Date cookies are one of the easiest holiday cookies we make. They sound like they might be too sweet, but the crisped rice cereal and pecans add a nice crunch that breaks up the density of the dates.
Jump to RecipeThey look fancy and contain “exotic” ingredients, but they require minimum effort.
These Cookies Are Gluten-Free (Sometimes)
You can make these date cookies gluten-free by using gluten-free crisp rice cereal. Maybe you didn’t know this but not all rice cereal is gluten-free. That’s because the malt syrup used to make some cereals contains gluten.
Health Benefits Come with Date Cookies
Dates are one of those wonderful foods full of fiber and antioxidants.
At 7 grams of fiber for a 3.5 oz. serving, dates are considered a good fiber source. This can help prevent sugar spikes because the fiber regulates how fast sugar is absorbed by the body. (That’s one reason why you should eat sweets in conjunction with a meal containing fiber and fats, if you choose to eat sweets.)
So, if you are looking for the biggest cookie bang for your buck, give these a try!
Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pitted dates, chopped
- 1 c. sugar
- ½ c. butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 c. crisp rice cereal
- ½ c. pecans, chopped
- ½ c. coconut, flaked
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and remove from heat.
- Stir in dates, sugar, and then beaten egg. Mix well.
- Return pan to low heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. (If mixture is too thick to boil, just continue to heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.)
- Cool mixture for a few minutes, then stir in cereal and pecans.
- When mixture is cool enough to handle, place coconut on a small plate. Form date mixture into 1-inch size balls and roll in coconut (optional).
- Allow date cookies to continue cooling and setting. Once they are firm, store in cookie tins until ready to serve.
For more holiday treats, try our gluten-free butter cookies.