Date Roll Cookies
Shortbread cookie dough wrapped around a sweet filling made with dates and nuts makes these date roll cookies perfect for the holiday cookies platter. I’m using macadamia today, yet pecans or walnuts make an equally delicious combination with dates. Also, a few red and green stripes give this a festive look.
What is the one thing you remember most about Christmas from your childhood? Is it the gifts? Santa? The decorations? Christmas dinner? For me, it’s baking with my mom.
These are date rolls and while the nut often changes, the dates remain the same. I’m sure they’d taste amazing with figs or apricots as well. And yet, I’ve always used dates and that’s because mom always used dates.
Why make this recipe
- Honestly, this is a simple and easy recipe. There are a few extra steps, and yet, at Christmas time, a few extra steps are worth it. Don’t you think? The cookie dough is a simple shortbread dough that does not spread, which is why these stay in shape. And they also have that nice crisp bite. A cookie that crumbles in your mouth with a sweet, nutty center? Oh yes!
- Whatever you do, make sure you don’t try to do this in one go. Take your time. Let the cookie dough chill so it’s easy to roll and easy to work with. Like my mom always said – CHILLED COOKIE DOUGH IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.
- Also, crush the nuts in a food processor so they are crushed but not powder consistency. It’s nicer to bite into pieces of nuts rather than powder. The quantities of dates and nuts given below are a good proportion, but you can add a few more or fewer of either dates or nuts.
- Give them a Christmas makeover – As you can see, these make great Christmas gift jars. Perfect treats for the holiday. And to take them one step further, I even gave them a Christmas makeover with these red and green stripes. I used edible color gels diluted with some water. You can use supermarket-brand water-based colors for this job. No big fuss with which colors to use here.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Dates – Date roll cookies can be made with dates, and yet, they can very well be made with figs, apricots, or prunes. You can use a combination of them, too!
- Macadamia – I used macadamia nuts this time. And yet, I often use pecans (my husband’s favorite nuts). While my mom made them with cashews or walnuts. So, you see the nut can be your choice too – told ya!!
- Consistency – While you can change the nuts and the fruit, the one thing you wanna make sure you do is to keep the ratio of fruit to nuts as 3:1, which means 3 parts fruit and one part nuts, more or less. As you will see in the video, these need to be rolled into logs so they can be then wrapped into the dough.
- Spices – For variation, you can add some Christmas spice to these. I don’t, and honestly, it’s just because mom didn’t. And yet, a mix of some warm spices such as ginger, cinnamon, or nutmeg would really add a lot to these cookies.
Step-by-step: Date roll cookies
Dough
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cornstarch, spices, and salt. Set aside.
- Dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. Combine well.
- Chill – Divide the dough into three and shape each into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or two until firm enough to roll.
Filling
- Nuts – In a food processor, pulse the nuts and spices to a coarse breadcrumb consistency. Set aside
- Dates – De-seed the dates and add them to the food processor. Pulse until broken into tiny pieces.
Pro tip – Use moist dates so the moisture will hold the nuts together, and you have a nice, moist filling. Alternatively, add one to two tablespoons of water if necessary. - Combine – Return the nuts back into the food processor with the dates. Pulse until it all comes together.
Pro tip – Take a little mixture into your hand, and you should be able to roll it into a ball. If not, pulse some more - Shape – Take a little date mixture into your hand – shape it into a ball, then roll it into a long rope (see video) – Set aside
Pro tip – You want a thin rope so the resulting cookies will be delicate and pretty. Do not make them very long – they are easier to handle in lengths of 10 to 15 inches.
Assemble
- Roll. – On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a sheet about 1/8 inch thick. Place one prepared date and nut rope/sausage on the sheet at one end.
Pro tip – If the dough is rolled too thick, the finished cookie, once filled, will look bulky. So keep the filling and dough thin - Shape – Use a tiny amount of water to help stick the dough together. Wrap the dough into a log. Cut it just where the seams meet and place the roll on a baking tray and into the fridge. Continue until you have used up all the dough or filling.
Pro tip – Don’t cut the rolls into smaller pieces now. Wait until they are chilled so you get sharp edges. These can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Oven – Preheat oven to 375°F/ 190°C / Gas Mark 5
- Cut – Once chilled, cut the rolls into two-inch pieces – I use a ruler so they are all the same size. Brush each roll with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Pro tip – Create red and green strips with food colors to give them a Christmas. - Bake- Transfer the baking trays to the oven on the middle rack and bake for about 9 to 10 minutes.
