Healthy 4-Ingredient Oat and Date Squares
A versatile dessert or meal replacement bar with a base of dates, oats, and chocolate.
Servings: 12 squares
Equipment
- High powered blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Dates Pitted dates, any variety
- 3/4 cup Rolled oats
- 1/2 cup Peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or other nut or seed butter For nut-free squares, replace with 2 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp water, juice, or coconut milk.
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
Optional add ins
- 1/4 cup Semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp Quinoa Dry, toasted
- 1/4 cup Dried fruit such as cranberries
- 1/4 cup Seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or chia seeds
- 1 tbsp Ground flaxseeds
- 1 tbsp Additional liquid as needed to ensure the squares stick together well (such as nut butter, maple syrup, or coconut milk). Add 1 tbsp at a time if squares are crumbly. The squares should stick together well with 1 of the above add-ins. If more items are added, additional liquid will help keep the squares from crumbling.
Instructions
- Blend dates and oats in a food processor or high-powered blender until fine and smooth. The texture will be a bit powdery but will start to stick together.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Replace peanut butter with any nut butter, or use maple syrup and water, juice, or coconut milk to make nut-free squares.
- Add any desired additional ingredients such as chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, or dried fruit. Mix thoroughly, and add a bit more liquid (maple syrup, coconut milk, or nut butter) as needed to make the squares stick together.
- Press firmly into a pan lined with parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.