumb!

5 stars from 8 ratings

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Ingredients

Filling:

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates, tightly packed *see Note 1 below
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Base and topping:

3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons large flake old-fashioned oats, *see Note 2 below
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
6 Tablespoons salted butter, cold, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon hot water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted) Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan and line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend over the edges by an inch or so (to use as handles to lift out of the pan later on). (You can also double the ingredients and make them in a 9×13-inch baking pan.)
It is important to make the date filling ahead so that it cools completely before assembling the date squares so it is chilled when assembling the squares. Any bit of warmth in the filling will melt the butter in the base and negatively affect the texture of the finished squares.
Make the date filling (do ahead!): Combine the dates, white sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly. Bring mixture just to a full boil. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer the date filling to a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to cool completely.
Make the base and topping: In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour and light brown sugar. Add the cold butter pieces to the flour mixture and cut in with a pastry cutter (or use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour) until the butter pieces are evenly pea-sized. In a small bowl, stir together the baking soda and hot water until the soda is dissolved. Sprinkle over the flour/butter mixture and stir in.
Add about half of the flour mixture to your prepared pan (it's around 1 1/4-1 1/3 cups-ish). Press into an even layer, adding a bit more of the flour mixture, as needed, to make a thin, even layer. (I like to use a dry 1-cup measuring cup to press the base down.) Spoon the cooled date-filling mixture over the top and spread out evenly. (It will seem like there is barely enough filling to cover the base but trust it. It will be fine!) Scatter the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the top. Tip! Sometimes I will squeeze the mixture for the topping and then crumble it with my fingertips over the top. This makes for a more crumbly topping.
Bake in preheated oven for 18-24 minutes, until golden brown and set. (Baking time should be similar for both an 8×8-inch pan or a 9×13-inch pan.) Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack, allowing it to cool completely in the pan before lifting out by the parchment "handles" to a cutting board. Cut into sixteen 2×2-inch squares or nine 3×3-inch squares. (I like to refrigerate the squares in the pan before cutting, as they cut more neatly.)
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months, for longer storage.

Notes

Note 1: Be sure to chop the dates BEFORE measuring and pack the 1/2 cup measure tightly. It’s ok if it’s a slightly rounded measure if you want to sneak a few more dates in.

What kind of dates should you use for date squares? For these old-fashioned date squares, it’s perfectly fine to use the baking aisle block of chopped dried dates. You can also use bulk whole dried dates that you chop up yourself. I haven’t tested this recipe with Medjool dates. Medjool dates differ in that they are fresh dates vs. dried dates. This may affect the texture of the filling. Medjool dates are also considerably more expensive.

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips and substitution suggestions for this recipe.

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Course: Snack

Author: Jennifer Maloney

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 92mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 133IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @seasonsandsuppers on Instagram or tag #seasonsandsuppers.

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Jennifer Maloney

Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!