Pro tip – The cookies must not get any color. They will have a slight golden hue on the bottom but not on the top. Overbaking can make them hard.
- Cool – Leave them on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store – Cool completely before you place them in an airtight cookie jar. These will keep for a week at room temperature. Or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can even freeze them for a few months.
Tips for Success
- We use powdered sugar to ensure we have a smooth cookie dough
- Do not overmix the dough as it will not have a shortbread-like texture.
- This dough is soft and needs to be chilled. You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge
- Make sure the nuts are ground to a fine breadcrumb consistency. This will ensure you are able to make a pliable mixture with the dates.
- Roll the date and nut mixture into thin, long ropes or sausages.
- Roll the dough to a thin 1/8 inch thickness. Otherwise, the cookies will be very bulky.
- Cut the cookies into small 2-inch pieces.
- Bake them only until they have a light golden color on the bottom. The cookies must not overbake, or they will become hard.
Frequently asked questions
How long will these date roll cookies keep?
These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze the dough for up to a month or freeze the cookies for up to three months.
How long should you chill the dough before baking?
It is always a good practice to refrigerate cookies while the oven is preheating. Chilling cookie dough helps solidify the butter in the cookies. This helps when baking by preventing them from spreading since chilled dough takes longer to melt compared to room-temperature fat.
Is it ok to chill the cookie dough overnight? Do I have to make the cookies immediately?
These cookies have a good shelf life as dough as well as cookies.
The dough, if wrapped well, can usually stay in the fridge for 5 to 6 days before coating and baking.
You can also place the unbaked cookies on a parchment-lined tray, wrapped well with cling wrap, for about 3 to 4 days.
Date Roll Cookies
Shortbread cookie dough wrapped around a sweet filling made with dates and nuts is what makes these date roll cookies perfect for the holiday cookies platter. Today, I'm using macadamia, and yet, pecans or walnuts make an equally delicious combination with dates. Also, a few red and green stripes give this a festive look.
Video
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 1½ cup (180 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch or more flour
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Ground nutmeg
Date filing
- 4 oz (110 g) Macadamia or cashews, almonds, pecans, etc
- 10 oz (280 g) Medjool dates
- ¼ tsp Mixed spices optional – cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice
Eggwash
- ½ Egg
- 2 tbsp Water
Method
Dough
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt and spices. Set aside.1½ cup All-purpose flour, ½ tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon , ⅛ tsp Ground nutmeg, 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- Dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, and powdered sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. Combine well.1 cup Powdered sugar, ½ cup Unsalted butter, 1 large Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Chill – Divide the dough into three and shape each into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or two until firm enough to roll.
Filling
- Nuts – In a food processor, pulse the nuts and spices to a coarse breadcrumb consistency. Set aside4 oz Macadamia
- Dates – Deseed from the dates and add them to the food processor. Pulse until broken into tiny pieces. Pro tip – Use moist dates so the moisture will hold the nuts together and you have a nice moist filling. Alternatively, add one to two tablespoons of water if necessary.10 oz Medjool dates
- Combine – Return the nuts back into the food processor with the dates. Pulse until it all comes together. Pro tip – Take a little mixture into your hand, you should be able to roll it into a ball. If not, pulse some more¼ tsp Mixed spices
- Shape – Take a little date mixture into your hand – shape it into a ball then roll it into a long rope (see video) – Set asidePro tip – You want a thin rope so the resulting cookies will be delicate and pretty. Do not make them very long – they are easier to handle in lengths of 10 to 15 inches.
Assemble
- Roll. – On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a sheet about 1/8 inch thick. Place one prepared date and nut rope/sausage on the sheet at one end.Pro tip – if the dough is rolled too thick the finished cookie once filled will look bulky. So keep the filling and dough thin
- Shape – Use a tiny amount of water to help stick the dough together. Wrap the dough into a log. Cut it just where the seams meet and place the roll on a baking tray and into the fridge. Continue until you have used up all the dough or filling. Pro tip – Don't cut the rolls into smaller pieces now. Wait until they are chilled so you get sharp edges. These can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Oven – Preheat oven to 375°F/ 190°C / Gas Mark 5
- Cut – Once chilled, cut the rolls into two-inch pieces – I use a ruler so they are all same size. Brush each roll with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Pro tip – Create red and green strips with food colors to give them a Christmas.½ Egg , 2 tbsp Water
- Bake- Transfer the baking trays to the oven on the middle rack and in the for about 9 to 10 minutes. Pro tip – The cookies must not get any color. They will have a slight golden on the bottom but not on the top. Overbaking can make them hard.
