Date Cookies with Pistachios

These simple, one-bowl date cookies deliver an irresistible flavor combination of sweet dates, nutty pistachios, and fruity olive oil. They bake up soft and chewy with crispy edges. 

As a professional baker, I constantly answer the question, “What’s your favorite thing to bake?” And without a doubt, my answer is always cookies. Their very nature makes them the perfect size for a small treat that’s also easy to share with friends.

They’re quick to mix and bake, but best of all, they’re incredibly versatile. I can easily experiment with newly discovered ingredients, remake old favorites like baci de dama or ricciarelli, or try out my latest craving in my next batch. So when I craved the combination of sweet, chewy dates and beautifully green, crunchy pistachios, I turned to my favorite dessert.

The dough comes together in one bowl, with no mixer required. Olive oil lends its distinctive flavor and health properties, and it also means there’s no need to wait for butter to soften to mix the dough. 

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients for Date Pistachio Cookies
2. How to Make Date Pistachio Cookies
3. The Best Dates for Cookies
4. Ways to Make These Cookies Your Own
5. What to Serve with Date Pistachio Cookies 
6. How to Store Date Cookies
7. More Date-Sweetened Treats
8. Date Cookies with Pistachios Recipe

Ingredients for Date Pistachio Cookies

This one-bowl date cookie recipe calls for pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Dates are naturally sweet with caramel notes. I buy pitted dates and chop them finely. If your dates are too dry (they may have some crystallized sugar on the outside and feel hard), soften them in a bowl with boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pistachios add a pleasant crunch to the cookies. You can buy them already roasted or toast them yourself. 
• Extra virgin olive oil gives these cookies crispy edges and a chewy center, plus a fruity olive oil flavor. Compared to a cookie dough made with butter, the dough might seem a little softer and have a noticeable sheen, but it will scoop and bake similarly.
  • READ MORE: A Comprehensive Guide to Baking With Olive Oil
  • TRY IT: High-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oils from The Mediterranean Dish Shop 
• Brown sugar adds sweetness and a rich caramel flavor that complements the dates. Both light and dark brown sugar will yield a similar texture in the cookies. For a light caramel flavor opt for light brown sugar and for a richer flavor opt for dark brown sugar.
• Granulated sugar not only sweetens the cookies but helps them spread just the right amount while baking.
• Honey: A tablespoon of honey might not seem like much, but it adds a floral flavor and helps the cookies maintain their soft and chewy texture for longer. The orange blossom aroma of Italian citrus honey is a perfect match with dates and pistachios, but any floral honey will do. 
• Egg adds structure to the cookie dough. 
• Flour: I like a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour in these cookies. The whole wheat flour adds a nutty flavor, along with the health benefits of whole grains.
• Baking soda reacts with the acid in brown sugar and honey, causing the cookies to rise without making them too cakey.
• Cinnamon adds some comforting spice and pairs well with the dates’ caramel flavor.
• Salt enhances the other flavors in the cookies and balances the sweetness.

How to Make Date Pistachio Cookies

These date and pistachio cookies take just 10 minutes to mix and 10 minutes to bake. Even though the dough has no butter, I still like to chill it for 30 minutes before baking. This rest allows the flour to hydrate, helping the cookies bake better and giving them a nicer texture. Here’s how to make them:

• Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup (107g) light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 large egg. 
• Add the dry ingredients: Add the 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup (85g) whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Add 1/2 cup (75g) chopped dates and 1/2 cup (60g) chopped toasted pistachios and fold until evenly distributed through the cookie dough.
• Chill: Cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
• Bake: Scoop cookies with a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoon portions). Space them 3 inches apart on the lined baking trays. Bake the trays one at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden and the middle starts to lose its sheen.
• Cool: Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

The Best Dates for Cookies

Dates are tropical fruits that grow on date palms. When dried, their natural sweetness concentrates into soft, chewy, caramelly goodness. They’re high in antioxidants and fiber, making them a low-glycemic food.

The most common dates for baking are Medjool and Deglet Noor. Medjool dates are larger and have a softer, fudgier texture. Deglet Noor dates are chewier and firmer.

I prefer Deglet Noor dates in these cookies, as Medjool dates are more challenging to cut nicely and tend to melt into the dough more. Deglet dates are more manageable to chop, they retain more texture in the baked cookie, and they have a nuttier flavor. That being said either one will work.

Ways to Make These Cookies Your Own

The great thing about drop cookies is that you can customize the mix-ins for whatever you’re craving. For example, as a bit of an indulgence, I sometimes use dark chocolate chips instead of the pistachios, inspired by Date Bars with Chocolate & Tahini. Here are some more ideas for swaps you can try:

• Swap the pistachios: Try walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, shredded coconut or even chunks of diced halvah.
• Replace the dates: Use raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or dried cherries.
• Try a different spice or flavoring: Instead of or in addition to the cinnamon, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, or the zest of one orange.

What to Serve with Date Pistachio Cookies 

My favorite way to eat these cookies is to dip them in my afternoon cup of coffee. If you’re not a coffee drinker, they taste fantastic with a hot cup of Arabic tea. 

If you’re having company, make a dessert tray with a few different treats to snack on, such as Greek sesame candy, and candied almonds.

How to Store Date Cookies

Once baked, these date cookies will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them in an airtight container and defrost them at room temperature. 

You can also store the dough unbaked in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and bake a few cookies at a time. Alternatively, divide the dough into 2 tablespoon portions, freeze them and then bake them from frozen whenever you’d like a sweet treat. You may need to add a minute or two to the bake time. 

More Date-Sweetened Treats

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Maamoul (Date Filled Cookies)

Desserts

Chocolate Covered Date Recipe With Almonds

Breakfast

Tahini Date Shake

Appetizer and Mezze

Easy Stuffed Dates

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