Dates bring a wonderful sweet flavor and chewy texture to these delicious cookies.
Naturally sweet with a chewy texture and rich flavor, it’s no wonder that dates are often referred to as “nature’s candy.” So imagine how delicious date cookies will be: a cookie filled with nature’s candy! Unlike candy, however, dates also possess a lot of essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So even though these treats are not a health food (they are cookies, after all), you’ll still be getting some nutritional benefits in every bite.
Here’s an astounding fact: there are hundreds of varieties of dates across the globe. They all come from date palm trees, and food historians have traced their origin to the Middle East around 4000 B.C., particularly in the Mesopotamia region, which is part of modern-day Iraq. In the 18th century, Spaniards brought date palms to California, which inspired the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to see if dates could grow in the dry, arid climates of the Southwest. The USDA sent explorers to the Middle East to collect shoots from date palms, and then, in 1900, the first successful offshoot date planting in the USA took place in Tempe, Arizona. American date growing just took off from there. Nowadays, dates still thrive in Arizona, but they are also a very successful commercial crop in Southern California’s Coachella Valley.
Fresh or dried, dates are available pretty much year-round, so you can make these cookies whenever you want. And you will want to make them often because they are so yummy. The combination of butter, white and brown sugars, and sweet dates is the basis for the incredible flavor these cookies deliver, as well as their texture, which is soft and irresistibly chewy. That texture is enhanced by the great crunch the pecans bring. This is a standard cookie recipe that will be familiar to veteran cookie-makers and perfect for first-timers: they come out beautifully every time.
The king and queen of dates
The two most common kinds of dates for baking—and eating!—are Medjool and Deglet Noor. Medjools, often called the “king of dates,” are large and rich with a sweet caramel-like flavor and almost syrupy texture. Deglet Noors, also known as the “queen of dates,” are smaller than Medjools, with a more subtle sweetness, a nutty flavor, and a drier, firmer texture. Both the king and queen of dates work perfectly in date cookies.
How do I store leftovers?
Cooled date cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and in the freezer for up to 3 months (thaw at room temperature).
Serving suggestions
Almost all cookies are great with coffee, and date cookies are no exception: they are lovely with a hot Copycat Starbucks Vanilla Spice Latte or a cold Homemade Iced Americano. But maybe the best way to pair the flavors of date cookies and coffee is to serve the cookies with No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream or Coffee Toffee Ice Cream.
If you are doing some entertaining and want to wow your guests with an array of treats that bring different tastes and textures, as well as some similar and some complementary flavors, serve date cookies with Rich And Crunchy English Toffee, Caramel Candy, and this sweet and salty Toffee Nut Snack Mix.
Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1 1/2 cups pitted dates chopped
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
- In another bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Gradually add this dry mix to the creamed mixture.
- Stir in the milk, chopped dates, and chopped pecans until everything is evenly distributed. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop small spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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