date cookies

Maamoul are buttery date filled middle eastern cookies that will melt in your mouth and are utterly scrumptious. Naturally sweetened with dates these have minimal added sugar. They are popular at Eid, Christmas and other holidays.

Maamoul (Date Filled Cookies)

ghee (or butter, grass fed)

olive oil (or butter/ghee)

½ cups all purpose flour ((may use half whole wheat pastry flour))

sugar

rose water (or orange flower water)

milk ((start with 2 and add as needed))

dates

confectioner's sugar

almond flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter or ghee. Add oil and then mix in the sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ghee/sugar mixture with flour, working them together with your fingers.Tip: Use odorless oil or only butter or ghee. Add as much flour as the butter/oil mixture will absorb and that usually varies from 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups

Then add the rose water and mix it in. Next add the milk, one tablespoon at a time. Then knead it all into a pliable dough.

When you add the milk, sometimes it might look like there is too much milk and the dough is sticky. But when you keep mixing it in, the milk gets absorbed.

Let the dough rest for a 30 minutes. Then roll out 32 portions of the dough into smooth balls. I  find this easier because all my cookies more or less turn out the same size.

Preparation of the dough

Process the chopped medjool dates in a food processor into a smooth mass. If not using soft medjool dates, check the notes section.

Divide the date mass into 32 portions and roll them into smooth balls. Use oil or safe food prep gloves if needed, as the date mass can be sticky.

Preparation of the date filling

Take a dough ball and flatten it. Hold it in the center of your palm and cup it. Place a date ball in the center. Bring the edges of the dough together. Pinch the dough to seal well and then flatten it out. Press it into a disc.Tip:&nbsp;Make sure to not use too much filling, or the cookies will crack.

Use a nut pick or fork to create interesting patterns. Or press the date filled cookie dough into a traditional maamoul mold and gently press to get the pattern on the cookie.

Invert and tap the front edge of the mold onto a hard surface like a kitchen counter, and hold your palm under the mold to get the cookie that is released from the mold.

Shaping of the date filled cookies

Alternatively, a maamoul mold may be used to shape the cookies. In this case, a portion of the dough is first pressed into the mold. Then the date filling is layered on top of the dough.

Next, another portion of the dough is layered over the date filling and smoothened out.

Tap the front edge of the mold on a hard surface like a kitchen counter, and hold your palm under the mold to get the cookie that is released from the mold.

Sometimes I find that this method may not work out too well for all. As it may be difficult to release the cookie dough out of the mold. Sprinkling a little bit of flour into the mold prior to using it may help release the cookie better. Or laying a piece of plastic wrap into the mold prior to packing it with the cookie dough and the filling may help too.

But my preferred method is to make the cookie by hand and then pressing it gently into the mold to create the pattern. It is not traditional to use the mold this way, but it works better and speeds up the process.

Using a traditional Maamoul mold

Place the Maamoul cookies, smooth side up (for hand shaped cookies) or the patterned side (for cookies made with the mold), on a large baking sheet.

Make sure to space them one to two inches apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let the cookies over bake or turn too brown.

Well baked cookies will appear dry on the surface unlike the moist look of raw dough. Also, they will have a light tan.

Cool the well-baked Maamoul completely on a wire rack.  Using a sieve dust some confectioner's sugar or a combination of the sugar with some almond meal. Store the Maamoul cookies in an airtight container.

Baking the Maamoul cookies

These hearty no-bake chewy chocolate date cookies are packed with wholesome dried fruits and seeds, making them the perfect natural energy booster!

No-Bake Chewy Chocolate Date Cookies

Medjool dates (,

teasp vanilla extract

teasp butter (, vegan such as Earth Balance)

Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips

Pit the Medjool Dates and process in a food processor until all the dates are finely chopped, mostly blended, and sticky (small chunks remaining are ok). You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times in between.

Take out the date mixture into a microwave save bowl. If there are still large pieces of dates remaining, take a masher or fork and quickly mash them down.

Add the vanilla extract and 1/4 teasp non-dairy butter.

Microwave for 40-60 seconds, covered (depending on how powerful your microwave is, time may vary).

