Orange Date Crumble Bars

Orange Date Crumble Bars. A delicious citrus twist on traditional date crumbles or “Matrimonial Bars”. The buttery oatmeal and coconut crumble is what makes this recipe the best.

Orange Date Crumble Bars

Originally published on  December 3 2009, photo update December 9, 2012.

This is a twist on a classic Newfoundland favorite, the Date Crumble. The classic recipe for these well loved treats can be found here along with an opinion on what makes a great date crumble.

Dried dates.

This recipe is one my mom often made and everyone loves it. The simple infusion of a little citrus flavour into the date filling makes a great flavour impact without ruining the experience of enjoying a very good date crumble.

One other version my mom made was adding a few tablespoons of cocoa to the filling. This chocolate addition was also quite delicious. Now I’m wondering what would happen if you combined both!

Like this Orange Date Crumble Bars recipe?

Be sure to browse the photo index of over 200 cookie and cookie bar recipes is in our expansive Cookies Category.

If you liked this recipe you many want to check out this great collection of No Bake Cookies that was incredibly popular during our last Holiday season.

 
It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram. 

Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too. 

You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly  meals and desserts too!

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

Continue to Content

Orange Date Crumble Bars

Yield: 3 dozen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Add a citrus twist to traditional date crumbles, also known as Matrimonial Bars, with the simple addition of orange juice and zest. Orange Date Crumble Bars - a delicious citrus twist on traditional date crumbles or "Matrimonial Bars". The buttery oatmeal and coconut crumble is also what makes this recipe the best.

Print

Ingredients

For the filling

Toggle ingredient group

• 18 ounces dates, chopped
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups orange juice
• zest of one large orange, finely grated or minced
• 1/2 cup boiling water

For the crumble

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 cups large rolled oats, large
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups butter, cut in small cubes

Instructions

For the filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper if you want.
2. As noted in the recipe description, some people prefer these date squares with less filling so you can reduce the amounts in the filling by 1/4, 1/3 or even 1/2 if you prefer.
3. In a medium saucepan combine and gently simmer all of the filling ingredients until thickened (about 10-15 minutes).
4. The filling should be very thick; you will need to watch it carefully and stir constantly in the last few minutes of cooking time so that it doesn't burn.
5. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the crumble mixture.
6. To prepare the crumble
7. In a large bowl, toss together the rolled oats, baking powder, coconut, flour and brown sugar.
8. Using your hands, rub the butter thoroughly through the dry ingredients.
9. Divide crumble mixture in half and press half into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
10. Spread date mixture over the base.
11. Top with remaining crumb mixture, pressing it together in clumps in your hands and then breaking it into small pieces with your fingers to scatter evenly over the date filling.
12. Press down lightly.
13. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
14. This is a very good basic recipe but I have also had very good variations of date crumbles over the years.

Recommended Products

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

• 
  FineDine Premium Various Sizes Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (10 Piece) With Airtight Lids
• 
  Silicone Spatula Set
• 
  Rock Recipes: The Best Food From My Newfoundland Kitchen

Nutrition Information

Yield

36

Serving Size

1 cookie square
Amount Per Serving Calories 206Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 23mgSodium 99mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 2gSugar 16gProtein 2g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

Did you like this recipe?

Do you love our "Real food recipes for real people'? Share the recipe on Facebook to let your friends know about us. They'll thank you for it.

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.