These rolled date cookies are my favorite cookies of all time! These are made with buttery shortcrust pastry, filled with date paste, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts, and topped with powder sugar that makes these cookies irresistible.
If you don’t like dates, you can replace the filling with Nutella or with your favorite chocolate spread, they taste amazing both ways!
My mom made these cookies since I was a little kid, these cookies always disappeared in a day, too irresistible.
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Ingredients
Before you start to make this date roll cookies recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, cake flour will work great as well.
Baking powder- to help the cookies rise a bit.
Powder sugar- for a smoother dough, sift it before adding it to the butter.
Vanilla extract- for extra flavor.
Orange juice- fresh orange juice is the secret ingredient to making the butter dough so flavorful and delicious. If you don’t have fresh oranges, you can use store-bought orange juice and it should work great as well.
Butter- make sure you are using room temperate butter. We used unsalted butter for this recipe.
Vegetable oil- we used vegetables for this recipe, but canola oil can work great as well.
Egg yolk- you will need one egg yolk. Preferably at room temperature.
Instructions
Start by adding the dry ingredient to a large mixing bowl. (you can do this process in a food processor as well)
Add the flour, baking powder, powder sugar, salt, and mix with a whisk.
Add the vanilla extract, orange juice, egg yolk, soften butter, and vegetable oil, and mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands until you get a smooth dough texture.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a medium-sized bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
Preheat an oven to 170c (340f) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the bowl from the fridge and place the dough on a clean lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into 3 even pieces. Let the other pieces rest in the fridge until you make the dough roll.
Start rolling the dough with a wooden rolling pin into a rectangle shape, cutting the edges if needed. Spread an even layer of the date paste on top of the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top and chopped walnuts.
Gently roll out the dough as you would do with a cinnamon roll. Transfer the dough roll onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Cut the roll into even 1-inch thick slices. Bake the cookies in a preheated 170c (350f) oven for 25-30 minutes.
Take the cookies out of the oven and cool for 30 minutes, then sprinkle powder sugar on top and serve.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overbake these cookies. You don't want to dry out these cookies.
- Chill for half an hour before eating. After baking these cookies, take them out of the oven and let them cool for at least 30 minutes. Then powder them with powder sugar.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the dough. You don't want to develop the gluten in this dough to prevent these cookies from being dry.
- Add less sugar for less sweet cookies. If you like your cookies less sweet, decrease the sugar in the recipe.
Faq's
These cookies taste like melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies that are filled with date spread that fits perfectly, then you taste the cinnamon and the chopped walnuts, and everything melts in your mouth to perfection.
These cookies will last for up to a week stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the freezer placed in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months.
We use all-purpose flour for these cookies. Cake flour will work great as well.
Storing
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Freezing
There are two ways to freeze these cookies, first way is to prepare the cookies according to the instructions, before baking, freeze them in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
when ready to bake, place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven according to the instructions.
The second way you can freeze these cookies is by baking them according to the instructions, letting the cookies cool completely, and freezing them in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months.
When ready to use, heat in a preheated oven for 5 minutes, or defrost them overnight in the fridge.
Substitutions
Dairy-free - If you are dairy-free, replace the butter with vegan butter or plant-based butter. Do not use margarine. It will change the flavor of these cookies and leave a weird taste. Also, use vegan cookies and cream chocolate.
Variations
Spread- use your favorite spread for these cookies like Nutella, peanut butter, chocolate spread, biscoff butter, etc.
More cookies recipes
Brown butter chocolate chunk cookies- These brown butter chocolate chunk cookies are the most amazing cookies. They are filled with nutty brown butter, and chocolate chunks, and topped with flaky salt.
Chewy chocolate chip cookies- These chewy chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and loaded with chocolate chips. This chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe is our dream dessert that we never get sick of.
M&M cookies- These m&m cookies are chewy, soft, crispy edges, and loaded with chocolate chunks and m&m’s. These are the perfect holiday cookies, you can make them big or small.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe:
📖 Recipe
Rolled Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups Flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 tablespoon Powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ cup Orange juice
- 200 g Butter
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 Egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Filling:
- 450 g Date paste
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 cup Walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Start by adding the dry ingredient to a large mixing bowl. (you can do this process in a food processor as well)
- Add the flour, baking powder, powder sugar, salt, and mix with a whisk.
- Add the vanilla extract, orange juice, and the egg yolk, soften butter, vegetable oil, and mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands until you get a smooth dough texture.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it in a medium-size bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Preheat an oven to 170c (340f) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the bowl from the fridge and place the dough on a clean lightly floured surface.
- Divide the dough into 3 even pieces. Let the other pieces rest in the fridge until you make the dough roll.
- Start rolling the dough with a wooden rolling pin into a rectangle shape, cutting the edges if needed. Spread an even layer of the date paste on top of the dough.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon on top and chopped walnuts.
- Gently roll out the dough as you would do with a cinnamon roll. Transfer the dough roll onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Cut the roll into even 1-inch thick slices. Bake the cookies in a preheated 170c (350f) oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and cool for 30 minutes, then sprinkle powder sugar on top and serve.
Sonia
I made this recipe exactly as written and the cookies turned out really well. Everyone loved them.
Mary
Taste is phenomenal. I didn't look at all the pics first so put them on their sides like cinnamon rolls. The bottom of them got too brown. Second pan wen in on side as per picture. Worked great. Yummy cookies. Thanks
( Check the powdered sugar info - you call it confessional sugar - thanks for the giggle. I have to confess after eating sugar, too.)
Hessa
I tried it yesterday.. it was beyond perfection, i added the recipe to my reading list to avoid loosing it 😍😍 thank you for such a great recipe, I can’t wait to try the others, any recommendations for the next recipe?
RichandDelish
Ahhh I'm so glad you liked it! These are one of my faves! You can try our honey cake next! It is very easy to make and so delish! https://richanddelish.com/moist-honey-cake-recipe/
Lynn
Can I use lemon instead of orange?
RichandDelish
Yep!
Joe
These cookies are so yummy! Loved this recipe.
Elaine
Can I substitute Fig Preserves for the dates?
RichandDelish
Hi Elaine! I never tried that before, but let me know how it turns out!
hoy
Recipe for date paste?
RichandDelish
Hi Hoy! We have a date paste recipe! https://richanddelish.com/date-paste/