Description
This Date Walnut Bread is a simple, moist, and naturally sweet bread made without eggs, added sugar, or dairy. Perfect for a healthy breakfast or snack, it combines the rich flavors of Medjool dates and walnuts with warming cinnamon, creating a wholesome treat that slices beautifully after cooling.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool Dates – pitted
- 1 cup Almond Milk – lukewarm
- ⅓ cup Mild-Flavor Olive Oil
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt – optional
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Filling
- ½ cup Chopped Walnuts
- ½ cup Medjool Dates – pitted, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing the edges to hang over for easy removal. Lightly spray or oil the parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Soak Dates: Place 1 cup of pitted Medjool dates in a large glass bowl. Warm 1 cup of almond milk in the microwave for 1 minute on high, or heat gently in a saucepan covered with a lid to prevent evaporation. Pour the warm almond milk over the dates, cover, and let soak for 10 minutes to soften.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and optional ½ teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
- Prepare Nuts and Additional Dates: Finely chop ½ cup walnuts and add them to the dry ingredients. Also chop ½ cup of pitted Medjool dates into small bits and add them to the dry mix, ensuring even distribution in the bread.
- Make Date Paste: Transfer the soaked dates and almond milk into a high-speed blender and blend on medium-high until smooth and creamy, forming a date paste.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the date paste into the bowl with dry ingredients. Scrape down the blender jug with a rubber spatula to get all the paste. Add ⅓ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then stir everything together with a rubber spatula to form a thick, consistent batter.
- Transfer and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly. Bake in the oven’s center rack for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Expect the bread to be moist and slightly compact, not heavily risen.
- Cool and Slice: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment edges to lift it out onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely for about 3 hours before slicing to prevent it from being fragile and crumbly.
Notes
- Use Medjool dates for natural sweetness and moisture; soaking them softens them further for blending.
- Warming the almond milk makes soaking dates more effective and helps the bread batter come together smoothly.
- Line your loaf pan with parchment paper with overhang for easy bread removal without damage.
- The bread is moist and dense; it won’t rise like traditional loaves, which is normal for this recipe.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to ensure clean slices and avoid crumbling.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
