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If you’re short on time but want to give handmade gifts for the holidays, this date nut cookie mix in a jar is a snap to make. Can also be turned into a cake mix.
This homemade date nut cookie mix in a mason jar makes a great holiday gift, hostess gift or party gift for New Year’s Eve. It takes less than 5 minutes to throw together and costs less than $5! Everyone loves a good homemade cookie, and this date nut cookie mix with pistachios is more interesting than a simple chocolate chip cookie.
Oh, and you can easily make this mix into a date nut cake! Who doesn’t like a homemade multipurpose gift from the kitchen and this one is definitely gonna be a hit as this jar mix makes it so easy to get freshly baked holiday cookies ASAP!
Canning jars are a very cute option here, but you don’t need to go out and buy new jars to make cookie mix. As you’re not actually sealing the ingredients in the jar, this is a great opportunity to repurpose random glass jars you have in your pantry. As long as they have a volume of one quart, these cookies in a jar will fit.
The recipe is pretty adaptable. Use any nuts you like. If you’re not huge on dates, add in some cranberries or raisins.
Date Nut Cookie Mix or Cake Mix In A Jar
Ingredients
For the jar:
- 1 1/2 cups flour, I used all purpose but you can also use a mix of all purpose and whole wheat
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup chopped nuts and seeds such as pecans. walnuts,, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or pistachios (I use a mix and love a good amount of pistachios here)
- 9-10 large dates chopped, or 12 small dates chopped
For the cookies:
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/3 cup smooth nut butter or sunflower seed butter or tahini
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons applesauce
Instructions
- Measure out all your dry ingredients and add them to a jar.
- You can layer them if you like or just mix all of it and put it in a jar and gift it.
- To make the cookies: you can write these instructions on the gift label.
- Transfer the contents of the jar into a bowl and mix well. To another bowl, add the oil, warmed nut butter, maple syrup and applesauce.
- Mix the wet ingredients until they are well combined. Then add these to the dry mix and mix well to make the dough. chill the dough for at least 15 minutes.
- Then scoop out large scoops of the cookie. I used 3 tablespoon scoop to make large cookies. Scoop it out on to a parchment lined baking tray. Then press it down to make thin flat disks Even out the edges using your hands if needed.
- You can top these with some nuts or chocolate if you like. Then bake at 340 degrees Fahrenheit (170 c) for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are set. the center will still be soft.
- Take the tray out. Let them cool for another 5 minutes before you take them off the tray and then completely.
- The cookies will continue to set and harden as they cool.For crispier cookies, you can bake for 2 minutes longer then cool
- To make the mix into a date nut cake, empty the jar ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
- Then follow instructions from my date nut cake recipe. Use all of the wet ingredients except sugar and make the cake.
Notes
- I used all-purpose here but you can also use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour
- Add any nuts and seeds you enjoy. If you don't love dates, use raisins or dried cranberries instead
- to make these Glutenfree : Use 3/4 cup oat flour and 3/4 cup almond flour. Bake at 330 deg F
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients:
- as flours, we use a blend of flour and almond flour for the perfect mix of crispy and chewy
- baking powder and baking soda and give these a bit of a rise and crispiness
- vanilla bean powder – that’s basically just ground up vanilla beans and seeds
- salt
- cane sugar gives these a round sweetness that goes so well with the nuts and dates
- nuts and seeds – your favorite kind such as pecans, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or pistachios
- dates – use large Medjool dates or small dates
Tips:
- Make sure your baking powder and baking soda aren’t going to expire anytime soon
- If you have homemade vanilla sugar at home, add that instead of cane sugar and skip the vanilla powder
- I used all-purpose here but you can also use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour
- Add any nuts and seeds you enjoy. If you don’t love dates, use raisins or dried cranberries instead
How to make the cookie mix in the jar:
Measure out all your dry ingredients and add them to a jar.
You can layer them if you like or just mix all of it and put it in a jar and gift it. To make the cookies: you can write these instructions on the gift label ( see below)
How to make Date Nut Cookies
Transfer the contents of the jar into a bowl and mix well. To another bowl, add the oil, warmed nut butter, maple syrup, and applesauce. Mix the wet ingredients until they are well combined. Then add these to the dry mix and mix well to make the dough. chill the dough for at least 15 minutes.
Then scoop out large scoops of the cookie. I used a 3 tablespoon scoop to make large cookies. Scoop it out onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Then press it down to make thin flat disks even out the edges using your hands if needed.
You can top these with some nuts or chocolate chips if you like. Then bake at 340 degrees Fahrenheit for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are set. The center will still be soft.
Take the tray out. Let them cool for another 5 minutes before you take them off the tray and then completely.
The cookies will continue to set and harden as they cool. For crispier cookies, you can bake for 2 minutes longer, then let them rest.
Make it a cake mix in a jar:
To make the mix into a date nut cake, empty the jar ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Then follow instructions from my date nut cake recipe. Use all of the wet ingredients except sugar and make the cake.
How long does cookie mix in a jar last?
If stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, your cookie mix can last for up to 3 months, as long as all of the ingredients used to make it were fresh. If the mix doest not contain nuts, it will even be good within 6 months.
We’ve used this to make the date nut cake many times! I made small fat cookies , added kore nuts so ended up with a. Decadent snack!
Awesome
Love your clear instructions on how to create a gift from this recipe.
I’m not a vegan and wonder about subbing eggs for applesauce or yogurt in this and your other recipes. Would one egg replace 2 T applesauce or yogurt or…?
Thanks so much.