A Canadian classic and a recipe every Canadian knows, date squares are an old-fashioned staple in many homes across the country. We love these sweet, buttery, date-filled crumble bars and this is a traditional version handed down from Alex's grandmother-in-law. This recipe boils the dates so you don't need to worry if your dates are dry.
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Recipe Rundown: Date Squares
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Bake Time
30 minutes
Servings
16 squares
Difficulty
Easy
Calories
278 kcal*
Primary Ingredients
Dates, butter, white and brown sugar, flour, oats, and lemon juice.
*Calories are an estimation.
How This Recipe Works
There should be a photo of my husband's Saskatchewanian grandmother here, really, because this is her recipe, generously shared by my mother-in-law. Date squares are ubiquitous across Canada, what we call a dainty in the prairies, and something you'll find (even today) at any social event that might include coffee or tea, alongside Nanaimo bars and other treats.
These bars are called date squares in central Canada, but matrimonial cake or bars on the West Coast, and sometimes date crumbles on the East Coast. All three of us grew up making and eating these and we're from coast to coast - Sophie is from B.C., I'm from Manitoba, and Kelly is from Nova Scotia. There's no point in trying to change something that's already perfect so we've stuck to a very traditional version of this dessert.
The crumble base is made with oats, flour, sugar, and butter, and the date filling uses dates, a little sugar, and vanilla. The only slight change I made from the original handwritten recipe was to halve the sugar in the date filling and to test with different pan sizes and exact timings. Make these in advance to give yourself enough time to let the squares cool fully before you plan on cutting and serving, or they'll crumble a little too much.
Ingredients You'll Need and Why
These are our notes from recipe testing, plus any tips from the original recipe. You can find the full recipe card below with complete measurements and instructions.
- Dates: any type of date is great. This is the ideal recipe for older, very dry dates! Don't forget to remove seeds if they're not already seeded.
- Oats: use rolled or large flake oats for the best results. We haven't tried date squares with quick-cook oats.
- Flour: use plain all-purpose white flour. Pastry flour is fine if that's all you have but it does make the bars a little too delicate.
- Brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar. Dark will make the crumble a little softer but it's not really noticeable.
- Sugar: just a quarter cup for the date layer. A little sugar here helps to bind the filling more effectively and leaving it out will make the bars too soft.
- Butter: use salted butter, or add a little salt to make up for it if you only have unsalted. Room temperature is easiest to work with but cold butter works in a pinch if you forgot to take it out of the fridge. Margarine and vegan butter alternatives are good here but try to use one that comes in stick or block form rather than the spreadable type.
- Lemon: the juice of a lemon in the date layer helps to cut the sweetness and improves the colour.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How to Make Date Squares
There is what some might consider an extra step here, with the boiling of the dates. Fresh, soft dates just weren't available when the recipe was written, and now we find it useful to boil them because it means that smaller, dry, cheaper dates can be used instead of pricey medjool.
Step 1: add the dates, water, white sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan. Make sure any seeds are removed from the dates beforehand and use a pot that's large enough to prevent any boiling over. A two litre pot is great.
Step 2: bring the water to boil, then reduce to a low boil and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. The dates will still be whole but very soft and the liquid will have reduced by about half. (In the handwritten recipe, she writes that the dates turn into a paste after boiling, without mashing or blending, but I've never had that experience!)
Step 3: blend with an immersion blender, or cool fully before blending into a paste with a food processor. This is too thick for a standard blender. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer the date paste to a different container, rather than leaving it in the warm saucepan, for it to cool faster.
Step 4: make the crumble mixture. This is almost impossible to make without using your hands, and it will be crumbly and seem almost too dry. It will hold when pressed once it's fully mixed.
Step 5: press two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the base of a lined 9-inch square tin. The original recipe says to add half to the base and half to the top, but that made for lopsided-feeling bars since the base is pressed in so tightly. We recommend this method.
Step 6: spread the date mixture over the base. Add dollops all over the base rather than spreading from one large dollop in the middle, so that the oats from the base layer aren't caught up in the date paste.
Step 7: top with the remaining crumble. You can press it in slightly if you'd like the topping to be less crumbly later when slicing, but date squares are meant to be a little crumbly, so we leave it as is.
Step 8: bake and cool fully before cutting into small squares and serving. These keep very well so you can make them in advance and keep out or freeze for later. They're good frozen too!
Expert Tips for the Best Squares
- Boil the dates for the full time: this is a type of caramel, and under-cooking it will mean that the date layer is too soft once the bars are baked.
- Cut into small squares: it's a dainty, after all! These are sweet and rich, so a small piece goes a long way.
- Don't reduce the sugar: we've already reduced it as much as possible, and trying to cut it any more will result in bars that are crumbly or a filling that doesn't stick properly. You might be surprised - these probably aren't as sweet as you think.
- Press very firmly: the base layer of the squares needs to be pressed right into the tin to bake up properly. Use your hands or the back of a spoon to really compress it.
- Line the tin: these are tricky to remove from the baking tin if you haven't lined it, unless you plan to cut the squares right in the container. Lining makes it easy to lift them out with minimal mess.
More Canadian Recipes
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Date Squares (Matrimonial Cake)
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- Saucepan
- Immersion blender or food processor
- 9-inch (23-cm) square baking dish
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Date Layer
- 1 lb. dates, seeds removed
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Juice of a lemon
Crumble Layer
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Date Layer
- Add the dates, water, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a low boil. Cook for 20 minutes, covered. The liquid should be reduced by half.1 lb. dates, 1 cup water, ¼ cup granulated sugar, Juice of a lemon
- Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before blending with an immersion blender or food processor. The dates will be very soft and it might be possible to mash by hand if necessary.
- Once blended into a smooth paste, set aside while you prepare the crumble.
Crumble Layer
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 9-inch (23cm) square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the butter and vanilla, then use your hands to mix until the crumble comes together. It will be fairly dry but should hold together when squeezed.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups rolled oats, 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add ⅔ of the crumble mixture to the prepared baking dish and press firmly into an even layer. Top with the date paste, then add the remaining crumble over the date layer.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool fully on a wire rack before carefully removing from the baking dish (use the parchment paper overhang to lift it out). Cut into small squares and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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