Sourdough Date and Walnut Cookies

These sourdough date and walnut cookies are a wonderful mix of rich, chewy, and nutty. They’re packed with caramelly-sweet dates, buttery walnuts, and just a hint of coffee. The sourdough adds a lovely tang that balances the sweetness and gives these cookies an unforgettable texture. Perfect with your morning coffee or an afternoon cup of tea, they’re an easy, make-ahead treat you’ll want to bake again and again.

If you're looking for more tasty sourdough cookies, you're going to really enjoy these sourdough oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, maple pecan sourdough cookies, or triple chocolate sourdough cookies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

Soft, Chewy Texture - Thanks to the melted butter, sourdough starter, and overnight rest, these cookies bake up with chewy centers, crisp edges, and just the right amount of gooeyness. 

Deep, Rich Flavor - The mix of dates, brown sugar, and a hint of coffee gives these cookies a lovely caramel flavor that feels extra special without being overly sweet. 

Freezer Friendly - You can freeze the dough balls or baked cookies, so you’ll always have a batch ready to go when a craving hits. 

Ingredients

• Coffee Powder - A bit of coffee deepens the sweetness of the dates. You’ll dissolve the coffee powder in hot water to create a rich base for soaking the dates. Instant coffee or espresso powder both work here.
• Hot Water
• Dates - Chopped, pitted dates add natural sweetness, a soft chew, and a beautiful depth of flavor. Soaking them in hot coffee and vanilla helps them break down and infuse the dough with a subtle, almost toffee-like richness. Any soft dried date will work (I haven't used Medjool dates here, just regular dried dates from the baking aisle at the grocery store).
• Vanilla Paste - Vanilla paste adds a concentrated flavor that pairs perfectly with the caramel notes in the dates and the nuttiness of the walnuts. You can use vanilla extract instead, but I find paste gives a slightly more intense flavor.
• Salted Butter - Melted butter gives these cookies their chewy centers and crisp edges. I like to use salted butter, but unsalted will work fine too.
• Brown and White Sugar - Using both sugars is key to the texture. Brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and chewy while adding a subtle molasses flavor, and white sugar helps the edges crisp up beautifully.
• Sourdough Starter - This recipe works with either active starter or discard. The sourdough adds a gentle tang that balances the sweetness and gives the cookies their lovely chewy texture. Fermenting the dough overnight also deepens the flavor.
• Eggs - The combination of a whole egg and an extra yolk adds richness and chewiness. It helps create that soft, molten center that firms up nicely once cooled. Use large eggs.
• All Purpose Flour
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Walnuts - Roughly chopped walnuts add crunch and a nutty depth that contrasts beautifully with the soft, sweet dough.

How to Make Sourdough Date and Walnut Cookies

10 minutes before you want to make these cookies, soak the chopped pitted dates in a bowl with the coffee powder, vanilla paste and 50g of hot water. Let this sit for around 10 minutes while you gather the other ingredients.

Now, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar and egg + egg yolk until it resembles runny caramel. Then add your sourdough starter and whisk again. Set this aside for a moment.

In a separate bowl, toss together the all purpose flour, baking soda and chopped walnuts until they are well combined.

Now, pour the runny caramel mixture and the date mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to form a slick cookie dough. Make sure all the flour is mixed through.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. This allows your sourdough starter to work its magic and deepens the flavor of the cookies.

The next day, when you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 165C (330F) and line two cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop out balls of dough. I have used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop for this recipe, yielding 18 cookies. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets.

You can top with additional chopped walnuts if you want.

Place the cookies into the oven for 12 to 13 minutes at 165C (330F) or until they are golden brown on top but still molten in the centre.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for around 10 minutes. The cookies will continue to bake for a few minutes after they are removed from the oven and will firm up as they cool. After 10 minutes, carefully transfer to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

How to Store + Freeze

Store at Room Temperature - These cookies will stay soft and chewy for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. I like to keep mine in a glass jar or cookie tin to keep their texture. Avoid storing them in plastic containers if you can. They will turn really soft.

Freeze After Baking - Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them on a tray and snap freeze until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 3 months. They thaw beautifully at room temperature and taste just as fresh as the day you baked them.

Freeze Before Baking - You can also freeze the dough before baking. Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined tray to snap freeze until solid. Then move the frozen dough balls into a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, simply place them on a tray, let them soften for a few minutes, and bake as usual.

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