Sweet Valentine Date Bars – Perfect for Love Day

Looking for a sweet treat to make for your Valentine? These Valentine Date Bars are delicious and addictive! It’s love at first bite. 

One of my favorite ways to spread Valentines Day love is with a sweet baked goodie. This year, I decided to make a classic treat that may take you back to times with your grandmother. My sweet Valentine Date Bars are that perfect combination of a chewy cookie with some tasty dates. 

What do you know about date bars?

Even though I love to eat date bars, I didn’t know much about them. So I did a little history research and discovered they originate from Canada! There, they also known as matrimonial cake and generally has a oatmeal crumb topping. (If you are Canadian and I totally have my facts wrong – please let me know!)

Since I’m not a huge oatmeal fan, I decided to tweak that part and actually skip the oatmeal all together. (GASP!) I know, but if I made them with oatmeal, that would be all that I tasted. And then I’d miss out on the best part….the dates!

And that’s another little place I decided to play with the recipe – I upped the dates. Can you ever have too many? Just look at the side of this bar and observe all those sweet, delicious dates!  See, you know I made the right choice in adding some extra to the recipe. 🙂 

Now of course, you can cut your date bars into actually bars – hence the name. 🙂 But for Valentines day I wanted my Valentine Date Bars to have an extra special look. So I dug around in my cookie cutters and found the cutest shapes fitting for happy love day. Hearts obviously are always a good choice, but a couple of ‘XO’s’ are even better! Got to have lots of kisses and hugs right?

So if you’re looking for something new to bake, I do hope you’ll give these Valentine Date Bars a try! I’d love to know if you found them as delicious as our family. 🙂

And if you’re looking for even more yummy baked goodies for Valentines Day, my Baked Valentines Day Doughnuts have been a big hit too – choose from two different flavors.  Happy almost love day friends! 

Be sure to Pin this Valentine Date Bar recipe for later! 

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Valentine Date Bars

Yield: 16 Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 tablespoons cold water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup pecans, grounded
• powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10x15 jelly roll pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; then set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the sugar and melted butter until combined. (Until it looks crumbly.) Add the eggs, water, vanilla and salt and beat until thoroughly combined, scaping the sides of the bowl if necessary.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture.
5. Then use a rubber spatula to fold in the dates and pecans.
6. Spread the batter in the prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool, then cut into squares for a bar shape. Or use heart or xo cookie cutters for an extra special holiday shape. Then dust with powdered sugar if desired. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.