Date Nut Cookies | Thumbprint Filled

These delicious thumbprint date nut cookies are such a great addition to any cookie platter! Perfectly sweet and so tasty that everyone will reach for these cookies first.

Oh my gosh, I love these delicious thumbprint date nut cookies so much!

If you’ve been reading this blog, you’ve probably guessed by now that I’m partial to dates. Well, these delicious date nut cookies are simply the best!  They’re soft and chewy circles of taste bud happiness.  And their wonderful flavor makes them a well loved taste treat.

I have never met a cookie that I didn’t like but these cookies are exceptional because they are so satisfying and delicious.  They are a great addition to any cookie platter. But, really who needs a holiday or event to eat these?

Not me!  That’s for sure.  In fact, I love these so much that I’m not going to tell a story but I’m going to get right into the recipe.  I’ve previously published these cookies but I’ve updated most of the photos and made the recipe even better!!

Here are some other cookies that are fabulous:

• Ginger molasses
• Oatmeal raisin
• Marshmallow filled chocolate

How to make Thumbprint Date Nut Cookies

First up are delicious dates.

I usually buy pitted dates to cook with, so that all I have to do, is chop them up before I gather the water and sugar.

I put those three ingredients in a pan and place them on the stove on medium high heat. When the mixture boils, I stir it every once in a while until it thickens.  It takes between 5 and 10 minutes.

I turn off the heat under the thickened date mixture, add some walnuts and set it aside.

Yum, right?

Time to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

I gather the sugars and softened butter and plop them in my black stand mixer.

I cream them together and add the following ingredients:

Amaretto liqueur, eggs and sour cream.

I turn on the mixer again and mix until the ingredients are incorporated.  The batter will be a little loose and will look like this:

Time for the dry ingredients.  I gather the sprouted spelt flour. (You can use any type, like white or wheat but I prefer spelt).  I also add some baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Then I pour all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with my trusty spatula.

I set out my cookie sheets.  Then I take a small amount of dough in my hands and roll it into a one inch ball.  I fill both of the sheets with these cute little rolly-pollies before I go on to the next step, which is to take my thumb and stick it in each ball.  You can wet your thumb with a little warm water if your fingers are sticking to the dough.

I then take a little teaspoon of the date mixture and place it into the thumbprint.

Cute Rolly-Pollies!

Don’t they look cute?  I wish they looked like this when you took them out of the oven just because of the cuteness!

Once I finish filling the thumbprints of all the dough balls, into the oven they go!

I bake them for 11 – 13 minutes until they are lightly browned.

Once out of the oven, I let them cool for five minutes before taking them off the cookie sheets and placing them onto wire racks.

Arial view of a plate of the cookies.

As I said before, these are soft cookies, so don’t expect a crunch to them.  And they are deeply satisfying to eat, especially if you love dates.

These cookies freeze well.  I usually freeze them in gallon plastic Ziploc bags with parchment paper between the layers.

Let’s look at another photo of the plated thumbprint date nut cookies.

Now all I have to do is plate them, pour myself some milk and DIG IN!

I hope you enjoyed this Delicious Thumbprint Date Nut Cookies recipe.  I bring these cookies to lots of functions and they get eaten quickly.  Everyone loves them!

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this date nut cookies or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

5 from 3 votes

Print

Date Nut Cookies | Thumbprint Filled

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

13 mins

Total Time

28 mins

 

These soft chewy cookies are delicious and so easy to make. A real favorite to all who eat them!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Keyword: date nut cookies

Servings: 48 Cookies

Calories: 145 kcal

Author: Elaine Benoit

Ingredients

Date Mixture:

• 2 cups dates pitted, chopped
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped

Cookie Mixture:

• 2 sticks butter room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar loosely packed
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 ounce amaretto
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Chop the dates and place them in a saucepan
2. Add sugar and water
3. Set heat to medium/high and bring mixture to a boil, stir until thickened 5 - 10 minutes
4. Once thickened, turn off heat and add walnuts
5. Stir and set aside
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
7. In mixer, place butter and brown sugar and mix until creamed
8. Add sour cream, amaretto and eggs
9. Mix until incorporated
10. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix until incorporated
11. Take small amount of dough in your hand and roll into 1 inch balls
12. Place balls on cookie sheets
13. Stick thumb in each ball and fill the thumbprint with the date mixture
14. Place cookie sheets in the oven
15. Bake for 11 - 13 minutes until lightly brown
16. Let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before removing to wire racks
17. Place a few cookies on a plate
18. Pour yourself some milk
19. Chomp into one cookie
20. Smile
21. Enjoy

Recipe Notes

Makes 4 dozen

Nutrition Facts

Date Nut Cookies | Thumbprint Filled

Amount Per Serving (2 cookies)

Calories 145 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 18mg6%

Sodium 99mg4%

Potassium 58mg2%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 140IU3%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 12mg1%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.