pear date bars

a comforting fall treat with a gooey pear-date and cardamom spiced jam folded in

Today’s recipe was inspired by the simple fact that we had some pears on hand and then I went to snack on a date and realized that the flavor of dates and pears would be a great “pear-ing” (couldn’t resist! :P). I decided that the best way to combine the pears and dates would be to cook them together and turn them into more of a jam-like consistency - you can mash it up as much or as little as you want depending on how much chunky date/pear texture you want in your bars. I went the middle route and left some chunks in for texture but mashed up some so it would incorporate into the bars. This pear-date jam is truly so irresistible that you might just have a hard time not eating it all while you wait for it to cool - but definitely try to hold off so you can taste it in bar form! These bars also have some cinnamon and cardamom mixed in and are topped with walnuts to really make this a delightful fall treat. This is a great comforting fall recipe to make and an easy - and unique - recipe if you are looking for something to bring to gatherings.

These bars are naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and dates. Dates are the edible fruit of the date palm tree and they add an almost caramel-like sweetness to whatever they’re in. In addition, dates are a rich source of potassium, as well as other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Coconut sugar is the dehydrated and boiled sap of the coconut palm flower that goes through minimal processing and thus retains many of its inherent nutritional properties. To learn more about coconut sugar, dates, and other natural sweeteners, check out my natural sweetener 101 post.

I hope you give these pear date bars a try and if you are looking for other baking ideas, check out my sweet potato bread with sucanat and sourdough or my banana date jam bars with coconut sugar. Enjoy!

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from the archive …

pumpkin cookies with maple syrup & sucanat: chewy pumpkin cookies naturally sweetened with maple syrup and sucanat!

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pear date bars

makes 16 bars

ingredients

• 160 grams pears, diced

• 90 grams dates, diced

• 65 grams water

• 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• 100 grams coconut sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 130 grams all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

• 50 grams walnuts, toasted and chopped

directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the 160 grams diced pears, 90 grams diced dates, and 65 grams water. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed and the pears and dates are breaking down. I like to mash up some of the pears and dates and then leave some whole so that this pear-date jam has some texture - feel free to mash to whatever consistency you prefer. Set aside to cool completely.

2. Once the pear-date mixture is cool, preheat your oven to 350 F and grease a 9x9 pan.

3. In medium bowl, stir together the 113 grams melted butter and 100 grams coconut sugar. Then whisk in the 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the 130 grams all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. Add this to the medium bowl and stir until fully combined. Finally, stir in the pear-date mixture.

5. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Top with the 50 grams chopped walnuts. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until set in the center (a toothpick should come out clean).