Food Recipes Chocolate-Oat-Date Bars Recipe 4.4 (25) They say that the best gifts to give are the ones that you'd want to keep yourself, and there's no question that that will be the case with these decadent Chocolate Date Oat Bars. There are so many occasions to send a care package—whether it's a kid away at sleepaway camp, a friend going through cancer treatment, or just to say I love you—and these bars are up for the task. By Dawn Perry Dawn Perry Dawn is the author of Ready, Set, Cook; How to Make Good Food With What's on Hand. She served as the food director for Real Simple and has worked in the test kitchens of Everyday Food, Bon Appétit, and the meal kit delivery service Martha & Marley Spoon. Dawn is the author of Short Stack Editions' Cucumbers and her recipes and writing have been featured in the LA Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post among other publications. She recently started Superkind Cookies, a premium cookie company shipping treats nationwide. Highlights: * Author of Ready, Set, Cook; How to Make Good Food With What's on Hand. * Former food director for Real Simple * Worked in the test kitchens of Everyday Food, Bon Appétit, and Martha & Marley Spoon * Recipes and writing have been featured in the LA Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 29, 2020 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Yield: 2 dozen bars The crust is sturdy enough to withstand shipping, and the date filling offers fruity sweetness without the soggy factor of a jam center. Chocolate chips are up to you, but one thing is not, you'll probably need to bake a double batch to keep some for yourself. They're just that delicious. Ingredients Cooking spray, for baking dish 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup granulated sugar 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 1 pound pitted dates ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup (6 oz.) chopped semisweet chocolate Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Whisk flour, oats, sugar, and 1½ teaspoons 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 two-thirds of dough firmly into bottom of prepared baking dish. Process dates, ½ cup hot water, vanilla, and remaining ¼ 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 1 hour. Cut into squares. Greg DuPree Print