1¼ cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
1 cup chopped dates
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the nuts and dates.
Scrape the (very sticky!) batter into your prepared baking dish and even it out.
Bake the bars for 18 to 22 minutes, or until they are golden brown and shiny. For chewy bars, instead of crunchy, the center should be slightly moist when a toothpick is inserted into the center. Overbaking will dry the bars out and make them crunchy.
Let the bars cool completely before cutting. Dust the tops with powdered sugar, if desired.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/chewy-date-nut-cookie-bars