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healthy plant based recipes for the whole family

Vegan Date Bread (gluten free, oil free)

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Date Bread w/ chopped pecans – a perfect holiday sweet treat! This perfectly sweet, soft, and moist bread is made without any butter, oil, dairy, refined sugar, or gluten. 

3 mini date nut loaves wrapped in red/white twine on a wooden board.

Ever since I met my husband, Date Bread has been a part of our holiday tradition. My mother-in-law makes it every year and I always swoon over it. One piece quickly leads to another and another. I just can’t stop myself – it’s so good!!

This year, I decided I would try to make a vegan version. After so many trials I lost count, I have a winner! Trust me, it was worth all the failed attempts to get here. I think you guys are going to love this!

3 mini loaves of date nut bread on a wooden board. A red plate of more loaves in the background.

My Mother-in-law’s Awesome Date Bread

When I set out to make my vegan version of date bread, I wanted to make sure I captured the texture, as close to possible, to my mother-in-law’s bread.

Hers is dense, but not in a heavy way, just in a gooey delicious date way…it’s very soft and moist.

There is very little crust because she bakes hers in cans. I looked this up and it’s actually quite a popular thing. Who knew?

So, while my version does form a crust on top, it’s still quite soft. And I put in a hefty dose of chopped pecans just as she does.

I also found that a lot of date bread recipes soak their dates in coffee. My mother-in-law’s recipe didn’t call for that, so I didn’t do it either.

Through my numerous trials, however, I did find that just a hint of molasses really deepens the flavor of the dates, but without the caffeine kick and with an added boost of iron.

Bob's Red Mill Gluten free 1:1 Baking Flour

Gluten Free

Did I mention that I went through many trials of this recipe?

The flour I found worked best for the texture I was aiming for is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. This gluten free flour is made from a combination of brown rice, sweet white rice, whole grain sorghum, potato starch, tapioca flour, and a touch of xantham gum. Bob’s Red Mill says, “just enough xantham gum to create chewy cookies and springy muffins.”

That “springy” texture is just what I wanted and it worked out perfectly!

Not all gluten free flour mixes are the same, so I can not guarantee results with any other brand. Bob’s Red Mill has kindly offered to let me provide you with a coupon to ensure your holiday baking turns out just perfectly!

I love Bob’s Red Mill so much and use their products all the time. Check out these other recipes I created using these awesome products: Gluten Free Thumbprint Cookies and Baked Oatmeal Muffins w/ Cranberries.

Vegan Date Bread mini loaf tied with red & white twine.

Holiday Gift Idea

Obviously, this Vegan Date Bread is the perfect sweet treat for any holiday function. But, it also would make a great gift for neighbors, teachers, friends or family.

Tie it up with a pretty red bow and stick it in a paperboard bakery box. Delicious homemade gifts that say “I appreciate you” – done!

Slices of vegan date bread on a wood cutting board.

Vegan Date Bread

I hope you guys love this Vegan Date Bread as much as we do. If you try it, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback and star rating.

You can also find me on social media. Snap a quick pic and be sure to tag @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it!

Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes
vegan-date-bread
Print
Vegan Date Bread (gluten free, oil free)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Perfectly sweet, soft, and moist Vegan Date Bread made with no eggs, no oil, and no refined sugar. Perfect for the holidays and gifting to neighbors, teachers, friends, or family.
Course: Bread, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: dairy free, egg free, gluten free, refined sugar free, soy free, vegan
Keyword: date nute bread, sweet quick bread recipes
Servings: 6 mini loaves
Calories: 200 kcal
Author: Jenn S.
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 6-cavity mini loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, pour the hot water over the dates and let them soak while you prepare the batter.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the chopped pecans.
  4. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the aquafaba, almond butter, molasses, apple cider vinegar, and water from the dates.
  5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until combined.
  6. Stir them dates into the batter.
  7. Spoon the batter evenly into each cavity of the loaf pan.
  8. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.
  9. Let cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pan and continue to let cool on the wire rack.
Recipe Notes

Nutrition facts calculated assuming 2 servings per mini loaf.

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Date Bread (gluten free, oil free)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 156mg 7%
Potassium 99mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 19g
Protein 3g 6%
Calcium 3%
Iron 3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.


More Holiday Treats to Love:

Chocolate Almond Cookies

Chocolate Almond Cookies

Classic Vegan Toffee Bars

Vegan Toffee Bars

Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Biscotti

Whole Wheat Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Biscotti

Comments

  1. Julia Stearns @ Healthirony says

    Absolutely love your creative idea with Vegan date bread! Can I post it on my blog? Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Jenn Sebestyen says

      Thanks, Julia. You may post a link to my blog post, but please do not post the recipe in full.

