About this Recipe

This date nut cookie recipe from Audrey's kitchen is in the easy healthy cookies category. There is nothing like the aroma of homemade cookies baking in the oven. What memories I have of a young girl growing up, coming home from school to the smell of something freshly baked coming from the oven. In this world of busy busy moms, baking can get overlooked but even if some of the more complex dessert recipes seem too daunting, cookies are simple dessert recipes and can be whipped up in such a short time. Baking your own cookies gives you the option of what ingredients you want to use, and you can avoid artificial colors and flavors.

Grandmother's Tips for Date Cookies:

1. This is a really simple cookie recipe to make and it is done with an electric mixer so if you have a stand mixer, you'll want to bring it out for this delicious cookie recipe. If you don't have one, that's okay, you can use a hand held as well.

2. If you are looking for healthy snacks for kids, grandmothers and moms alike can sneak in ingredients like dates and nuts into home baking. Sometimes putting just a little bit of chocolate drizzle on the top of a healthier cookie will make it appeal to even very fussy eaters.

3. If you want lots of chocolate on the cookies you can double the chocolate recipe.

4. This recipe makes 38 cookies so use 2 cookie sheets if you have, otherwise, you can cook in batches.

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Ingredients

(Print)

Makes 38 large cookies

Cookies:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups dates, chopped

1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (or pecans)

Chocolate Drizzle:

2 squares semi-sweet or dark chocolate

1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Beat the butter, sugar and eggs together in a large mixing bowl until combined.

4. In another mixing bowl stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time and mix until combined.

6. Add the dates and nuts and beat in.

7. Use a spoon to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet. Leave an inch between the cookies.

8. Use a fork to flatten the cookies.

9. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven, let sit a couple minutes then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

11. Let cookies cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Drizzle:

1. Use a double boiler and melt the chocolate with the coconut. Stir as melting.

2. Once melted transfer to a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with a small hole on the corner.

3. Drizzle the chocolate onto the cookies.

4. Store in containers with a lid.

ENJOY!

Return to this Date Nut Cookies from Audrey's Kitchen recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

Dates come loaded with plenty of natural nutrients, but they are also high in natural sugar so for anyone watching their sugar intake, must be eaten in moderation. Dates are used as substitution in some recipes as an alternative to empty-calorie sweets. This is because dates are naturally sweet so can satisfy that sweet craving. One thing about substituting dates in your baking recipes is that you know you are eating natural sugar instead of refined sugar.

Dates are the fruit of the palm tree. Because palm trees grow in hot climates, the dates we have in North America are generally already dried. It is because of their dried format that they have a higher calorie content than fresh fruits. It would be more comparable to eating raisins instead of fresh grapes.

Dates are high in antioxidants and fiber. Interestingly, even though high in sugar, they have a low glycemic index. The glycemic index measures how quickly your blood sugar rises after eating a certain food. The high fiber in the date benefits your digestive system and helps prevent constipation.

Living where we do, we have access to fresh walnuts, and each year are lucky enough to pick walnuts fresh from the ground. Check out our little video on How to Pick Walnuts and then some options on cracking them as well. You can eat walnuts right out of the shell, freshly harvested or you can let them dry or lightly roast them before cracking them open. Walnuts are on the 'good for you' list of foods. Walnuts can stand nicely on their own as a snack food or you can add them to salads, baked goods, and cereal and yogurt lovers generally will have them as a staple. Walnuts are a great source of vitamins and minerals, they are rich in antioxidants are are considered a heart healthy food. Walnuts are loaded with healthy fats. Considered to be a brain food, although there is not enough research to prove it, eating walnuts may help improve brain function and may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.