I totally laughed out loud when I came up with the name of this recipe. Drunken date bars. With nuts. Too awesome for words.
Anywaayy (getting my mind out of the gutter) – it’s important to note that these bars are tasty, healthy, and definitely provide a slight buzz for an after dinner treat (or breakfast…I’m not judging!). Alcohol aside, dates are so good for you! They’re packed with fiber and vitamins, are great for digestive health, your heart, sex life, nervous system, and weight control. Awesome, right? Totally a super food. Even though they are naturally soft, the delicious dates get soaked in spiced rum until they become super creamy and spreadable. Just put the pitted dates into a baggie, pour in the liquid, throw it in the fridge, and forget about it until the next day. It will literally be like boozy butt-ah. If you want an alcohol free recipe, just use apple juice. Trust me, it will be amazing.
So yeah…all this date earthy/warm goodness gets spread on top of toasted coconut and slivered almonds. The texture is great. Between the chewy coconut, crunchy almonds, and buttery dates, you will want to take bite after bite. Just remember to pace yourself since there’s alcohol involved (or not…once again, I don’t judge and I definitely don’t assume any liability for your drunken shenanigans!).
The great thing about these bars are that you don’t have to use any oats, flour, or other kinds of carbs to hold everything together – all you need to do is stick it in the fridge to keep it solid and cut-able. Basically this recipe kicks your typical date bar up a notch. Enjoy guys! :)
**If your dates are already very soft, use 1/3 cup rum. The ones I had were very dry, so extra liquid was needed (1/4 cup).**
1 lb dates (pitted)
1/3 or 1/2 cup dark rum (ie Captain Morgan)
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup slivered almonds
5 tablespoons shredded coconut
In a small sauce pan, heat the rum, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until lightly warm.
Put the pitted dates into a large re-sealable bag. Carefully pour the warm rum into the bag. Zip the bag and massage the dates. Place on the counter for several hours or in the fridge overnight to soften (the liquid will be dissolved).
Take the bag out of the refrigerator. Using your hands, mash the dates.
In a skillet over medium-low heat, toast the coconut and almonds (about 1 minute).
Cover a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the toasted coconut and 1/2 of the almonds into the pan. Spread the mashed dates over it, covering the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining coconut and almonds.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut into bars. Serve and enjoy!
