🇨🇦 Canadian Cuisine

Date Squares

Matrimonial Cake

Prep Time 1 hr

Servings 16

Difficulty Easy

Calories 288 kcal

Chewy date filling sandwiched between buttery, crumbly oat layers — the classic Canadian bake sale staple found coast to coast.

Ingredients

500g pitted dates, chopped
1 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 cups rolled oats
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1 Simmer chopped dates with water and lemon juice until soft and paste-like (10 min). Set aside to cool.
2 Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in melted butter until crumbly.
3 Press half the oat mixture firmly into a greased 9x13 pan.
4 Spread the date filling evenly over the base.
5 Crumble remaining oat mixture over the date layer, pressing lightly.
6 Bake at 175C (350F) for 30-35 min until golden. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Did You Know?

They are called "matrimonial cake" on the Prairies because they were traditionally baked as wedding gifts — the date filling symbolizing sweetness in marriage.