Grandma's Old-Fashioned Date Nut Bread (Easy Quick Bread Recipe)

Make Grandma's old-fashioned date nut bread from scratch with sweet Medjool dates and crunchy pecans. A wonderfully moist, nostalgic quick bread!

If you're looking for an old-fashioned quick bread filled with tender dates and crunchy nuts, this Grandma's Date Nut Bread is one to try. It starts with Medjool dates, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans—and a sweet memory.

A Special ‘Date’ With a Friend

A little over a year ago, I attended a writing conference in Springfield, Missouri, where I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in years. She lives a zillion miles away from me, so having the chance to reconnect was a real treat.

One of the highlights of the entire conference wasn't a workshop or a keynote speaker. It was a spontaneous little get-together in her hotel room. I skipped lunch that day so we could sit and visit, catching up on all the things we'd missed over the years.

And, wouldn't you know it, she had brought along some treats from home! She offered me some of the biggest, prettiest dates I'd ever seen, along with enormous toasted, flavored pecan halves. I have no idea where she found those pecans, but goodness gracious, they were lovely!

My "Dating" History

Now, I'll be honest. Until that day, I'd always thought of dates in one of two ways. First, as health food. You know, the sort of thing people eat when they're trying to make good choices. And y'all, I run a baking blog. Ha!

Second, I thought of dates as something straight out of Bible times. Dates and date palms have been around for thousands of years, and they're part of the world we read about in Scripture. Somehow, I'd gotten it into my head that dates were more of an ancient-world food than something I'd actually want to snack on today.

But there I was, sitting in a hotel room in Springfield, Missouri, discovering something wonderful. On a whim, I put one of those big, soft dates together with one of those enormous toasted pecan halves.

Y'all. It was like eating candy!

The date was sweet and almost caramel-like, and the pecan added the perfect buttery crunch. I couldn't believe how delicious that simple combination was. Who knew something so wholesome could taste so indulgent?

That afternoon changed the way I thought about dates. So when I decided to make an old-fashioned date nut bread, I couldn't help thinking about my friend, our afternoon together, and those incredible dates and pecans. Funny how a simple snack can become a treasured memory, isn't it?

What Is Old-Fashioned Date Nut Bread?

Date nut bread is a quick bread made with chopped dates, nuts, flour, sugar, and pantry staples. The dates are softened in hot water before being mixed into the batter. No yeast or kneading required.

Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here's a quick glance at what you're going to need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand. If you don't have dates, source them locally or get them online. (I got mine at Amazon.)

• 1½ cups chopped pitted Medjool dates (about 8 ounces)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

How to Make Grandma's Old-Fashioned Date Nut Bread

Here's how you're going to make this delicious nutty bread:

Soak the dates: Place chopped dates and baking soda in a heatproof bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water, stir, and let sit 15 minutes. Keep the soaking liquid.

Prepare the pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or parchment-line a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

Cream: Beat softened butter and brown sugar until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Mix dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Combine: Stir dates and all their measured soaking liquid into the butter mixture. Fold in dry ingredients just until incorporated, then fold in nuts. Batter may be loose and pourable.

Bake: Pour into prepared pan and bake approximately 55–65 minutes (63 minutes in my test), until a toothpick comes out without wet batter. Tent with foil if top browns too quickly.

Cool: Rest in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Serve and Enjoy!

What to Expect

Y’all, this bread turned out unbelievably good! It baked up with a beautifully golden, domed top and a tender crumb full of dates and nuts.

The thing that surprised me most was just how incredibly moist it was. When I first sliced it, I wondered if I might have underbaked it—but no, it was fully baked! It was simply that moist. The soft Medjool dates give the bread a rich, almost caramel-like sweetness, while the nuts add a welcome bit of texture. I couldn’t have been happier with the result.

My loaf took 63 minutes at 350°F in a 9×5-inch pan. I loosely tented the top with foil after about 50 minutes because it was browning nicely while the center needed more time. The center registered over 205°F near the end of baking; keep in mind that a probe or toothpick can look sticky if it passes through a soft date piece.

More Date Recipes On the Way!

I've been baking even more date recipes. In upcoming days look for:

• Banana Date Bread
• Date Muffins
• Oatmeal Date Cookies with Orange Zest

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to soak the dates?

Yes, for this recipe the hot water softens the dates and the soaking liquid becomes part of the batter.

Can I use pecans instead of walnuts?

Absolutely. Pecans are sweeter and buttery, while walnuts have a slightly earthier flavor.

Can I use other pitted dates?

Yes. Firmer dates may need the full soak to soften.

Can I freeze date nut bread?

Once cool, wrap tightly and freeze whole or sliced for up to three months for best quality.

How should I serve it?

Plain, with butter, or spread with cream cheese alongside coffee or tea.

Storage

Cool completely, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature up to 3 days, refrigerated up to a week, or frozen up to 3 months.

Thanks for Stopping By!

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe as much as I did. If you make this yummy bread and love it, please leave a comment or review. And before you go, please pin some photos to your Pinterest boards.

Janice Thompson is a professional baker, cake designer, and author with over 20 years of experience creating unique cakes and desserts. She’s the creator of Out of the Box Baking, where she shares her favorite doctored cake mix recipes, tutorials, and baking tips. Learn more →