Date Pinwheel Cookies Recipe — Irresistible Swirls of Sweet Date Filling

These vintage Date Pinwheel Cookies are a nostalgic addition to holiday cookie trays. A soft cookie dough is rolled around a sweet, nut-studded date filling to make delightful little pinwheels.

My mother cooked mostly from memory and kept her favorite recipes on cards. Among them was this Date Pinwheel Cookie recipe, stored in a large photo album with magazine clippings and handwritten notes. Her cards left out the obvious steps — she didn’t need to write down mixing order, dough thickness, or exact textures — so over the years I’ve filled in those blanks and shared many of her recipes here so others can recreate our family favorites.

Together with Mom’s Lemon Bars, Pecan Sandies, and Gingerbread Cake, these date pinwheels were a holiday staple in our home. The first bite instantly brings me back to our small living room lit by Christmas lights, Mom baking in the kitchen, and the entire house smelling like holiday cookies. They’re comforting, flavorful, and simple to make.

Ingredient Notes

Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, and a small amount of baking soda.
Wet ingredients: Softened butter, granulated and light brown sugar, an egg, and pure vanilla extract.
Date filling: Chopped fresh dates cooked with a little granulated sugar and water, then combined with chopped nuts. Pecans pair beautifully with dates, but walnuts are a fine alternative.

How to Make Date Pinwheel Cookies

1. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter with ½ cup granulated sugar and the light brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. Combine dough: Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Work the dough with clean hands into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

1. Make the date filling: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine chopped dates, the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, and the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dates break down into a thick paste, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped nuts and remove from heat; let cool.
2. Roll the dough: On a lightly floured piece of wax paper, roll the chilled dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Square the edges with your hands for an even shape.
3. Spread filling and roll: Spread the cooled date filling over the dough, leaving about a ½-inch border so the filling won’t escape. Starting at a long edge, roll the dough carefully into a log.
4. Chill again: Wrap the log in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to firm up for clean slicing.

1. Slice: Using a sharp knife, cut the chilled log into 1/4-inch slices.
2. Bake: Arrange slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10–12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storage Tips

Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. Refrigerate to keep them fresh for up to a week, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 2–3 months.

More Christmas Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

• Chewy Iced Molasses Cookies
• Italian Cookies
• Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
• Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
• Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies

I hope you try these sweet, nostalgic cookies this holiday season. They’re a simple way to bring a bit of family tradition to your table.

Thanks, Mom.

This post was originally published on December 8, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.