These Date Nut Cookies are an old fashioned soft cookie, puffy and studded with sweet bites of date pieces and chopped walnuts. The recipe comes straight from my Nanny's handwritten recipe card, and like most of her cookies, they're so easy to make.
Nanny always had a cookie in her kitchen, and some of my fondest memories are of making cookies with her. I remember helping her to mix the dates and nuts into the cookies, then scooping them out with a tablespoon. Sometimes she would flour her counter, and using a little extra flour, pat the dough out and cut them into circles.
Quick Summary:
- A soft puffy old fashioned cookie from my Nanny's handwritten recipe card, well over 60 years old.
- Makes about 58 small cookies or 30 large ones.
- How I updated her card, plus the swaps I make.
- Freezing the dough so you can bake straight from the freezer.
Jump to:
Updating Nanny's Date Nut Cookies Recipe
Nanny's handwritten card is well over 60 years old, and it doesn't give you much to go on. No oven temperature, no bake time, and her flour says "to judge." I've filled in those gaps with exact measurements and the temperature and time I use so it's easier for today's home bakers.
I've made a few swaps of my own, too. I use salted butter in place of her oleo (what we call margarine or plant-based butter today) and buttermilk in place of her milk, since my own copy of the card says "Milk (Buttermilk)" and that's how I always make them. I add vanilla extract, which her card doesn't call for, and use 1 cup each of dates and walnuts instead of her ½ cup, which felt like too little to me for the amount of cookie dough.
Key Ingredients
- Chopped dates: I buy whole pitted dates and chop them myself. I feel they are softer when I buy them whole.
- Chopped walnuts: You can roast them first if you want a nuttier flavor added to the crunch.
- Buttermilk: Makes these cookies even more tender. Regular milk works too.
- Salted butter: Gives the cookies a rich, buttery flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor.
How to Make Date Nut Cookies
Start by creaming the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until creamy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla, until the mixture is fluffy and creamy.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then add it to the butter mixture a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Start and end with the flour.
Stir in the dates and walnuts.
Scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto the baking sheet and bake 13-15 minutes.
Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Substitutions
- Chopped pecans can stand in for the walnuts.
- Swap the white sugar for brown sugar, or use half white and half brown.
- Raisins work in place of the dates.
Variations
- For a little spice, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Chocolate lovers can add ½ cup of their favorite chocolate chips.
- To frost them, drizzle the cookies with a simple icing made from confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
Tips
- I make the smaller, tablespoon-sized cookies for portion control. If you'd rather have bigger cookies, a 2-tablespoon scoop makes about 30.
How to Store Them
Date Nut Cookies keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You May Be Wondering
Yes. Scoop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and put it in the freezer. Once the scoops are frozen, store them in an airtight container until you're ready to bake. Don't use a zip-top bag: the dough is soft to start with, so scoops touching each other in the freezer can still stick together. Bake them from frozen, adding about 5 minutes to the bake time.
Yes, pre-chopped dates work just fine.
Usually it means there wasn't enough flour or the baking powder got left out.
More of Nanny's Cookie Recipes
If you love an old fashioned soft cookie, here are more of Nanny's recipes from my kitchen.
When you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment below to let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
📖 Recipe
Nanny's Date Nut Cookies
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, mix together butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla, and mix until fluffy and creamy. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture gradually, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- Stir in the dates and walnuts.
- Using a tablespoon sized scoop, drop cookie dough portions onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until edges are slightly brown and top of cookie no longer looks wet.
- Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire cooling rack.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
I've made these cookies many times over the years and they turn out nice and puffy every single time. This is a family favorite that never disappoints and the recipe makes a large batch of good sized cookies.