This Spiced Date Nut Bread is a quick-to-prepare bread that is great for both snacks and dessert. Deliciously spiced and mildly sweet in every bite --- and don't forget the nuts in there! Yum!
It's an excellent all-around bread.
Serve it on its own with coffee for a light dessert or afternoon break. Or enjoy it with a spread of butter for breakfast.
The perfect balance of the spices and sugar in every slice of this delicious bread makes it a great snack any time of the day.
IF YOU WANT MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Sugar - any type of brown sugar is excellent for this nut bread recipe. For reference, I always use demerara because that is what I have on hand.
- Dried dates - chopped into bits.
- Walnuts - roughly chopped.
- Baking soda & powder - just use your favorite brand.
- Egg - at room temperature and about 63 to 73 grams.
- Butter - unsalted and softened.
- Flour - all-purpose flour is all you need for this recipe.
- Milk - full cream milk, if possible.
- Salt - you might need to skip this if you are using salted butter.
- Spices - a mix of cinnamon powder, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.
Preparation
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Grease your loaf pan with butter, dust it with some flour, then set aside.
Using a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the following: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt (photo 1).
On a separate and larger mixing bowl, cream brown sugar with softened butter, and add egg (photo 2).
Mix for about three minutes, then pour milk and continue mixing.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined (photo 3).
Add the chopped dates and walnuts in batches while gently mixing with a rubber spatula (photo 4).
Transfer the spiced bread batter into the prepared loaf pan (photo 5).
Use an angled spatula to even the top (photo 6).
Place the pan in the lower part of the oven for fifty to fifty-five minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry when you test with it.
Set aside for at least twenty minutes to cool.
Now your spiced date bread is ready for serving --- so slice and enjoy!
Helpful tips
- It's a mildly sweet bread, so add two to three tablespoons of sugar if you like it on the sweeter side.
- Make sure that you add the dates and nuts in batches. It makes it easier to combine them evenly and gently.
- Do not hesitate to cover the top with aluminum foil if you feel it's getting dark too quickly.
Recipe variation
- Other types of nuts. I have tried hazelnuts and pecans, and both turned out well. You can even mix them if that's what you prefer.
- Other spices. You can add more spices; you just need to adjust the quantity of each one; the total amount should still be two teaspoons.
- White sugar. You can use half brown sugar and half white sugar; that's perfectly fine.
FAQs
If you keep it at room temperature, it should be suitable for 1 to 2 days.
Keeping it in the refrigerator, however, will make it last for about a week.
Absolutely.
Make sure you wrap it tightly with a plastic cover, then place it in the freezer. It be good for 2 to 2 & 1/2 months.
This nut bread is so flavorful that it's great eaten on its own.
However, it's also mildly sweet that it goes so well with butter or a thin layer of jam.
Give it a try with your favorite spread, and let me know!
Happy coooking!
YOU WANT MORE EASY-TO-PREPARE DESSERTS? THEN CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!
Spiced Date Nut Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp butter (30 grams), unsalted and softened
- 1 medium egg, room temperature
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup dried dates, chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped, heaping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease the loaf pan with butter and dust it with some flour. Set aside.
- Combine the following in a medium-sized mixing bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.
- Using a separate (and larger) mixing bowl, cream brown sugar with softened butter.
- Add egg and mix for about 3 minutes.
- Pour milk and continue mixing.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined.
- Add the chopped dates and walnuts in batches while gently mixing with a rubber spatula.
- Transfer the spiced nut bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Use an angled spatula to even the top.
- Place the pan in the lower part of the oven for 50 to 55 minutes; or until a toothpick comes out dry when you insert it.
- Set aside for at least 20 minutes to cool.
- Slice and serve your spiced date nut bread.
Notes
- Cook's Tip #1: It's a mildly sweet bread, so add two to three tablespoons of sugar if you like it on the sweeter side.
- Cook's Tip #2: Remember to add the dates and nuts in batches. It makes it easier to combine them evenly and gently.
- Cook's Tip #3: If you feel that the top of the bread is getting dark too quickly, do not hesitate to cover it with aluminum foil.
- Variation #1: Other nuts - hazelnuts and pecans are excellent with this date nut bread recipe. You can even mix them if that's your preference.
- Variation #2: Other spices - you can add more spices if you like. Just remember to adjust the quantity of each one since the total amount should still be two teaspoons.
- Variation #3: White sugar. You can use half brown sugar and half white sugar; that's perfectly fine. Note that this will result in a lighter-colored date nut bread as well.
Leave a Reply