Date Nut Bread

5 from 1 vote

With warm spices, bright orange zest, chewy dates, and crunchy walnuts, this moist date nut bread is a perfect treat for the season!

Course bread, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword date and nut bread, date nut bread

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings standard-size loaf (about 10-12 slices) or 3 mini loaves

Calories 191kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a standard 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, or 3 small loaf pans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, and orange zest.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir just until the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix.
Fold in the dates and walnuts.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pans.
In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle on top of the batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes for the mini loaves, or 55-60 minutes for a standard-size loaf. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs. Tent the larger loaf loosely with foil during the final 20-30 minutes if it starts to get too dark on top before it's cooked through.
Cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Bake the bread in a standard loaf pan (about 9 x 5-inches) or in three mini loaf pans.
When zesting the orange, be sure that you’re only scraping off the outer layer of the peel (this is where the essential oils and delicious flavor can be found). Be careful not to grate any of the bitter white pith.
Start with room temperature eggs and milk, which will blend together more easily.
Do not over-mix the batter. It should come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in a dry, dense loaf.
The total baking time will vary depending on the type of loaf pan that you use. A large, dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the bread faster, so it will likely be done within 45-55 minutes. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan can easily require up to 60-65 minutes of baking in a 375°F oven. You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.