Healthy Date Squares (Gluten-Free)

These Healthy Date Squares are a gluten-free and dairy-free twist on traditional Newfoundland date squares. They have a crisp crumble base and topping, made with rolled oats, quinoa flakes and almond flour, and a naturally sweetened date caramel filling. They're the perfect afternoon treat with a hot cup of tea!

This recipe also inspired some of my other gluten-free oat squares, including these blueberry breakfast bars, strawberry steel cut oat bars and my chocolate oat bars!

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What are date squares?

Date squares are a Canadian dessert with an oat crumb base and topping and a softened date filling. In Newfoundland, we call them date squares or date crumbles, while in western parts of Canada, they're often called matrimonial squares.

Around here, date squares are a popular cookie for the holidays, but are also commonly found at baby showers and bake sales. If you ever take a road trip around Newfoundland, you will likely find them in road side coffee shops and community restaurants.

What makes this date square recipe so special?

Date squares are one of my favorite desserts, and they take me back to my childhood. I first shared this recipe in 2017, and it remains a staple in my kitchen today. Back then, I was cutting back on gluten and dairy but refused to miss out on one of my favorite treats. I created this gluten-free, dairy-free version to satisfy my cravings without sacrificing the texture and rich flavor of a classic date square.

Here's what makes them unique:

• Quinoa: Replacing some of the oats with quinoa flakes adds a subtle nutty, earthy note that perfectly balances the sweet, caramel-like date filling.
• No white flour: Traditional date squares rely on white flour for the base and crumble topping. Replacing it with almond flour keeps the bars gluten-free. (I also make this swap for my peach crumble bars and cherry pie bars in order to make them gluten-free).
• No butter: Using coconut oil instead of butter keeps this recipe dairy-free while ensuring the crumble topping bakes up extra crunchy.
• Naturally sweet filling: Many recipes add brown sugar to the filling, but this version uses only dates and water. The dates are naturally sweet enough on their own.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Dates: I used fresh medjool dates in the filling, but you can also use pitted dried dates. Medjool are softer and chewier, and you need to cut them in half to remove the pits. If you chop your dates, the filling will cook a little quicker, but you can keep them whole if you wish.
• Oats: Oats are the main ingredient to make the crumble base and topping for date squares. I like to use large flake (old fashioned) rolled oats as they absorb less moisture than quick oats, so the topping gets nice and crispy. (Just look at how crispy the topping is for my almond flour apple crisp)!
• Quinoa flakes: These are just quinoa seeds rolled or pressed into flakes. In this way, they're similar to oat flakes, except much smaller in size. You can normally find quinoa flakes in the organic section of your grocery store or at bulk food stores. (I also use quinoa flakes to make my chocolate cherry energy bites).
• Maple syrup: Along with the dates, maple syrup is the primary sweetener for these squares. If you don't need this recipe to be vegan, you can use honey instead.
• Coconut sugar: A small amount of coconut sugar works with the maple syrup for sweetening the crumble mixture and amps up the caramel-like flavor of the date squares. If you don't have coconut sugar, you can use brown sugar as a replacement.
• Almond butter: Almond butter works with the coconut oil to help the crumble mixture stick together. (I use this same method in my gluten-free cherry crisp). If you don't have almond butter, you can use another type of natural nut or seed butter. I've made these date squares with peanut butter, and while they had a slightly different taste, they were still delicious and had the same texture.

How to make healthy date squares

Step 1: Add the chopped dates and water to a small sauce pan.

Step 2: Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the dates have softened (about 7-8 minutes). Towards the end of the cook time, start to mash the dates with a fork to help them absorb any remaining liquid.

Step 3: Whisk together the oats, quinoa flakes, almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt.

Step 4: Add the almond butter, maple syrup and coconut oil to a glass bowl and microwave on two 30-second intervals. Stir until melted together and runny.

Step 5: Pour the wet mixture over the oat/quinoa mixture and stir together until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Step 6: Press a little over half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch square pan lined with overhanging parchment paper.

Step 7: Spread the date filling over the bottom crumb layer.

Step 8: Scatter the remaining crumb mixture over top of the date layer and lightly press it down so it sticks to the dates.

Step 9: Bake at 350F for 23-28 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crunchy.

Step 10: Let cool and cut into squares.

Measuring your ingredients

For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you'll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you'll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.

Date squares FAQs

More gluten-free desserts