A moist, rich date nut bread recipe that will have everyone going back for “just one more slice!” This quick bread has the flavor of sticky toffee pudding and the texture of chocolate chip banana bread.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Servings
12 slices
Difficulty
Easy, with straightforward mixing and a longer bake time.
Calories *
317 kcal per serving
Technique
Soften dates in hot coffee, mix a quick bread batter, and bake until deeply moist and tender.
Flavor Profile
Rich and cozy with caramel-like dates, warm spices, toasted walnuts, and sticky-toffee-pudding vibes.
* Based on nutrition panel
This bread tastes exactly like sticky toffee pudding but in loaf form! The coffee and dates create the most amazing flavor. I’ve already made it twice this week. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lauren
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- It tastes like sticky toffee pudding in bread form. The combination of dates, coffee, and brown sugar creates that unmistakable complex caramel flavor. If you love sticky toffee pudding, you need this bread in your life!
- Incredibly moist and stays fresh for days. Thanks to the coconut oil, buttermilk, and dates, this bread stays perfectly moist for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- A brilliant use for dates. If you have a bag of Medjool dates sitting in your pantry, wondering what to do with them, this is your answer. You should also check out these peanut butter banana energy bites!
- Not overly sweet. Unlike many date breads, this recipe is balanced and not cloying. It’s perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or a light dessert — especially if you love cozy, not-too-sweet bakes like cinnamon plum baked oatmeal.
Table of Contents
This date nut bread recipe was adapted from my apple bread recipe, using a similar approach to keeping the sweetness balanced while maximizing moisture and flavor. The addition of hot coffee and baking soda is a technique borrowed from sticky toffee pudding that transforms the dates into a luscious, almost caramel-like mixture.
This bread is perfect with your morning coffee or an afternoon pick-me-up! I always have this bread or these sourdough blueberry muffins in my freezer for snacking emergencies. If you have more juicy dates you are looking to use, check out these old fashioned date pinwheel cookies!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Medjool Dates: Use soft, fresh Medjool dates for the best flavor and texture. They should be plump and slightly sticky. Deglet Noor dates can work in a pinch, but won’t be quite as sweet or soft.
- Brewed Coffee: Hot coffee helps soften the dates and adds incredible depth of flavor. Use your favorite brewed coffee or even espresso. If you don’t drink coffee, you can substitute hot water, though you’ll lose some of that rich, complex flavor.
- Coconut Oil: I use organic extra-virgin coconut oil in quick breads like this and vegan banana bread because it yields a moist, tender crumb! You can also substitute melted butter or a neutral vegetable oil.
- Dark Brown Sugar: The molasses in dark brown sugar adds moisture and a deeper flavor that pairs beautifully with dates. Light brown sugar will also work.
- Buttermilk: Low-fat buttermilk keeps this bread incredibly tender, just like my banana bran muffins. If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to ¼ cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Variations for Date Nut Bread
- Change the nuts: Swap the walnuts for chopped pecans, peanuts, or macadamia nuts. Toast them first for even better flavor.
- Add chocolate chips: Chocolate chips and quick bread go hand in hand, just like this chocolate chip zucchini bread. Fold in chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate for a decadent twist.
- Make date nut muffins: Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups and bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes.
- Try different mix-ins: Add dried figs, raisins, or chopped dried apricots along with the dates. You could also fold in shredded coconut.
- Change the spice: You can make this quick bread with apple pie spice or speculoos spice mix recipe.
Professional Tips
- Don’t skip soaking the dates in hot coffee. This step is crucial. The hot liquid and baking soda work together to break down the dates.
- Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Fold just until no dry flour remains.
- Leave undisturbed for 45 minutes. Keep the oven door closed so the crumb can properly set.
- Let it cool before slicing. Allow the bread to cool at least 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Use a serrated knife for clean slices. This prevents squishing the tender crumb.
How to Make Date Nut Bread
Use these instructions to make incredibly moist date nut bread! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat and prep the pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F conventional. Spray a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2: Soak the dates. If necessary, remove the pits and chop the dates. In a large bowl, combine the chopped dates, hot brewed coffee, coconut oil, and baking soda. Stir, then let the mixture sit while you prep the other ingredients (photos 1 & 2).
You want the coffee to be freshly brewed or reheated so it can soften the dates properly.
Step 3: Mix wet ingredients. Once the coffee mixture has cooled to warm to the touch, add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well combined (photo 3).
Make sure the mixture isn’t too hot, or you can cook the eggs. Adding the sugars and buttermilk first helps cool it down.
Step 4: Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger (photo 4).
Step 5: Fold together. Pour the dry ingredients into the date mixture and fold with a silicone spatula just until combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts (photos 5 & 6).
Step 6: Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few clinging crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil after 45 minutes (photo 7).
Step 7: Cool and serve. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice with a serrated knife and serve (photo 8).
Recipe FAQs
Store cooled date nut bread well wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days. The bread actually stays incredibly moist thanks to the dates, buttermilk, and coconut oil. For more extended storage, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. This bread also makes a wonderful make-ahead treat, especially during the holidays — if you love gifting baked goods, you might also enjoy these jar recipes for gifts!
That’s the magic of combining dates, coffee, dark brown sugar, and baking soda! The reaction creates complex flavors similar to sticky toffee pudding, which many people describe as having a brandy or rum-like depth, even though there’s no alcohol in the recipe.
The dates provide natural sweetness, so this bread isn’t overly sweet to begin with. However, you could reduce the granulated sugar slightly if you prefer. I wouldn’t recommend reducing the amount of brown sugar, as it contributes to both flavor and moisture.
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but you could try substituting a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. The results may vary slightly in texture.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Date Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups medjool dates, pitted and chopped (approximately 20)
- 1 cup brewed coffee, hot
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup low-fat buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F conventional. Spray a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- If necessary, remove the pits and chop the dates. In a large bowl, combine the chopped dates, hot brewed coffee, coconut oil, and baking soda. Stir and let this mixture sit while you prep the other ingredients. The dates will soften, and the mixture will become fragrant.
- Once the coffee mixture has cooled until it is warm to the touch, add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold with a silicone spatula just until combined. Don’t overmix! Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly with your spatula. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with a few clinging crumbs and the center provides a little resistance when touched lightly. If the top is browning too quickly, tent it with foil after 45 minutes.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Presentation – Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing, so the crumb can set and you get the most beautiful slice.
Variations – If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water, though you’ll lose some depth of flavor.
Storage – Store well wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days, for longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this date nut bread recipe. Check out all our quick bread recipes for more easy baking inspiration like these lemon poppy seed muffins!
This bread tastes exactly like sticky toffee pudding but in loaf form! The coffee and dates create the most amazing flavor. I’ve already made it twice this week.
I love this bread! Just made it last night, it’s perfect as a breakfast on the go. Definitely a comforting fall/winter recipe. I used molasses instead of brown sugar, and it may seem a bit too molassesy (if that’s a word) to some, the flavour definitely comes through when you try it. The addition of walnuts as the “nutmeat” contributed to a nice texture. Unlike many quick breads, this one is firm and doesn’t crumble easily, which I like too.
Julie — Glad you liked it! 🙂