Soak the pitted dates in hot water for 20 minutes. After soaking, drain well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1.75 cups of oats in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend them into a fine flour. If you're using store-bought or previously prepared oat flour, use 175 g.

Add the oat flour and the rest of the crust ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine into a crumbly mixture.

Spray a 7-8 inch square baking pan with non-sticking cooking spray (or grease with a touch of coconut oil).

Firmly press about 2 cups of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Add the drained dates to a food processor with the salt and mix into a paste. It's ok if it's a little chunky. You can also just squeeze the dates into a paste using your hands, that way you don't have to clean out the food processor! 

Evenly spread the dates mixture over the crust layer in the pan.

Top the date layer with the rest of the oat mixture. Press the oat mixture down over the dates with a little pressure to help meld the 3 layers together.

Bake for 40 minutes then let them cool for at least 2 hours in the pan. You can put them in the fridge to speed up the process. This is an important step. I know it's hard to wait but if you slice them too early they'll be crumbly. Once they cool they'll be completely firm and hold together in squares.

Once they're cool, slice into 16 squares and serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months.