Date Cookies
Updated Mar 11, 2026
A mediterranean inspired cookie recipe, these buttery date cookies are sweet, nutty, chewy and completely irresistible- great anytime of year
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Cookies with Dates
I’ve always loved baking with dates because they bring so much natural sweetness and flavor to simple desserts; and these date cookies are no exception. They’re soft, chewy, and filled with chopped dates and pecans that make every bite so good!.
I make these when I want a cookie that’s sweet but not overly sugary. The dates give them that caramel-like flavor, and the pecans add a little crunch. It’s a little something different to try for your next party instead of the usual chocolate chip cookies (which are still a fave always!).
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Date Cookies Ingredients
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. I’ve only tested these date cookies with all-purpose flour. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work, but I haven’t tested it myself.
- Wet ingredients: Butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Use unsalted butter that’s softened to room temperature so it creams easily with the sugar. If you only have salted butter, you can cut down on the added salt slightly. The sugar sweetens the cookies, but more importantly, it helps create lightly crisp edges while keeping the centers soft, so I don’t recommend skipping.
- Add-ins: Chopped dates are the main flavor here. Medjool dates work especially well because they’re soft and naturally sweet. And optional (but so good) are chopped pecans to balance the date sweetness.
How to Make Date Cookies
Bake on a light colored sheet pan until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should be slightly soft.
Date Cookies
A mediterranean inspired cookie recipe, these buttery date cookies are sweet, nutty, chewy and completely irresistible- great anytime of year
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar packed
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup chopped pitted dates
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars. Mix at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the pitted dates and pecans using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Using a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop, level, and roll about 1.5 tablespoons of the cookie dough and place them on one of the prepared baking sheets, spaced at least two inches apart. You should get about 24 cookies. Press down on the cookie dough balls slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should be slightly soft.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
This recipe has been updated in March 2026, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here and video:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar packed
3 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon 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.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar packed
3 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 119kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 60mg, Potassium: 57mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 136IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Variations
- Add warm spices: Mix in ½ teaspoon cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon cardamom for extra warmth.
- Swap the nuts: Use ½ cup chopped walnuts instead of pecans if that’s what you have on hand.
- Add chocolate: Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips for a chocolate-date cookie variation.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- Chop the dates evenly. Smaller pieces distribute better throughout the dough so every cookie has some date in each bite.
- 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.
- 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 they cool.
FAQs
Why did my cookies turn out dry?
This usually happens if too much flour was added or if the cookies baked too long. Try spooning the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping directly from the bag to avoid packing in extra flour.
Why did my cookies spread too much?
f the butter was too soft or melted, the cookies may spread more than expected. Chilling the dough for about 20 minutes before baking can help.
Comments
These cookies are outstanding! The recipe are just the right level of sweetness and is very simple to follow. I put the dough in the fridge overnight and then rolled them into one inch balls, so it yielded about 70. I made the first batch so that they were barely brown on the edges and left the second batch in so that they were slightly more brown. The first lot was soft and chewy and the second was a little crisp at first bite with a soft center – both delicious in their own right ๐ They soooo perfect with a cup of tea!
A cup of tea and a date cookie is the perfect combination! Love that you experimented with baking and enjoyed both results!
I baked these cookies this morning after mixing the dough last night then refrigerating overnight. They turned out very well with one change: I needed 14 minutes at 350F. The recipe yielded a touch over 52 ounces of batter which translated to 48 cookies, each of which were 1.1 ounce (except for a handful at 1 ounce each). I used a heavy aluminum baking sheet and silicone mat. The cookies did not spread very much.
Thanks for your detailed notes, Edwin!! So glad you liked how they turned out!
Came out lovely and soft!
Yay!! So happy you liked them!
Hi, I accidentally did not read the recipe correctly and put in 1/4 cup less brown sugar. I made the first small batch of cookies and found they lacked the sweetness. Do you have any recommendations on how to punch up the cookies? A caramel drizzle? Thx!
Oh no! Yes, I think a caramel drizzle sounds delicious. You could also dip them into melted milk chocolate!
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you! So happy you liked them!!
I made these Date Cookies and I couldnโt stop eating them! So easy and quick. I didnโt use nuts, just fresh dates. Thanks
Yay, so glad you loved the cookies! Thank you!!
Hello! I have dried dates I’d like to use up. Can I use dried dates for this recipe?
Yes, I think that would work! You will just need to soften them first in hot water. I recommend placing them in a bowl of water and heating them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Or, you could heat them on the stovetop with a few teaspoons of water. Once they are soft, they will be ready to chop and add to the cookie dough. Hope that helps!
Excellent recipe – added chocolate chips instead of nuts, delicious. I used my mini chopper to chop the dates, worked great. Very good cookie recipe. Thank you.
Yay! So happy you loved them, thank you!!
Love these! I shredded the dates up til they were gummy and put dough in refrigerator for 1 hour. Followed the recipe and these are great!
Amazing! So glad you loved them, Ruby!! Thank you!
These were amazing! Subbed with white rice flour to make gluten free and did pistachios and dates instead.
Love to hear that rice flour worked for you, thank you so much for sharing!! So happy you loved the cookies, Zoe!!
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