Remove, mix, and mash once more with masher or fork.

Microwave again for 40-60 seconds, covered.

Remove from the microwave, add in the Enjoy Life Beach Bash Seed &amp; Dried Fruit Mix and combine completely with a spoon. At this point, the date-seed mixture should be form-able and not that sticky.

Coat your hands with a tiny amount of non-dairy butter or oil. Take the entire date-seed mixture into your hands. Roll it into a large sphere and then shape it into a 2-2.5" diameter cylinder by gently rolling it on a flat surface such as a cutting board.

Place it in an air-tight container (or cover completely) in the fridge for about 5 hours.

After at least 5 hours, remove the date-log from the fridge and slice it lengthwise with a sharp knife into ~1/4-1/3" thick cookie rounds. Place them back in the fridge in a single layer while you melt the chocolate. (see notes below)

Melt the Enjoy Life chocolate chips or bar pieces in the microwave in 20-30 sec. increments (mixing in between) or use a double broiler (I prefer a double broiler).

Once the chocolate is melted, take the date cookie rounds out of the fridge. I placed them on my cooling rack so that the chocolate drizzle could drop off, but you can just as easily use a tray lined with parchment paper.

Fill a ziplock bag or pipping bag with the melted chocolate. Cut a tiny corner off the ziplock bag if using. One by one, drizzle some melted chocolate on top of each date cookie.

Place the chocolate date cookies back in the fridge for a few minutes until the chocolate hardens.

Enjoy the chocolate date cookies immediately and store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks!

This Sugar Free Date Cookies recipe is a simple, diabetic friendly snack that is also gluten free and vegan! The dough is easy to come together with just three healthy, dairy free ingredients of oatmeal, dates and peanut butter. These sugar free cookies are the BEST if you want a guilt free treat.

Sugar Free Date Cookies

½ cups quick oats

peanut butter (*use a fresh jar)

½ cups pitted dates (*soak them

Set the oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Add the oats to the food processor and process it into a flour.

Add the peanut butter and soaked dates and process until the dough sticks together when you pinch it in your fingers.

Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and line them up on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Form the balls into a cookie shape - they won&#039;t spread out when they bake.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet half way through. Check the bottoms at 10 minutes - they should be brown. The tops don&#039;t really change colour.

Let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack. Store covered at room temperature for 7-10 days.

These are simple oil-based cookies made with pecans, oats, and maple syrup. They are vegan as-is and are very versatile, as the jammy date center can be replaced with any type of jam.

Pecan Date Cookies (Vegan)

(roughly 1/2 cup) pitted dates (roughly chopped)

water

pecans (preferably raw unsalted; see note

oats

all-purpose flour (see note

cinnamon (see note

salt

canola oil (see note

maple syrup (or honey)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional).

Transfer the chopped dates and 1/4 cup water to a small sauce pot. Simmer gently over medium-low until the dates are softened, about 5 minutes. Mash the dates with a fork or potato masher to break them down into a jammy consistency.

In a food processor, pulse the pecans and oats together until they resemble coarse sand.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the broken-down pecans and oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, oil, and maple syrup. The mixture will be sticky and oily but should hold together easily.

Form into cookie dough balls using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or by measuring out a large spoonful of dough (roughly 2 tablespoons). Flatten the cookies. Use your thumb to indent the center of the cookies, then transfer ~1/2 teaspoon of date jam to the center.

Leave 2-3 inches between each piece of dough on the cookie sheet. The cookies will spread a little while baking. Garnish the tops of the cookies with oats (optional).

Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes. 10 minutes yields very soft cookies, while 13 minutes yields cookies that are drier and a bit crumbly.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/KnlWqoZT.mp4

Simple, sweet, and vegan as-is, these Pecan Date Cookies are made with maple syrup and oil and have a fluffy texture similar to fig bars. These cookies are super versatile and come together in just under 30 minutes!

Pecan Date Cookies

These Date Cookies are super easy chewy cookies ready in under 30 minutes and made with just 2 base ingredients for a perfect sweet snack.

Date Cookies

Almond Flour ((note 1))

Medjool Dates (pitted, equivalent to 10 Medjool dates, packed in the cup to measure (note 2))

Vanilla Extract

Cinnamon

Maple Syrup ((note 3))

Almond Extract

Dark Chocolate Chips ((note 4))

Place the pitted dates in a glass bowl, pour boiling water on top, and set aside for 5 minutes to soften.

Preheat the oven to 340 °F (170 °C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slightly oil paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.

Drain the dates in a sieve over the sink and press the dates above a bowl to remove the excess liquid trapped in them. Set the juice aside as you might use some of the recipe later.

Place the drained soaked dates in the bowl of a food processor along with almond flour and process on medium-high speed until it forms a crumbly mixture with tiny pieces of dates - no big ones. It takes about 1 minute.

Stop the food processor. The batter is ready when you are able to form ball of dough as you squeeze it with your hands. It should stick together nicely. If too dry, simply process again adding a little bit of the date &#39;juice&#39; you kept earlier until the batter is easy to squeeze. If too wet, add a little more almond flour and process again.

Roll 10 dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Lightly wet or oil hands to press down each dough ball into a cookie shape. They won&#39;t expand in the oven. The shape you give now is the shape you get at the end.

Bake the date cookies on the center rack of the oven for 8-12 minutes at 340 °F (170 °C) until golden brown on the side.

Let the cookies cool down on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.

The perfect recipe, healthy, quick, easy and delicious.

I made this today and the result was perfect!  Thank you so much!!!!  It has the right amount of crunchiness and softness, if that makes sense.  I think the secret is to follow your suggestion about using the convection setting if you want them a little crunchier, which is what I did!  I am diabetic and this is the best recipe I’ve found to have just that little “something” when you want a sweet snack!

I love this easy recipe! I always double it for a bigger batch and add cinnamon and almond for the perfect flavour and sweetness. I don't buy the expensive dates suggested. I just use whatever dates are in sale and just soften them up with a good soaking in hot boiled water. Works great every time!

The most popular Middle Eastern cookie, made with various fillings.

Assyrian Holiday Cookies (Kileche/Kleicha)

Tbsp yeast

milk

all-purpose flour

Tbsp cardamom

1½ tsp nigella sativa seeds

unsalted butter ((melted))

⅓ cup plain yogurt ((room temperature))

eggs

walnuts

granulated sugar ((may reduce to ½ cup))

tsp cardamom

coconut

cardamom

rose water ((optional))

date paste

vegetable oil

whole milk

mix yeast and milk

Mix yeast into warm milk, then sprinkle with one tablespoon sugar, mix and set aside until foamy.

mix dry ingredients

Meanwhile, add flour into a large bowl and whisk in the remaining sugar, salt, nigella sativa seeds, and cardamom.

add wet ingredients, knead

Stir melted butter, yogurt, eggs, and milk-yeast mixture into the flour until crumbly. knead by hand, until the dough is soft and smooth. Score the dough with a Cross, cover, and allow to rest in a warm place for one hour.

Prepare the Dough

prepare fillings

While the dough is resting, prepare the fillings. Mix the ground walnuts with the sugar and cardamom. Do the same with the coconut filling ingredients.

make date filling

To make the date filling, heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Add the date paste and sprinkle with cardamom. Stir and mix, over medium heat, until the date paste is toasted. Frying the dates really brings out their flavor!

Prepare the Fillings

preheat oven

divide dough

Divide the dough into 3 portions. One portion will be used for each filing. Any extra dough can be rolled into braids and wreaths and baked as is.

prepare walnut kileche

Walnut Kileche Instructions: Take a small portion of dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten using your thumbs and index fingers. Mold the dough into a bowl shape and fill it with a teaspoon or two of walnut filling. Fold the dough in half and press the edges together. Make small folds all around the edges. Continue until all of the dough or filling is used up. Place the cookies on a parchment-covered cookie sheet as you make them.

prepare glaze

Prepare the Glaze: Whisk eggs and milk to make the glaze. Pierce Kileche a few times with a fork and brush generously with glaze. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Continue with the next filling.

prepare coconut kileche

Coconut Kileche Instructions: Use one tablespoon of dough, flatten it into a circle. Fill with a few teaspoons of coconut and pinch the dough together. With the pinched portion facing up (so that it ends up on the bottom of the cookie) press and flatten into a Maamoul Mold. Flip and tap the mold to dislodge the coconut-filled cookie. If you don&#39;t have a mold, just shape it into a circle.

glaze and bake

Continue until you have used up the coconut filling, glazing, and baking as you go.

Kileche Assembly Instructions

roll date paste

Place half of the date paste onto an approximately 24&quot; piece of waxed paper (shiny side up). Cover with another same-sized sheet (shiny side down). Roll into a thin layer using a rolling pin.

roll out dough

Divide the last piece of dough into two sections. Roll one of the pieces into a thin layer, approximately the same size as the date layer or a little bigger.

add dates to dough

Slowly peel back one of the sheets of wax paper. Now flip and press the dates into the dough. Gently peel back the remaining sheet of wax paper.

roll, cut, and bake

Slice dough lengthwise into two sections and roll into two long tubes. Flatten by pressing down gently with your hands. Make sure the sealed side is facing down. Cut into 2&quot; sections with a crinkle cutter or slice with a sharp knife. Pierce, glaze, bake, and repeat.

How To Make Date Kileche

The Kiletche come out perfect every time. My family loves them.

Hi Azizta Hilda
Time to make Kileche!🥰
I love making them the way your Mom did, God rest her soul. 
They taste just like my Mom’s. 
I am always checking your blog, I notice that you changed the measurements for some of the ingredients. 
Any reason for the changes?

Thank you so much for posting this recipe. My Assyrian Nana, who was my favorite person in the world, passed away last November . She wasn't religious but being Assyrian, celebrating Easter still meant a lot to her. My way of celebrating this year was to bake these based on your recipe (we used to make Chadeh together a lot, but it's not my favorite thing, so did these instead), and they came out lovely. They still have that simple, old world, wholesome flavor but with those delicious spices and aromas from the cardamom and rose water. Thank you for sharing this. I wish I could post a photo cause they came out beautiful even though I'm not the most elegant baker.

first time making klecha and got complements about how soft and flavorful it is! highly recommend

Amazing recipe.  All 3 fillings are terrific.  I loved the crunch of the sugar in the walnut filling.  Having a friend whose family are date growers in Yuma I have enjoyed a variety of date recipes but I especially loved the date filled kileche.  This is a perfect time for kileche with Christmas just around the corner.  Guaranteed to impress.

Hi Hilda, 

First and foremost; thank you for the easy to follow recipe! I’m so happy that everyone loved the keleche this Christmas that I actually had to make it twice as I ran out just before Christmas :) 

May I however ask; the sugar added to the fillings such as the walnuts tastes amazing obviously but the crunch of the sugar is not preferred by all. Is it possible to use icing sugar instead? If yes; would it be the same amount of sugar or less? 

I look forward to hearing from you and giving the recipe another go for Easter! 

Many thanks again! Happy new year!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/PeEFpgqN.mp4

Kileche (Kleicha) are traditional Assyrian holiday cookies that are usually baked for Christmas and Easter. They come filled with cardamom-flavored date paste, walnuts, and coconut, and go perfectly with a hot cup of tea!

Kileche (Assyrian Holiday Cookies) - HD 720p.mov

Top 6 date cookies recipes from across the web

The most viewed date cookies recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Maamoul (Date Filled Cookies)

No-Bake Chewy Chocolate Date Cookie...

Sugar Free Date Cookies

Pecan Date Cookies (Vegan)

Date Cookies

Assyrian Holiday Cookies (Kileche/K...

Top 6 date cookies recipes from across the web

The most viewed date cookies recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Maamoul (Date Filled Cookies)

No-Bake Chewy Chocolate Date Cookie...

Sugar Free Date Cookies

Pecan Date Cookies (Vegan)

Date Cookies

Assyrian Holiday Cookies (Kileche/K...

The most viewed date cookies recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine