Date Dumplings, Old Fashioned Date Dessert
Date dumplings with brown sugar sauce is an old fashioned date dessert. It is easy to make with ingredients you might already have in your kitchen.
It’s very cold outside and I am licking my dessert spoon off a bowl of warm date dumplings with brown sugar sauce. Am I in heaven? Yes, I am. If you have some dried dates in your pantry, I urge you to try this old fashioned date dessert.
Dried dates are great to eat as is. It also makes wonderful desserts and baked goods. They are naturally sweet, and their sticky texture goes really well with any form of cookies, cakes and breads.
When it comes to the winter season, I yearn for an old fashioned dessert like these date dumplings. Somehow these cake-like soft date dumplings covered with creamy, sticky brown sugar syrup make you feel cozy and comfortable.
I have to say this date dumplings recipe would be my second favorite date dessert next to sticky date pudding cake.
It has been snowing for a few days where I live and I have been trapped at home. I wanted to come up with a dessert that uses ingredients I already have at home so that I don’t have to go outside in the middle of a blizzard.
I always have a packet of dates since my husband and I both enjoy a few pieces each morning. They are great source of fiber, as you know. So what can I do with a lot of dates? Make a date dessert!
If you have some dried dates, the rest of ingredients are something you might already have in your kitchen.
Key Ingredients for Date Dumplings and Brown Sugar Sauce
- dates, pitted
- flour
- butter
- brown sugar
- milk
- heavy or light cream
- nutmeg
- vanilla extract
Recipe Instructions
Combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, water, cream, butter, vanilla extract, and nutmeg in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar melts; about 1 minute. Pour the hot syrup into a one quart baking pan.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, melted butter, vanilla and chopped dates; mix well. Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop dumplings on the syrup, about 12 balls.
Bake them in a preheated 350˚F oven for 30 minutes until the syrup gets bubbly and thickens slightly.
Serve date dumplings when they are still warn with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Warm dumplings with hot brown sugar sauce? That’s a soul comforting sweet treat. Enjoy!
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Date Dumplings with Brown Sugar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup pecan, chopped
- 1/2 cup dates, chopped
For brown sugar sauce
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy or light cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Equipment
- 1 qt baking pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease 1 qt baking pan.
- For brown sugar sauce; combine brown sugar, water, cream, butter, vanilla extract, and nutmeg in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer until sugar melt; about 1 minute. Pour the hot syrup in a prepared pan.
- For date dumplings; whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, baking powder, salt in a mixing bowl. Add milk, melted butter, vanilla and chopped pecan and dates; mix well.
- Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop or a spoon drop dumplings, about 12 balls, on the syrup in a pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until syrup gets bubbly and thicken slightly.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Oh my goodness, I’m swoooning! I love a simple pudding/cake dessert like this, and, like you, a big fan of dates! I also was snowed in a bit, and agree, that made recipe finding a little difficult, but this one is genius! Love this!
Hi Laura, this is a comforting dessert for the cold snowy weather. I love dates so this was a win-win recipe for me.
Have never had date dumplings…what a tempting and delicious treat!
It is sort of old fashioned dessert. I like it with the sticky brown sauce with b=vanilla ice cream. It is, indeed, delicious.
I’ve got dates in the fridge that have been waiting to be used up. This looks like the perfect dessert to use them in! It looks so homey and comforting!
Thanks. Dates are great for baking. If you like the flavor of dates, you will love this kind of dessert.
Looks wonderful. Just wonder what would be best replacement if I can’t find any dates!?
Hi Tammy
Try with raisins. It will tastes slight different than dates, but still great as is. Hope you enjoy. Thanks.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever had date dumplings. Haven’t made them, that’s for sure! Really snowy and cold here, too, so we’re looking for comfort. This would be perfect! Super recipe — thanks.
Thank you, John. If you like dates, you will love this. As you can tell, it is a comforting dessert for the cold weather. I loved it.