Chocolate Date Oat Bars

By Jahel

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 3 c flour
• 2 c old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 c sugar
• 1 3/4 t kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/2 c (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 lb pitted dates
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 c chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Details

Level of difficulty Easy
Cost Average budget

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on the long sides.
Whisk flour, oats, sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add butter and stir until evenly moistened. Dough should look like wet sand. Set aside a third of the dough for topping. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press remaining 2/3 of the firmly into bottom of prepared baking dish.
Process dates, 1/2 cup hot water, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Transfer to a bowl and fold in chocolate. Spread mixture evenly over dough in baking dish, smoothing with a spatula. Crumble reserved dough over top, pressing gently to adhere.
Bake until top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, about one hour. Cut into squares.