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.

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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

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.