Pecan Date Cookies With Browned Butter Icing
Published: November 18, 2018 · Modified: November 7, 2022
These Pecan Date Cookies with Browned Butter Icing are a great cookie recipe to make for the holidays. Hidden in the center of each soft cookie is a pecan stuffed date, and they are glazed in a delicious browned butter icing. Absolutely delicious!
These delicious Pecan Date Cookies are one of many delicious goodies my mother made at Christmas. The first time I ate one of these special little cookies, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the taste of a date inside of a cookie, much less a date stuffed with a pecan. OMG! The first cookie led to the second and the third and so forth.
The cookies themselves are like tender little cakes, then tucked inside is a pecan stuffed date, and finally, they are coated with a thin icing made of browned butter and powdered sugar. I call these cookies special holiday cookies. They certainly aren’t your everyday cookie.
Let’s Talk about nuts and dates
I never thought a pecan stuffed date would taste SO good. Pecan stuffed dates make a great snack but try stuffing them in a soft cookie and OH MY!
I used packaged whole pitted dates for this recipe, but if you use fresh dates, I’m sure they will be even better. I stuffed pecan halves into the dates first, before making the rest of the recipe. I purposely stuffed a few extra dates so I could snack on some.
This recipe will make about 30 cookies, (30 stuffed dates), if using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
How to cover the stuffed dates
You want to make sure the bottom of the dates have cookie dough on them, so here’s what I do…
- Drop 2 or 3 of the stuffed dates at a time on top of the cookie dough. Note: This is a sticky dough, so you can’t roll it into balls.
- Using your fingers gently dip each stuffed date into the dough, covering the bottom of the date.
- Place the date on a cookie sheet, and cover the stuffed date with a scoop of cookie dough.
Browning the butter
The icing calls for browned butter. Browning butter brings out the nutty flavors and I love it in this icing. Just in case you’ve never browned butter, here are some pictures below showing the start to finish process. As you see in the bottom right picture, once the butter has browned, you’ll see little brown bits in the bottom of the pan.
Making the icing
This icing is incredibly easy to make. Once you brown the butter, you simply add, powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk for easy spreading. That simple!
More great holiday cookie recipes…
Chocolate Kiss Meringue Cookies
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PrintPecan Date Cookies With Browned Butter Icing
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 30 Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft little cake-like cookies have a pecan stuffed date hidden in the middle, and they are covered in the most delicious browned butter frosting. A perfect cookie for the holidays!
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 pound (16 ounces) whole pitted dates
- 3/4 to 1 cup pecan halves, about 30
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled or sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
For the Icing
- 1/3 cup real butter, unsalted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Enough milk for spreading consistency
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
For the Cookies
- Stuff the dates with the pecan halves and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until very light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and mix on medium speed until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is smooth and creamy with no lumps of sugar remaining. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until all ingredients are well combined. Add one half of the sour cream, followed by one half of the dry ingredients and repeat with the second half of each. On the final addition of the dry ingredients, mix only long enough to incorporate. Do not over mix.
- Drop about 3 to 4 dates into the cookie dough. Using your fingers, gently press each date into the dough, just enough to make sure there is dough on the bottom of each date.
- Transfer the dates to a cookie sheet and place a scoop of cookie dough over each date, making sure you cover all of the date with the dough.
- Bake for about 14 to 15 minutes until cookies are a golden brown on top. They should look light and spongy on top, just like a cake would look when baking.
- Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Do not allow these cookies to remain on the cookie sheets for long or they will begin to stick. However, there is no need to grease the cookie sheets when baking them. You can also use parchment paper.
For the Icing
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until lightly browned, swirling the butter around in the pan every few seconds. Remove immediately from heat once the butter becomes lightly browned. Add the vanilla and add the sugar one cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add just enough milk for a nice thin spreading consistency.
- Spread the icing on cooled cookies. Once the icing has set up, place cookies in an airtight container with waxed paper between layers.
Notes
- For the dates, I used two 8 ounce packages of dates. Feel free to use fresh dates if you prefer.
- These cookies will stay fresh for up to five days. If you’re not planning on eating them right away, I recommend freezing them without the icing. They freeze very nicely. I don’t recommend freezing for over 3 months.
- This recipe makes about 30 cookies if you’re using a small 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
These cookies are my absolute favorites! So moist,delicious, and sweet.
If I want to take the best cookies ever to any event-this is it ! Love them
Do I cut the dates in half to stuff? Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Hi Kimberly, Not a dumb question at all. I cut them almost in half, keeping one edge connected and place the pecan inside, if that makes sense. If you cut all the way through, the two halves will separate from the pecan.
Can you leave the dates out??
Hi Josephine, Yes, you certainly can. They’re still delicious!
My husband, who is disabled, would not be able to bite into a whole date with a pecan inside. Can the dates and pecans be chopped and incorporated into the cookie dough?
Sure. I’ve actually done them like that myself for an elderly person.
Can the pecans be left out of the dates?
Yes