Date slices — also known as date squares or matrimonial cake — are one of my favourite traybakes to make and to eat. The combination of a buttery, slightly crumbly oat base and topping with a sticky, sweet date filling that oozes slightly when the slices are cut is completely wonderful.

The date filling is the heart of this recipe. Medjool dates or good quality dried dates cooked with water, orange juice, and a little brown sugar until they collapse into a smooth, deeply fragrant paste — sticky, slightly caramel, intensely flavoured.

The oat crumble layers press against it from both sides during baking and give a contrast of textures that makes every bite interesting.

I have been making these for years and they are always finished within two days — faster than almost any other traybake I make.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Date Slices

For the Date Filling

400g pitted Medjool dates — or good quality dried dates, roughly chopped
150ml cold water
Juice of 1 large orange — about 4 tbsp
2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract

For the Oat Crumble Layers

200g plain flour, sifted
200g rolled oats
175g soft dark brown sugar
200g cold unsalted butter, cubed
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp fine salt

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How to Make Mary Berry Date Slices

Step 1 — Make the Date Filling

Put the chopped dates, cold water, orange juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon into a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. Cook, stirring regularly, for eight to ten minutes until the dates have completely broken down into a thick, smooth, jammy paste. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

The filling should be thick enough to spread without running. If it seems very thick, add a splash more water. If too loose, cook for a few more minutes.

Step 2 — Make the Oat Crumble

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease a 30x20cm traybake tin and line with baking parchment, leaving overhang at both long sides.

Put the flour, oats, brown sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter. Rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like rough, slightly clumpy crumbs — some larger pieces are fine and give a better texture than a uniformly fine crumb.

Step 3 — Assemble

Press just over half the oat crumble mixture firmly and evenly into the base of the prepared tin — compacting it well. The base layer needs to be firm enough to hold the date filling.

Spread the cooled date filling evenly over the base layer — going right to the edges. Scatter the remaining oat crumble over the date filling and press down gently — just enough to compact it slightly without pressing it completely flat.

Step 4 — Bake

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden, slightly crispy, and the edges are a deeper golden-brown.

Cool completely in the tin — at least one hour. Lift out using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares or rectangles.

My Top Tips For Perfect Mary Berry Date Slices

Cook the dates until completely smooth and jammy. The date filling needs to be a smooth, spreadable paste rather than chunky pieces. Chunky filling gives uneven slices with gaps where there is no filling. Eight to ten minutes of cooking and stirring breaks the dates down completely.

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Use cold butter for the oat crumble. Cold butter rubbed into the oat and flour mixture gives a crumbly, slightly rough texture — exactly right for these slices. Soft or melted butter gives a more cookie-like, denser layer.

Press the base layer firmly. A loosely packed base crumbles when the slices are cut. Pressing firmly gives a base that holds together cleanly and gives slices that look as good as they taste.

Cool completely before cutting. Warm date slices are extremely messy to cut — the filling oozes everywhere. Completely cooled date slices cut cleanly into neat squares.

The orange is not optional. The juice and zest of an orange in the date filling gives the warmth and brightness that stops the filling from being simply very sweet. The orange lifts the dates and gives a more complex, more interesting filling.

Serving Suggestions

At room temperature with a cup of tea or coffee — the most natural pairing. As a lunchbox treat. At a bake sale — date slices are always popular and always slightly unexpected. As a gift alongside other traybake squares in a tin.

How to Store Mary Berry Date Slices

At room temperature: Store in an airtight tin for up to 5 days. The filling stays soft and sticky throughout. In the freezer: Freeze in individual slices for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.

Mary Berry Date Slices Recipe

Mary Berry’s date slices have a sticky, jammy date filling sandwiched between two layers of golden oat crumble — one of the most satisfying traybake recipes in this collection.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings: 15 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 255

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Date Filling:
400 g pitted Medjool dates or dried dates roughly chopped
150 ml cold water
Juice of 1 large orange about 4 tbsp
2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
Oat Crumble Layers:
200 g plain flour sifted
200 g rolled oats
175 g soft dark brown sugar
200 g cold unsalted butter cubed
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp fine salt

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Method

Cook chopped dates, water, orange juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon over medium-low heat 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until completely smooth and jammy. Stir in vanilla. Cool.
Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line a 30x20cm tin.
Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt. Rub in cold butter to rough, slightly clumpy crumbs.
Press just over half the crumble firmly into the tin base. Spread cooled date filling evenly over the top — right to the edges. Scatter remaining crumble over filling — press down gently.
Bake 25–30 minutes until top is golden. Cool completely in tin — 1 hour. Lift out — cut into squares.

Notes

Cook dates until completely smooth and jammy — chunky filling gives uneven slices.

Use cold butter for the oat crumble — gives the right crumbly, rough texture.

Press the base layer firmly — a loose base crumbles badly when sliced.

Cool completely before cutting — warm date slices are very messy to cut.

The orange in the filling is not optional — it gives brightness and complexity to the dates.

Freeze in individual slices for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other dried fruit in the filling?

Yes — dried apricots give a slightly sharper, more vivid filling. Prunes give a slightly richer, more intensely flavoured result. A mixture of dates and dried apricots is very good.

Can I add nuts to the oat crumble?

Yes — 75g of roughly chopped walnuts or pecans added to the crumble mix give a pleasant crunch and a slightly nutty flavour that suits the date filling very well.

Can I make these gluten free?

Yes — use gluten free plain flour and certified gluten free oats. The result is virtually identical.

Can I use Medjool dates instead of regular dried dates?

Medjool dates are my preferred choice — they are naturally softer, moister, and more intensely flavoured than regular dried dates and give a smoother, more deeply caramel filling with less cooking time needed.