These date and nut chews come together quickly and easily in one bowl (no mixer needed!). They are lovely and buttery, wonderfully chewy and full of dates and nuts. A great snack square!

Date and nut chews cut on the cutting board.

These date and nut chews are all at once sweet, buttery, crunchy, crispy, crackly and chewy. Filled with pecans and dates, they are a great little square for when you just want a little something.

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Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the key ingredients …

Dates – You don’t need the fancy dates for these squares. Use whatever you have on hand.

Pecans – I have made these squares with both pecans and walnuts. I prefer pecans myself, but use what you have on hand or enjoy.

How to make date and nut chews

This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.

Softened butter added to brown sugar in a bowl.
1
Adding egg to the brown sugar and butter mixture.
2
Batter after beating in the egg.
3
  1. Start by add the room temperature butter to the brown sugar and use the back of a spoon to rub the butter into the sugar.
  2. Add the eggs and vanilla to the brown sugar and butter mixture.
  3. Use a whisk to create a smooth batter.
Dry ingredients added to a bowl.
4
Flour mixture added to the batter.
5
Dates and nuts added to the batter.
6
  1. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Add a bit of orange zest, if you like.
  2. Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir to combine.
  3. Add the chopped dates and nuts to the batter.
Finished batter in a bowl.
7
Batter spread into a parchment-lined baking pan.
8
Finished date and nut chews in a baking pan.
9
  1. Stir the dates and nuts into the batter until well combined.
  2. Spread the batter into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking pan.
  3. Bake the chews until deep golden and cooked through in the centre, about 25-30 minutes.

Recipe tips!

  • While I don’t make these with a mixer, you certainly can if you like. I have a large mixer and it struggles with small quantities of batter.
  • You’ll want to be sure the butter is softened (vs regular “room-temperature”) or you will struggle to rub it into the butter by hand. 
  • The squares will need 25-30  minutes in the oven, but the top of the squares might brown before that. If so, lay a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the pan to prevent further browning while the squares finish baking.
  • These finished squares are quite thin, and they may sink in the centre, even when fully baked.
  • These squares keep well stored in an airtight container for at least 4 days. They will also freeze well for up to 3 months.
  • If you’re feeding a crowd, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan. Baking time may increase slightly.
Date and nut chews cut on the cutting board.

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Date and nut chews cut on the cutting board.

Get the Recipe: Date and Nut Chews

Buttery, chewy squares, filled with dates and nuts. A delicious snack square that's also great for bake sales or sweet plates.
5 stars from 1 rating
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, well-packed
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 large eggs, beaten *see Note 1 below
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon orange zest, optional
  • 1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped (I prefer pecans)
  • Icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting after baking and cooling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Spray an 8×8-inch metal baking pan, then line the bottom and two sides with a sheet of parchment paper, allowing the edges to overhang by an inch or so, to serve as handles for removing the squares after baking. **For glass pans, reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and the softened butter. Using the back of a spoon, rub the softened butter into the brown sugar until no pieces of butter are visible and you have an even, dry crumb mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir in, then use a whisk to beat the batter until smooth.
  • In a separate small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and orange zest, if using. Stir together well. Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir in until well combined and no dry flour is visible. Add the chopped dates and nuts to the batter and stir in until evenly combined.
  • Spread evenly in the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and well set. **Check the bake after about 20 minutes. If the top is already well-browned, you can loosely lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pan to prevent further browning while the squares continue baking.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack to cool. The squares will deflate in the centre as they cool.
  • Once cooled completely, dust generously with icing sugar and cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container for about 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Note 1: To get 1/2 an egg, break one of the eggs into a small cup and stir well. Discard half, or about 2 Tbsp of the egg. Then break the other whole egg into the same cup and use that as the 1 1/2 eggs needed for this single batch of this recipe.
Tips!
While I don’t make these with a mixer, you certainly can if you like. I have a large mixer and it struggles with small quantities of batter.
You’ll want to be sure the butter is softened (vs regular “room-temperature”) or you will struggle to rub it into the butter by hand. 
The squares will need 25-30  minutes in the oven, but the top of the squares might brown before that. If so, lay a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the pan to prevent further browning while the squares finish baking.
These finished squares are quite thin, and they may sink in the centre, even when fully baked.
These squares keep well stored in an airtight container for at least 4 days. They will also freeze well for up to 3 months.
If you’re feeding a crowd, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan. Baking time may increase slightly.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips, substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Snack
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 53mg, Potassium: 105mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 116IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg
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