Date Cookies

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I love these date cookies so much, I included them in my holiday cards to friends and family! They are rich, buttery and chewy and pretty easy to make. Take a break from oatmeal raisin cookies and try these Mediterranean inspired cookies full of naturally sweet dates. And if you have dates left over, be sure to try my pecan date bars – so fun for the holidays!

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How to make date cookies

This is a pretty standard cookie recipe, so it’s easy to follow along. Think of it like oatmeal raisin cookies, but instead of the raisins and oatmeal, we’re adding dates and pecans.

The pecans were super quick to chop up. The dates on the other hand were a bit of a sticky situation. But I had my kids help me pit them, and then it took me about 5 minutes only to chop them up. Making cookies is totally a family effort sometimes!

For best results and to ensure that everything is well incorporated, use a stand mixer or hand mixer. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the flour mixture. When you have a smooth cookie dough, fold in the pecans.

Give it a good mix and then fold in the dates.

And now you’re ready to bake the cookies, or you can chill them and bake them at another time. You can also roll them into a cookie dough log, freeze it and then slice and bake when the cravings set in. The result is chewy, sweet and decadent date cookies that are perfect for the holidays!

Tips for making date cookies:

1. Make sure to use fresh soft dates. If the dates you’re using are a bit dry, you can place them in a bowl of water and heat them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. You can also heat them on the stovetop with a few teaspoons of water. Either technique will soften them up. They will also soften more as they bake.
2. Use half the amount of butter for more a dense and crisp cookie. If you want to lower the fat content, you can swap half the amount of butter for applesauce or you can really just cut the butter in half and the result is still delicious with a slightly more crunchy texture.
3. Don’t over bake the cookies. When the timer goes off (between 8 to 11 minutes depending on the size of the cookies), they may not look completely done, but as long as the edges are brown and they have puffed up, remove from the oven. They will continue to slightly cook as the cool.
4. Chill the dough. If time allows, it really helps to chill the dough for at least two hours before baking. Chilling the cookie dough allows the butter to solidify. So when the cookies bake in the oven, the butter takes longer to melt and keeps the cookie more compact.

More cookie recipes: 

• Pistachio Cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
• Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Lebanese Ghraybeh Cookies
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Overall, these date cookies are easy-to-make, rich in taste and total crowd pleasers! Some people even think they taste like pecan pie. It’s that gooey baked dates with the crunchy pecans that gives that effect. What I love about them is that they are a festive treat that is not so common and uses up dates, which we also have an abundance of in my house. Move over oatmeal raisin cookies, and make room for these delicious date cookies!

If you’ve tried this feel good Date Cookies recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

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Review

Date Cookies

A fun mediterranean inspired cookie recipe, these buttery date cookies are sweet, nutty, chewy and completely irresistible – perfect for cookie exchanges 

5 from 605 votes

Author Yumna Jawad

Servings 48 cookies

Course Dessert

Calories 250

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ▢ 1 cup butter at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup packed light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 3 eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla
• ▢ 1 ½ cups chopped pecans toasted
• ▢ 1 ½ cups chopped pitted dates

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until the flour is well incorporated. Stir in the pecans and dates.
• If time permits, cover the dough with plastic and chill for 2 hours or overnight. This allows the cookies to be thicker more chewy.
• Scoop the chilled dough using a spring-loaded cookie scoop onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. It should make about 48 cookies
• Bake 8-11 minutes, or until golden brown and cookie is puffed.
• Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Equipment

• Aluminum Sheet Pans
• Mixing Bowl Set
• Stand Mixer
• Stainless Steel Cookie Scoop

Notes

Recipe: This recipe is adopted from Tori Avey. I did not make any changes to her recipe as they were perfect as is.

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. These date cookies will stay fresh for up to 5-7 days at room temperature

Make Ahead Tips: You can make the cookie dough up to 2 days in advance. You can roll the cookie dough into logs and freeze them for baking at a later time. 

Sourcing: You can find the dates at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with raisins. You can also use date paste if you find it available at your local grocery store.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However if you don’t like pecans, any other nut will work well in this recipe. I would recommend walnuts. You can also omit the pecans all together to make it a nut-free recipe.

Serving Size: Each serving is for two cookies.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies, Calories: 250kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 226mg, Potassium: 121mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 285IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American

Course: Dessert