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A stack of homemade Newfoundland Date Squares showing golden oat crumble and rich date filling.

Thick-Cut Newfoundland Date Squares

Old-fashioned oat and date crumble bars, just like Nan used to make.
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Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Cooling: 1 hour1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Servings:24 squares
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Date Filling:
  • 4 cups 18 oz chopped dates
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1½ tbsp vanilla extract
For the Crumble Base & Topping:
  • 2 cups large rolled oats
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1½ cups cold butter cubed

Method
 

Preheat Oven
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Make the Date Filling
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine chopped dates, boiling water, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Simmer over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the Crumble Mixture
  1. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, coconut, and baking powder. Add in the cold butter cubes and rub them into the mixture using your hands or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Assemble the Squares
  1. Press half of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Spread the date filling evenly over the base. Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the top and press it down lightly.
Bake
  1. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown. Let cool fully in the pan before slicing into squares.