Almond Oatmeal Date Bars

Developed by: Carole Walter. 1 1/2 x 2-inch bars

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

Serves: 36

For the Crust

1 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup almond paste
2 teaspoons grated Navel orange zest
½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped dates (1/4-inch dice)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

For the Topping

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

Oatmeal Crust

Heat the oven to 350°.
Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and butter the foil.
Pulse the flour, oatmeal and salt in a food processor 6 to 8 times and set aside.
Cream the butter, almond paste and orange zest together until smooth.
Beat in the light brown sugar.
On low speed, blend in the dry ingredients and dates.
Empty the crumb mixture into the pan, cover with a piece of plastic wrap, and press firmly with the bottom of a glass to compact the crumbs and form an even layer.
Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then spread the chocolate evenly over the crust. Chill for 15 minutes or until the chocolate is almost firm

Topping

Pulse the oatmeal, sugar and salt in a food processor 5 or 6 times. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks..
Add the honey and almond extract and beat until thickened.
On low speed, mix in the oatmeal/sugar mixture.
Spread the topping smoothly over the chocolate, sprinkle with the almonds and bake for 25 minutes. Cool for 1 hour before slicing into 3 dozen 1 1/2 x 2-inch bars

Did you know?

In addition to almonds being a delicious ingredient in our recipes they’re also heart healthy, gut healthy, and full of vitamins and nutrients - explore Health & Nutrition to learn more. Not only that, almond farmers are dedicated to sustainability - find out how they’re Growing Good.