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Is there a reason you don’t want to use the aquafaba? I find it really is the best egg replacer – making baked goods fluffy and soft. That being said, you could try an equivalent amount of flax egg..or maybe another egg replacer. I can’t guarantee your results will be exactly the same though as I haven’t tried it myself. Let me know what you decide.

      Reply

      • Lana says

        Flax egg is perfect! Thank you!!! My stomach doesn’t do well with aquafaba and garbanzo in general.

        Reply

          • Lana says

            It turned out amazing!!! Super soft, flavorful and oh, so good! Thank you so much! I used raisins instead of nuts and we love it.

    • Chris Voci-Nam says

      There were a few times that I did not have Aqua Faba and used the flax eggs and a bit more plant based milk and the results were excellent! Oh, and I also added some cinammon and swapped out pecans with walnuts and that was a great addition.

      LOVE this bread!

      Reply

  3. Melissa says

    Just made this recipe as one large loaf, and it turned out great! Increased the cooking time to about an hour, and it rose beautifully.

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Hi, Melissa! So glad you loved it! And great to know it worked as a full loaf! I’ve actually never done it that way because I love to give it as gifts and the smaller size is perfect for that. Thank you for your comment!

      Reply

  5. Melissa says

    This date bread looks scrumptious! I could eat this for breakfast without feeling guilty! My son would love it, too. He’s a big fan of dates. I’ve been meaning to try this flour and I think it’s about time 🙂

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      I can tell you for certain that it is, indeed, delicious for breakfast! 🙂 Thanks, Melissa! I hope you guys love it.

      Reply

  8. Mandy says

    These little loaves are adorable and so perfect for a sweet holiday gift! I can’t believe I’ve never had date bread before, but I’m 100% sure I’d love it – especially with pecans – I love pecans in baked goods. I’m so intrigued by baking in cans??? What a crazy idea! But since I’m a huge fan of crust, I’m guessing your version is more up my alley 😉 I actually have some mini loaf pans begging to be used…I think I’ll have to try this for my family!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      I’m surprised at how many people have never had date bread. It’s definitely a lovely holiday treat. Baking in cans is an old tradition that started when metals were hard to come by. People would clean and reuse cans instead of buying specialty baking pans. Obviously before we knew about the hazards of BPA! I hope you guys love this Date Bread!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Thank you, Emily. I was feeling festive! And my mother-in-law always gifts it at the holidays, so it made total sense! 🙂

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Yes! I’ve used blends in the past that claim to be 1:1, but they turned out crumbly, chalky, or gummy. This one worked so well! I actually trialed it with their all-purpose flour too and ended up liking the 1:1 better! 🙂

      Reply

  15. jacquie says

    this looks great. Could I use a flax egg instead of the aquafaba? I rarely buy canned chickpeas so I don’t have any available. If so, how many “eggs” are in the recipe? thanks.

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Hi, Jacquie. Flax won’t give the bread the rise that aquafaba does. You can find organic chickpeas at Walmart for less than $1. I think it’d be worth the buy here. Not saying it won’t be good with flax, but it will be a different texture for sure. It’s about 2 “eggs” for this recipe.

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      I love gifts that I can eat. So much more practical, don’t you think?! 🙂 Thanks, Lindsay!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Really? Maybe it’s just a midwest thing? I hope you get a chance to try it. Thanks, Kerri!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      I’m surprised at the number of people who have never had it before. Here I thought it was pretty common, but maybe just in the midwest? Thanks, Dianne!

      Reply

  21. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

    Where has this holiday deliciousness been hiding all my life, I put dates in almost everything yet I’ve never had date bread!? And with molasses in there too, mmmm I can see myself going back for a second (and maybe a third!) slice for sure <3

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      I can’t believe you’ve never had date bread! Now, you need to come up with a version that is ONLY date sweetened!!

      Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Thanks, Laura. There is definitely sugar in this bread also, but only unrefined. Hope you love it.

      Reply

  26. Vivian | stayaliveandcooking says

    Ohh that looks delicious! I love that you have a “food tradition” in your family, I think we need one too. And trial and error is usually the way the best recipes are created! I’m very curious about date bread, will have to taste it some time… Love the photos!

    Reply

    • Jenn S. says

      Thank you so much, Vivian! I love the tradition too and look forward to it every year. I hope you give it a try. Have a great week!

      Reply

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My name is Jenn. This is my blog where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

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