These Peanut Butter Date Cookies are free from refined sugars, free from stevia and other sweeteners, and are full of texture, warm spice, chunky dates and creamy peanut butter. They are easy to make and a great alternative to store bought cookies. They’re soft, filling and are a real crowd pleaser, perfect for lunchboxes, morning coffee, high tea and picnics.
There are three types of flour in this recipe: Plain Flour, Wholemeal Flour and Almond Meal. I find that using this combination results in a texture that is not too smooth, not too crumbly and not too tough. If you can use all three flours, I would recommend it as opposed to just using one type as you’ll get a better and tastier end result.
Essentials for Making Peanut Butter Date Cookies
- A good quality natural or sugar free peanut butter. These are the ones I use here and here. Most supermarkets tend to sell natural and sugar free peanut butters.
- Medjool dates. You can buy these from most supermarkets. I prefer these over other types of dates because they taste better, are softer and chewier. They also provide just the right amount of sweetness.
- Butter, eggs and milk to create a rich, moist, chewy cookie
- I kept it simple for this recipe with ground cinnamon and ground cloves to create a warming spice combination with just a hint of Christmas.
- And of course the flours. Three of them: Plain Flour, Wholemeal Flour and Almond Meal
TIP: This recipe typically makes 12 good sized cookies, however to make them go further you could try making mini cookies so you get 24, instead of 12.
Other Spice/flavour Combinations for Peanut Butter Date Cookies
Instead of cinnamon and cloves, why not swap for some of these
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 3 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste
- 3 teaspoons of ground mixed spice or ground all spice
- 2 tablespoons of orange rind
- 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and a drop or two of rosewater
Tip: It’s easy to make a half batch of regular sized cookies (makes 6), or a half batch of mini cookies (makes 12) as this cookie dough freezes well. Freeze half for later, make half now.
These cookies are best stored in an air tight container at room temperature for a few days….if they last that long. You just can’t go wrong with a peanut butter cookie sweetened with dates and once you’ve made this recipe you’ll realise just how versatile it can be if you choose to experiment with other spice and flavour combinations.
Here’s a list to get your tastebuds tingling!
- Peanut butter, date and ginger cookies.
- Peanut butter, date and orange cookies.
- Peanut butter, date and vanilla cookies.
- Peanut butter and date Christmas cookies.
Bringing these creations to life, is now over to you.
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Peanut Butter Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Plain Flour
- ½ cup Wholemeal flour
- ½ cup Almond meal
- ½ teaspoon Bicarb soda
- 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground cloves
- Pinch of sea salt
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup No added sugar Peanut Butter
- 1 cup Medjool dates (soften to room temperature and finely chopped)
- 2 – 3 tablespoons Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan forced), 350 degrees C (fan forced).
- In a medium bowl, add the plain flour, wholemeal flour, almond meal, bicarb, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and sea salt. Mix together thoroughly with a spoon.
- In another mixing (large) bowl, add the softened butter. Use an electric hand beater on high to beat until fluffy.
- Add the peanut butter and egg to the butter and mix again with the electric beaters until all combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, along with the dates. Stir with a spoon until it starts to come together.
- Add two tablespoons of milk and use your hands to knead it into a cookie dough. If it’s not moist enough, add 1 more tablespoon of milk to form a solid cookie dough
- Break the cookie dough in half, then in half again so you have 4 pieces. Take each piece and make 3 gold sized balls so that you have 12 balls in total. Arrange 6 balls evenly on 2 baking trays, lined with baking/parchment paper.
- Use back of fork to push down and flatten cookie balls to about 0.5 of a cm thick in the shape of a round disk. Use your fingers to push together the dough around the edges of the disk if it starts to split. Use fork in a crossways/crosshatch pattern to achieve flat level discs.
- Bake cookies for 13 minutes in oven, then remove, let sit for 5 mins. Use a spatula to transfer each cookie to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- Store cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Nutrition
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