- Cool – Leave them to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store – Cool completely before you place them in an airtight cookie jar. These will keep for a week at room temperature. Or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can even freeze them for a few months.
Notes
- We use powdered sugar to ensure we have a smooth cookie dough
- Do not overmix the dough as it will not have a shortbread-like texture.
- This dough is soft and needs to be chilled. You can make the dough for up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge
- Make sure the nuts are ground to fine breadcrumb consistency. This will ensure you are able to make a pliable mixture with the dates.
- Roll the date and nut mixture into thin long ropes or sausages.
- Roll the dough to a thin 1/8 inch thickness. Otherwise, the cookies will be very bulky.
- Cut the cookies into small 2-inch pieces.
- Bake them only until they have a light golden color on the bottom. The cookies must not overbake or they will become hard.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Christmas Collaboration
Since this month is all about the holidays, my food blogger friends and I thought we’d come up with some Christmas Cookies for you. Here are six festive cookies that are absolutely amazing. And they do include two no-bake cookies as well as a gluten-free cookie recipe in there.
Finally, here are the links to the rest of the cookies in the collage above
- Holiday White Chocolate Mini Popcorn Balls – by Gloria Duggan of Homemade & Yummy
- Gingerbread Cookies – by Melissa Radcliffe of My Wife Can Cook
- No-Bake Cinnamon Peanut Butter Cranberry Cookies – By Arlene Braun Mobley of Flour on my Face
- Gluten-Free Spiced Cookie Brittle – by Sarah Jane Parker of The Fit Cookie
- No-Bake Chocolate Cranberry Cookie – by Kirsten Burrows of Treat Yourself Sweeter.
And of course – My Macadamia Date Roll Cookies
Even though date roll cookies are not a tradition in my family, I appreciate them a lot. I have tried a few recipes before and all of them were great. But yours is definitely superior in so many different ways – looks like I’ve got something to try the following weekend! 😉
Thank you, April. I hope you try these.
I love all of your recipes but this one has captured my imagination and tempted my tastebuds. I’ve never seen a cookie quite like this one and I know I’m going to have to make it. The idea of a shortbread cookie with a delicious fruit nut filling is too good to pass up. Can’t wait to give it a try and I have to give them the Christmas stripes.
Thank you, Marisa. You will love this one.
These cookies are calling my name! I wish I had some with my morning coffee!
Thank you, Catalina.
The date rolls are so perfect for the holidays. I can’t wait to see if they will really crumble in our mouth. YUM! Thanks so much for the links to the rest of the cookies as well!
These are so delicious Jeannette. You must try.
These are so beautiful and festive looking!! I love that you used the gel colouring to add the Christmas effect to them, though they still look equally delicious without it! And with a date filling we can feel better eating them too!
Thank you, Melissa. Yes, I love the red and green stipes
Okay seriously… why have I never heard of this cookie?! I’m going to have to gather all the ingredients and make these roll cookies! This is so creative! LOVE!
You will so enjoy these very much Mahy. You must try
These look fantastic and look like a perfect cookie for an exchange I have planned in a few weeks!
Yes, perfect for cookie exchange
these are a diffinite WOW factor for holiday festive cookies and I am sure they didn’t last long when you made them!
Thank you, Claudia. Unfortunately, no they don’t’ last long
These cookies are just amazing and this is definitely going into my book to make next year for holidays. I love using dates in baking and love the idea of this gorgeous date filled cookies. My boys would have a blast baking these with me.
Me too Sandhya – I love making these for the holidays or other wise
I can’t wait to try these! 240 grams converts to 8.5 ounces which is 1 cup. Should I use 1 cup of flour or 2?
Donna… 1 cup flour = 125 grams so 2 cups = 250 grams Thanks
https://www.traditionaloven.com/culinary-arts/flours/all-purpose-flour/convert-measuring-cup-us-to-gram.html