Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper with overhanging edges.
• In a medium size pot or sauce pan, bring the dates, water, lemon juice, and brown sugar to a boil. Add the baking soda and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, or until the dates have fallen apart and you have a smooth date mixture. Set aside to cool.
• In the meantime, in a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Melt butter then stir in the vanilla. Pour butter into dry ingredients and using a fork or rubber spatula to stir it into the flour mixture until all the butter is evenly absorbed and a crumbly dough forms. Press ½ to ⅔ of the mixture firmly into a parchment lined baking dish, transfer to preheated oven and bake for 8-10 mins. Place remaining crumble in fridge until ready to use.
• Carefully remove pan from oven and spread the date mixture in an even layer over the warm crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture on top of the date layer and bake for about 18-25 minutes more, or until lightly golden on top. Cool on wire rack completely before slicing. Store in an air tight container.