Pit the dates (if not already pitted) and put in a glass microwavable dish with 1 ½ cups water and heat in microwave for 1 ½ minutes. Let set to soften the dates.

In a large bowl add the oats, ground flax seeds, cinnamon, oat flour, apples, and pecans. Mix well.

Take the softened dates along with the water and vanilla and put in a small blender or small food processor and blend until smooth. Add this mixture to the big bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. You will need to add in about 1 cup water as you mix to get the oats coated.

Pour this into a large baking dish (9x13) and drizzle the top with the maple syrup. Bake at 375 degrees for about 27 minutes.