Low Fat Oatmeal Date Bars {SRC}

It's time for Secret Recipe Club again!  For those not familiar with the club, every month you are assigned a blog and you must make one recipe from that blog.  Then on Reveal Day we all post at the same time.  This month I was assigned the blog Cookin' with Cyndi.  After searching through Cyndi's recipes I settled on her Oatmeal Date Bars.  I've been making a lot of oatmeal lately and dates are always a hit in our home.  My kids love to snack on them.  My main changes to the recipe was to replace the butter with oil and applesauce.  I also used brown sugar instead of Splenda and included some all-purpose flour.  Bilal loved them and called them "Go-Bah" meaning granola bar.  It's so cute the way little kids try to say words.  Hasan used to call granola bars "Go-Ma-Ma".  I think you can switch up the date filling in these.  I'm thinking of trying it with some strawberry jam next time.

Low Fat Oatmeal Date Bars
Adapted from Cookin' with Cyndi

1 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a square baking pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking oil.

In a small saucepan add the dates and water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes stirring often.  Cook this until is becomes a thick paste.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together flours, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.  Add oil, apple sauce and egg white.  Mix until everything is moistened.

In prepared baking pan, pour 2/3 of oat mixture and press into the pan.  Add the date mixture and carefully spread (I used a small offset spatula to do this).  Sprinkle the remaining  oat mixture and do your best to spread all around.  I was not able to completely cover the surface.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.