Date-Pecan Bars

From EatingWell: July/August 1995, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

Here, graham cracker crumbs, dates and nuts are folded into beaten eggs and sugar to make a wonderfully chewy bar that's much lighter than traditional recipes.

15 bars

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs, (36 graham cracker squares)
2/3 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped pecans, (2 ounces)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°F. Coat an 8-by-12-inch or 7-by-11-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Stir together coffee powder and vanilla in a large bowl until the powder dissolves. Add sugar, eggs, egg white and salt and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Fold in graham cracker crumbs, dates and pecans. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan; smooth the top.
Bake the bars until the top feels dry and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. If desired, dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: The bars will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To turn graham crackers into graham crumbs, use a food processor or place the crackers in a large ziplock plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Nutrition

Per bar: 147 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 28 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 120 mg sodium; 101 mg potassium.

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat