Date sugar-free cookies: sweet and wholesome, perfect for both grown-ups and little ones. This recipe was born from a simple, loving idea: to make a cookie for my niece, who is still self-weaning and cannot eat salt or sugar. But could Aunt Debby give up baking a homemade treat for her? Of course not! So I decided to create naturally sweet cookies by replacing sugar with dates, a wonderful, energy-rich fruit. Dates contain fiber, minerals, and natural sugars that give the dough a soft, delicate sweetness without the need for refined sugars. I took my classic shortcrust recipe and adapted it to make it lighter and suitable for small children too. The result is wholesome cookies with a tempting aroma and a soft texture, which were loved not only by my niece… but by all of us adults who couldn’t resist trying them!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 25 cookies
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 95.20 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.21 (g) of which sugars 5.28 (g)
- Proteins 1.60 (g)
- Fat 3.61 (g) of which saturated 2.24 (g)of which unsaturated 1.27 (g)
- Fibers 0.85 (g)
- Sodium 3.87 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 30 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 7 oz pitted dates
- 7 tbsp water (lukewarm)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 7 tbsp butter (soft)
Steps
To make my date sugar-free cookies I started by soaking the pitted dates in water for about 10 minutes so they would soften well. Once ready, I removed any remaining pits and blended them together with about 7 tbsp of lukewarm water, obtaining a smooth, thick cream similar to date paste.
In a bowl I combined the flour and cornstarch, then added the egg, the softened butter and the date cream, beginning to knead by hand. The dough is soft and slightly sticky, but don’t worry: after resting it will be perfect to work with.
I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about half an hour, but you can leave it longer if you prefer.
After resting, I slightly wet my hands under running water and formed small balls, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I baked the cookies at 356°F for about 20 minutes, until they took on a nice golden color. Once out of the oven, I let them cool for a few minutes… and I must say the aroma immediately won over the whole family! Soft, sweet and wholesome: perfect for a healthy snack, even for the little ones.
