Dried dates are an underappreciated ingredient in many homes. After all, who wants to eat dried fruit when chocolate, peanut butter, and frosting are available? However, dates are just as delicious as any other treat you can make, with an extra dash of nutrition.
I didn’t start really loving dates until I was pregnant with my first son. At 40 weeks pregnant, I was ready to just have this baby already. (Little did I know what that would really mean at the time). My midwife recommended that I eat dates as a natural way to induce labor. On the way home from my midwife appointment, I grabbed a few containers of dates from the local grocery store and headed home. Two weeks later, I got to meet my son.
Combined with a healthy dose of oatmeal and fiber, these cookies are delicious to make on a Sunday afternoon to keep in the house throughout the week. You can choose to make them as more of a thumbprint cookie like I did or use the date filling as more of a topping. The best part of baking is getting to customize the recipe each time you make it.
Ingredients for Date Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup tap water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups oatmeal
How to Make Date Oatmeal Cookies
Cook dates, sugar, and water together in a small pot on low heat until smooth and thick. In a separate bowl mix flour and brown sugar. Add sifted all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Add oatmeal and mix well. Add just enough water form into a dough. Put 2 inch round pieces of dough on greased baking sheet. Make an indentation on top of each cookie and put some of the date filling on it. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until browned.
