This chewy dessert is surprisingly easy to make and lower in sugar and cholesterol, while still being delicious. It’s dairy free, and while there’s a little flour, you could easily swap in a gluten-free 1:1 flour if you want to avoid the gluten. It has nuts, but you know what? You can leave those out, too. Do what you want — this is a great alternative to higher-calorie bars. Pack them up in snack baggies and they travel well in lunch boxes or on road trips because they’re not very messy, either.

The hardest thing about making these was chopping the dates because mine had been in the drawer for a while and got a little dried out. They still softened in the oven, though, but if you want an easier time with the cutting process, try looking for fresh dates or use a food processor. Or, exchange the dates for another dried fruit like cranberries. It’s a formula that can be customized.

My great-aunt Mary gave her recipe to my mom on an index card, which was just a list of ingredients with the instruction to “Mix.” Even my mom struggled with it because her note says “(that’s all there is of this one!)”

Date nut bar recipes seem to be fairly common, so I consulted this version by Food in Jars for comparison. Their version calls for twice as many dates and half the flour and sugar. Since dates are already pretty sweet, lowering the sugar is reasonable. And once I got that far, it only made sense to follow through on the rest of the proportions. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about making these since neither recipe has much of any liquid or fat apart from the eggs. Would it hold together? Yes, actually!

This makes about 16 bars. Eat within two weeks.

Aunt Mary’s version: 
1 c. nuts
1 c. dates
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt

Mix.

From Food in Jars: 
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
2 cups chopped dates (or you can try other dried fruit)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8×8 baking pan.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extra until glossy.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine.

Fold in the nuts and dates and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Make sure to fill each corner and smooth the surface to an even height.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top turns golden brown and takes on a dull, shiny finish.

Cut into 16 squares and remove from pan while still slightly warm.