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Date Cookies are the cozy, old fashioned cookie my family reaches for when we want something soft, chewy, and naturally sweet, packed with chopped dates, hearty oats, and crunchy pecans in every bite. They remind me of the cookies my grandma kept in her jar, and my girls love them warm on a chilly autumn afternoon. If you love a soft cookie, our snickerdoodle sandwich cookies are another family favorite.
Sweet little bits of date melt into the dough as they bake, giving these cookies a soft, caramel like chew.
Date Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 22 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 37 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 42 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 130kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft and chewy with caramel sweet dates, warm cinnamon, oats, and toasty pecans
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, about as simple as our cream cheese cookies
Quick Answer
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and cinnamon. Cream the butter with brown and granulated sugar, then beat in the honey, vanilla, and eggs until light and fluffy. Mix in the dry ingredients, then fold in chopped dates and pecans. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes until very light golden.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Dates add natural sweetness. Soft, chopped dates melt into the dough as they bake, adding a caramel like sweetness and chew you cannot get from sugar alone.
- Oats make them hearty. Quick oats give these date cookies a soft, satisfying texture and that classic old fashioned oatmeal cookie feel.
- Low and slow baking. Baking at a gentle 300 degrees keeps the cookies soft and tender while the dates stay moist instead of drying out.
- Honey for extra moisture. A couple tablespoons of honey adds moisture and a subtle floral sweetness that keeps the cookies soft for days.
- Pecans bring the crunch. Toasty chopped pecans add a buttery crunch that balances the soft, chewy dates beautifully.
- They make a big, freezer friendly batch. This recipe yields about three dozen cookies that freeze beautifully, so you can bake once and keep a soft, wholesome treat on hand for weeks.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are soft, chewy, and naturally sweet thanks to all those chopped dates.
- Hearty oats and pecans make them feel like a cozy, old fashioned treat.
- They are just as easy as our soft pistachio cookies with a wholesome twist.
Key Ingredients
Pantry baking staples plus sweet dates and pecans come together for these cozy cookies.
- California dates: Diced small, they melt into the dough for a caramel sweet, chewy texture and natural sweetness.
- Quick oats: Add heartiness and that classic soft, old fashioned oatmeal cookie texture.
- Pecans: Chopped and folded in for a buttery, toasty crunch in every bite.
- Brown sugar and honey: Together they keep the cookies moist and add warm, caramel like depth.
- Cinnamon: A little warm spice that pairs perfectly with the dates and oats.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These date cookies are a great base, so make them your own.
- Swap the pecans for walnuts, or leave the nuts out for a nut free cookie.
- Add a handful of raisins or chocolate chips along with the dates.
- Stir in a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for a more spiced cookie.
- Use Medjool dates for an even softer, richer caramel flavor.
How to Make Date Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and cinnamon and set aside.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the brown sugar and granulated sugar, then add the butter and whip on medium speed for about a minute, scraping down the sides.
- Add the honey and vanilla and stir to combine, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing fully. Whip on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients a spoonful at a time until just mixed in, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Fold in the chopped dates and pecans until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart, press a few extra dates and pecans on top, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until very light golden. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Dice the dates small so they distribute evenly and melt into the dough as the cookies bake.
- Do not overmix once the dates and pecans go in, or the cookies can turn tough.
- Bake low and slow at 300 degrees to keep the cookies soft and the dates moist.
- Pull them light golden, since these cookies are meant to stay soft and chewy, not crisp.
- Press extra dates and pecans on top before baking for a prettier, bakery style look.
- Store soft in an airtight container so they stay chewy for days.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These date cookies are wonderful slightly warm with a cup of coffee or tea, when the dates are still soft and gooey. They are the kind of cozy, old fashioned cookie that disappears off the counter and tastes like something from grandma kitchen.
Set them out on a cookie platter next to our snickerdoodle cookies and pistachio cookies for a fun variety of textures and flavors.
They make a wholesome lunchbox treat or afternoon snack, and they pack right alongside a bag of our homemade apple chips.
Because dates and oats give them such a hearty, naturally sweet quality, these cookies feel right at home on a fall or holiday dessert table, tucked into a cookie tin as a homemade gift, or wrapped up for a bake sale. Make a double batch and freeze half so you always have a soft, old fashioned cookie ready to pull out when company stops by or a sweet craving hits.
Date Cookies FAQs
Soft, sweet dates work best. California dates and Medjool dates are both great choices. Dice them small so they melt into the dough and spread their caramel sweetness throughout the cookie.
These date cookies are still a treat, but the dates add natural sweetness, fiber, and chew, and the oats make them heartier than a basic sugar cookie. They make a satisfying, wholesome feeling snack, and because the dates do a lot of the sweetening, they feel less sugary than a typical cookie even though they taste plenty sweet.
Baking at 300 degrees keeps the cookies soft and tender and prevents the dates from drying out or burning. Low and slow is the key to that chewy, old fashioned texture.
Yes. Simply leave out the pecans for a nut free cookie, or swap them for an equal amount of raisins, chocolate chips, or shredded coconut.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep them extra soft, tuck a slice of bread into the container, which helps the cookies hold their moisture.
Yes. Freeze the baked, cooled cookies in a freezer bag for up to 2 months, or freeze scooped dough balls and bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the bake time.
Tried these soft oatmeal date cookies? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Oatmeal Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 & 1/2 cups very small dice California Dates
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and cinnamon. Stir to combine fully, set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar, stir to combine. Add the butter and whip on medium speed for about a minute, scrape down the sides to make sure it is fully incorporated.
- Add the honey and vanilla, stir to combine, add the eggs one at a time and fully mix in. Crank up the speed to medium and whip the mixture until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients a spoonful at a time until mixed in. Scrape down the sides. Stir in the chopped dates and pecans until just mixed, you do not want to overmix the batter.
- On an ungreased cookie sheet, place rounded tablespoons of the batter 2 inches apart. Pro tip: add a couple of extra chopped dates and pecan pieces on top of each cookie and gently press down for a prettier presentation. Bake for 18-22 minutes until very light golden brown. Immediately transfer cookies to a wired rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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This sound delicious and pretty healthy. That is just the sort of treat that I love. Thanks for this date cookies recipe!