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Perfectly sweet, a little salty, and ready in 25 minutes, these chewy date cookies make the best mid-day treat or gift for friends. And to contrast with that chewy texture, they’re packed with crunchy pecans and almonds for a truly loaded cookie.
save this recipe!Yeah, yeah, chewy chocolate chip cookies are delicious. But have you ever tried chewy date cookies? These treats are just as sweet as the chocolate chip classic, but dates contain loads of nutrients (think fiber, protein, potassium, and healthy, natural carbs).
Dates are packed with antioxidants, making them the perfect addition to any sweet treat. When paired with pecans and almonds, they provide the perfect touch of sweetness to create a sweet, crunchy, chewy cookie. They’re a must for this year’s holiday cookie exchange!
Reader rating
“I made these today to take to an elderly friend tomorrow who lives a good homemade cookie with her coffee, I know she’s going to love these! I’ve already ‘sampled’ three! I couldn’t stop at just one.” —Yvonne
here’s what you’ll need
This is an overview – jump to the recipe for exact measurements!
- Butter and Sugar: The base of any great cookie is butter and sugar. This recipe uses unsalted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. As they are whipped together, air pockets are created in the butter, and then the sugar fills those gaps. As it bakes, the sugar solidifies, creating structure.
- Egg: Eggs add some protein and help with structure. I’ve also included a vegan egg substitute option below!
- Almond Extract: This ingredient really gives these cookies that nutty flavor! In a pinch, you could use vanilla extract instead.
- Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt are all you need for this cookie. Salt helps to amplify the flavor of these cookies, and it also helps to keep the dough tender!
- Chopped Dates: Feel free to use any variety of dates you like. I usually try to find pitted dates, so I don’t have to remove all the pits.
- Nuts: I use a combination of chopped pecans and almonds for this recipe. Peanuts, cashews, or pistachios will work too.
Let’s make them!
Chewy date nut cookies are great in a pinch – they only require ten hands-on minutes of work. (Jump to the recipe for the full printable recipe!)
Step 1: Heat The Oven
First, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
Step 2: Soften The Butter
Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 10-second bursts until soft (but not melted).
Step 3: Mix The Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugars together. Add the egg and almond extract, beating briefly to combine.
Step 4: Mix The Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
Step 5: Combine The Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, folding to combine. Then, fold in the chopped dates, pecans, and almonds.
Step 6: Roll and Bake
Next, roll the dough into 18 large balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies look puffy and are just barely golden. Do not over bake.
Step 7: Squish
Finally, while the cookies are still soft, lightly flatten each one with a spatula. Allow them to cool before removing them from the sheet and serving.
Vegan-ize These cookies
Wondering how to skip the dairy and eggs? Here are some alternatives!
- Butter: You can replace the butter with your favorite plant-based version. I recommend using vegan butter sticks (rather than spread) to achieve a similar consistency.
- Egg: You can replace the egg by creating a chia egg! Simply mix one tablespoon of chia seeds with three tablespoons of water. Allow it to sit and form a “gel,” and then add it to the batter where it calls for the egg.
Chewy Date Cookies (With Almonds & Pecans)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ sticks, 171 g
- ½ cup white sugar, 100 g
- ½ cup light brown sugar, 100 g
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp almond extract, 5 mL
- 1 ¾ cup flour, 210 g
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ cups chopped dates, 120 g
- ¾ cups chopped pecans, 120 g
- ¾ cup chopped almonds, or use more pecans, 120 g
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Butter: Place butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 10 second bursts, until butter is soft but not melted.
- Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and sugars. Add the egg and almond extract, beating briefly to combine.
- Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, folding to combine. Fold in chopped dates, pecans, and almonds.
- Bake: Roll the dough into 18 large balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until cookies look puffy and just barely golden (do not over bake).
- Squish: While cookies are still soft, lightly flatten each with a spatula. Allow to cool before removing from the sheet and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Just made these, they are so good! Here are few helpful hints:
1. Use something heavy duty when you get to the “folding” part, especially after you mix in so the nuts.
2. You’re going to have to bake them longer than the recipe states. What I did was bake them for the recommended amount of time, then I (very carefully) slid the parchment paper off of the baking pan, squashed the cookies, then baked them for another 15-20 minutes. They came out beautiful and brown.
They’re worth the trouble and effort, currently waiting for them to cool down. One other thing, pecans, dates, and almonds aren’t cheap. Prepare to spend close to $30 just for those items.
Thrilled you loved them David, thanks so much for sharing your feedback!