Date-and-Walnut Bars
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2⅔cups/340 grams all-purpose flour
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 4cups/400 grams large Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1pound/450 grams unsalted butter (4 sticks), at room temperature
- 2⅓packed cups/515 grams dark brown sugar
- ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
- 6eggs
- 2⅓cups/280 grams walnuts, roughly chopped
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)
414 calories; 24 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 34 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 131 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 325, and line a 13-by-18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until well mixed and no lumps remain. Tip about ½ cup of the flour mixture into a medium bowl; add the dates, and toss well to coat, breaking up the dates as you go. Set aside.
- Step 2
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with both sugars just until smoothly incorporated, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the eggs in 3 batches, mixing well each time and scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle between additions.
- Step 3
Add the flour mixture and date mixture, and mix gently on low just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a spatula to fold in the walnuts. Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined sheet pan, and use an offset spatula to spread it in an even layer, pushing it into the edges and corners and smoothing the surface. Bake until brown and set, about 45 minutes.
- Step 4
Cool completely in the pan, then remove and cut into squares. Serve right away, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Private Notes
Comments
So much sugar! How can we cut down on sugar?
Assuming the yield is 24 bars, you're correct. The recipe calls for approximately 2 tablespoons of sugar per bar, not including natural sugar in the dates. You can try to reducing the amount of sugar, but your date-walnut bars may not be fit for the gods. (Apparently, the gods also like butter - each bar contains approximately 1-1/3 tablespoons.) I'm absolutely not suggesting that people don't eat these. But, knowing what your eating isn't a bad thing.
Try adding a 1/2 cup of applesauce using less butter and less granulated sugar.
Made this, sugar and all, according to the recipe, except with deglet door dates because that's what Costco had available. Took them to a gathering and received rave reviews; my family loved them too. Five stars all the way!
Too much sugar and fat in this one? Blithely second guess the recipe and pay the price. I halved it, subbed full fat greek yogurt for 50% of the butter, omitted the white sugar, and baked it in a parchment lined 8x8x2 metal. It rose cake-like, the bottom burned, the texture was not dense enough, nor the flavor sweet enough. Follow the recipe. If you're put off by the quantities of ingredients, serve smaller portions.
Made this as written to mix up my Xmas cookies except: - added two teaspoons of chai spice mix - used a pan that was too small (8x13) It definitely overflowed. I was unsure if the spice mix would complement these flavors... but boy does it! With so much brown sugar, the chai spice mix brought it close to a gingerbread flavor. Perfect for my Christmas cookies!