If you know anything about me, you know that I love to bake.

But I also love to infuse a little bit of healthier goodness in everything I bake. I tend to lower the sugar, and hide a sprinkle of extra ingredients to boost nutrition. Sometimes much to the dismay of my family who would like it, mmm, shall we say, a little less healthy.

Here is my date square recipe:

Best ever Date Squares

Filling
6 cups cooking dates, pitted
2 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Cook everything together in a pan until dates are tender. Then mash dates.

Crisp
3-1/2 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almonds, ground (optional)
1 cup walnuts, pieces (optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup coconut oil, not melted
3 Tbsp flax eggs (flax seeds, ground, mixed in 9 Tbsp water)

Cream flaxseed egg with coconut oil and sugars. Add ground almonds, if using.  Add flour, oats and baking soda. Mix well. Add walnuts, if using.

Press half cookie dough on bottom of 9x13 inch (23cmx33cm) tray.

Spread filling on pressed cookie down.

Then add other half of cookie dough on top, pressed slightly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

Notes: I use way more filling than most recipes out there. You could use less dates. I also don't tend to add as much sugar to the date filling as other recipes, since dates are already so sweet. But if you like more sweetness, you can easily double the sugar with the dates.

This is a double recipe that fits well in my 9x13 inch pan. But you could half the recipe for a smaller pan.

Enjoy!