Cookies are easily one of the most popular sweet treats and desserts in the world – and one of the reasons why so many people love cookies is because they are so versatile!
There are tons of different types of cookies out there from the classic chocolate chip to the more unusual flavors like cereal or cranberry.
If you want to try out new exciting flavors of cookies, then try out the recipe below for a batch of tasty date cookies!
Why Date Cookies?
Cookies are a great treat to bake at home because they’re easy to make and only take around half an hour to fully bake. But of all the cookie fillings and flavors to try, why should you choose dates? What even are dates, anyway?
Dates are a type of fruit native to the middle east and are grown on a type of palm tree. They may not look appetizing as they are usually sold dried so they look like larger, wrinklier raisins – but dates are actually super delicious!
Dates have a high sugar content that only intensifies as they dry out, making them super sweet and ideal for desserts.
This is why they make such a good flavor for cookies – they are fruity but still very sweet so they rival even the likes of chocolate cookies in flavor!
So, if you are looking for a healthier alternative to the chocolate chip cookie but still want your cookies to be sweet and delicious, dates are a great ingredient to add.
Overall, date cookies are delicious. They are sweet, rich, soft, and chewy – and what more could you ask for in a cookie?
This recipe also adds coffee powder to the mix to help deepen and enrich the flavor of the cookie, complementing the intense sweetness of the dates with something more earthy. Together, these flavors work to make the best date cookie recipe ever!
Try out the recipe below to make your own batch of date cookies.
Ingredients And Equipment
Before you start making your batch of date cookies, it’s best that you first gather and measure out all of your ingredients. You should also make sure you also have all the equipment and tools to make your cookies.
This way, you won’t get caught out at the last minute and let your ingredients go to waste!
Use the list below as a checklist to ensure you have everything you need!
Date Cookie Ingredients
1 Cup of Flour
½ Cup of Sugar
⅓ Cup of Butter
½ Cup of Dates (chopped)
1 Egg
½ Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
½ Teaspoon of Coffee Powder
½ Teaspoon of Baking Powder
⅛ Teaspoon of Salt
Alternative Ingredients For Dietary Needs
If you have dietary requirements or are vegan, then you will need to make some swaps to make this recipe fit your needs. Luckily, this is easy to do – just check out the options below!
Egg- Fruit Puree (Banana works best), Flaxseed Mixture.
Equipment
1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Whisk
1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula
1 Ice Cream Scoop or 1 Tablespoon
1 Non-Stick Baking Tray or 1 Baking Tray with Parchment Paper
How To Make Date Cookies
Once you have gathered all your equipment and measured out your ingredients, it’s time to get baking!
Step 1: Make The Cookie Dough
Your first step is to make the cookie dough for your cookies. If you’ve made cookies before, then this step will be very familiar to you and you’re sure to breeze through!
Take your large mixing bowl and add the butter and sugar. Using a whisk, cream the two together and once you have the right smooth consistency, you can add in the egg, vanilla extract, and coffee powder.
Continue mixing with the whisk until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.
Next, add your flour, salt, and baking powder. Switch out your whisk for either a wooden spoon or spatula as these are easier to use for mixing thicker batters. Keep mixing until you get that classic cookie dough consistency – but remember not to overmix!
The final ingredient to add to your cookie dough is the chopped dates. Stir them in until you have a nice, even cookie dough!
Step 2: Portion Out Your Cookies
By now, your cookie dough is ready to start baking but first, you need to portion out your cookies evenly.
For this, you can either use a non-stick baking tray or a baking tray lined with parchment paper so your cookies do not stick to the surface. You will also need either an ice cream scoop or a clean tablespoon.
Portion out your cookie dough using the ice cream scoop or the clean tablespoon and place them evenly on the tray. You should leave an inch of space between each cookie so they have room to spread while they bake.
Step 3: Bake Your Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
When your oven is ready, throw in your cookies and let them bake for 16 to 18 minutes. They should be a nice golden brown color when they are done and the top should be set.
If your cookies feel a little squidgy, that’s okay – cookies become firmer as they cool, and leaving them in the oven too long will cause them to overbake, dry up, and potentially burn.
Allow your baked cookies to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them either to a wire cooling rack or a plate. This will stop them from deforming as they cool down and become firm.
Once your cookies are completely cooled, you can start eating them! Enjoy!
Storing Your Date Cookies
Date cookies are delicious but you may not be prepared to eat the whole batch in one sitting. If you want to keep some of your date cookies for another time, then that’s fine!
Store your date cookies in an airtight container and keep them somewhere out of direct sunlight at room temperature.
Basically, don’t put them in the refrigerator or freezer as this will only completely chill the moisture in your cookies, making them taste bland and ruining the texture.
The best way to store date cookies is at room temperature in an airtight container – but you still need to eat your date cookies soon! This is because date cookies will only last for 3 to 4 days before going stale when stored in this method.
If you were hoping to make and freeze date cookies well in advance of a particular date (for a party, for example), then there is another method you can try.
You can actually freeze date cookie dough before it is baked so you can make the dough well in advance before actually baking your date cookies.
Freeze the dough and then pull it out to defrost ready for portioning and baking before your desired date. However, date cookie dough only lasts up to 3 months in the freezer so make sure you use that cookie dough before those 3 months are up!
Final Thoughts
So – that was the best date cookie recipe out there!
If you love baking, then date cookies are definitely something for you to try out. They’re unusual but delicious and a great alternative to a lot of classic cookie recipes.
This recipe takes date cookies that extra step further by adding complementary flavors like coffee and vanilla to make a tasty, all-around treat!
So, follow the recipe above and try making your own batch of delicious date cookies! Happy baking and good luck!
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
