Oatmeal Date Cookies | Valerie’s Kitchen

These soft and chewy Oatmeal Date Cookies are the perfect blend of wholesome oats, sweet dates, and the rich, nutty flavor of coconut.

If you love this recipe, you also love my Chewy Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Cookies and Date Pinwheel Cookies.

Once upon a time, I was the lucky recipient of an 11 pound box of dates from an extremely generous owner of a local produce market. As I lugged the box back to my car I really had no idea what I’d do with them.

On my quest for date recipes, this Oatmeal Date Cookie recipe was sent my way and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I knew from the list of ingredients that this recipe would be a winner and boy was I right! These cookies are insanely good.

The dates just melt into the cookie as they bake and give them a sweet, chewy goodness. The addition of chopped walnuts and coconut add flavor and additional texture. And, I was thrilled with how they kept their shape after baking and stay incredibly moist and chewy for days.

Ingredient Notes

• Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, quick cooking or old fashioned oats.
• Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
• Wet ingredients: An egg and pure vanilla extract.
• Dates: You can use any variety of dates but I love large, soft Medjool dates for baking.
• Nuts: Chopped walnuts.
• Coconut: Sweetened flaked coconut adds such great flavor to these cookies!

How to Make Oatmeal Date Cookies

1. Butter and sugar mixture: Using a hand or stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
2. Dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined.
3. Remaining ingredients: In a separate small bowl, combine the oats, dates, walnuts, and coconut.
4. Finish the dough: Add the oat and date mixture and mix it into the dough until well combined.

1. Scoop: Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough and then transfer it to your hands and roll into a neat ball. Place the balls on a parchment paper lined or ungreased baking sheet leaving a couple of inches in between each cookie.
2. Bake: Bake the cookies at 375 degrees F for 8 to 9 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes then transfer them to a wire rack too cool completely.

Storage Tips

This recipe makes enough to share with friends, neighbors, co-workers, postal workers, your kids’ teachers, the gardener, random people passing by your house. You get the point.

Even if you decide to keep them all to yourself, I predict they won’t last long. Just be sure to follow the storage tips below to keep them at their best.

Room Temperature: Allow your Oatmeal Date Cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing. This prevents condensation inside the airtight storage container, which can make the cookies soggy. These cookies are best stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place.

Freezing: For longer storage, these cookies freeze well. Place the cookies in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags and store them in the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature.

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Adapted from Off the Meat Hook

This post was originally published on May 22, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.