Date-Nut Loaf (Old-World Tea Bread)
A dense, moist tea loaf sweetened entirely by dates, studded with walnuts. The kind kept in a tin and sliced thin for guests with tea.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with whole dates
- Makes enough for 10
- Easy, with clear steps and nothing fussy
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 1 1/2 cups (240 g) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups (210 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch salt
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
How to make it
Soak chopped dates in boiling water with baking soda for 10 minutes; mash to a rough paste.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a loaf pan.
Stir eggs, melted butter and vanilla into the date mixture.
Fold in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, then walnuts.
Pour into the pan; bake 45–55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool before slicing.
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Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Questions about this recipe
Is Date-Nut Loaf (Old-World Tea Bread) really made without refined sugar?
Yes. All the sweetness comes from whole dates - there is not one spoon of white sugar in it. That is the whole point of how I cook.
How long does Date-Nut Loaf (Old-World Tea Bread) keep?
Kept covered in the fridge it holds for three to four days. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months - hold back any fresh topping until just before serving.
How many does Date-Nut Loaf (Old-World Tea Bread) make?
This makes enough for 10. It scales cleanly, so use the 1x / 2x / 3x buttons on the recipe card if you need more or less.
Date-Nut Loaf (Old-World Tea Bread)
A dense, moist tea loaf sweetened entirely by dates, studded with walnuts. The kind kept in a tin and sliced thin for guests with tea.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (240 g) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups (210 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch salt
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Soak chopped dates in boiling water with baking soda for 10 minutes; mash to a rough paste.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a loaf pan.
- Stir eggs, melted butter and vanilla into the date mixture.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, then walnuts.
- Pour into the pan; bake 45–55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool before slicing.
