This Coffee Date Walnut Bread is the most rich and flavorful bread you’ll ever taste! Loaded with coffee-soaked dates, walnuts, and a ton of spice, this moist and rich Coffee Date Walnut Bread is bathed in a coffee glaze!
I know this Coffee Date Walnut Bread sounds like something your great-grandmother would offer you, and I know that dates and walnuts aren’t exactly trendy, but hear me out.
I’ll give you this though: it was inspired by a family recipe for Icebox cake, a recipe found in my great-grandmother’s recipe box. So, it is a bit old-fashioned, but it’s got so much going for it.
I don’t know why I called this Coffee Date Walnut Bread a bread? I don’t want to go back and change everything in the post, including all the behind-the-scenes type stuff, so we’ll just leave this as a ‘bread’ but it’s maybe closer to a loaf cake. It’s not quite cake, but a little more dessert-like than just quick bread. Okay, movin’ on.
It’s practically sticky. It’s soft and sticky, and it’s almost got an ooey-gooey quality to it.
This is in large part from combining hot coffee and chopped dates, and letting them stew and hang out. That’s how this recipe starts out, by soaking dates in hot coffee. The coffee breaks down the dates, and they become soft and sticky. The coffee gives deeper, richer flavor to the dates.
Then there’s walnuts. They add crunch and nuttiness. And let’s not forget spices. There’s no shortage of spice, and a few different ones come together in this bread, giving it lots of warmth and dimension.
Lastly, this Coffee Date Walnut Bread is bathed in a coffee glaze. Eep. The glaze is almost always the best part of a baked good, am I right?
There’s about 8,000 things happening in this Coffee Date Walnut Bread (aka, loaf cake) and they all equal richness and stickiness. It’s one of the most moist and flavorful breads I’ve ever tasted, and it’s on my short list of new favorite fall recipes. For breakfast, with coffee.
Coffee Date Walnut Bread with Coffee Glaze
Ingredients
For Coffee Date Walnut Bread:
- 2 1/2 c. chopped dates
- 1 1/2 c. fresh hot coffee
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. clove
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
For Coffee Glaze:
- 2 tbsp. coffee
- 1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
- 3 tbsp. melted butter
- 2 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
For Coffee Date Walnut Bread:
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In a large bowl, combine dates, coffee, and baking soda. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and salt.
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In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together.
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Beat in egg and vanilla.
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Add flour mixture alternately with date mixture.
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Fold in walnuts.
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Pour batter into a greased or parchment paper-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
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Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
For Coffee Glaze:
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In a small bowl, whisk together coffee, coffee granules, melted butter, and powdered sugar.
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If it needs thinned or thickened, add more coffee or powdered sugar, as needed, to achieve desired consistency.
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Drizzle glaze over cooled bread. Cut and serve.
Loosely adapted from Taste of Home, and an old family recipe.
Medha says
October 25, 2016 at 9:03 amI love the denseness of this rich loaf cake – dates and walnuts were made to go together 🙂
Sarah says
October 26, 2016 at 12:55 pmThanks, girl!
Jenni says
October 25, 2016 at 10:42 amThis is glorious! I saw your share to my Fearless Friends group, and I just had to come over and tell you you’re a genius. Soaking the dates in coffee! Such a great idea! I think you could get away with calling this a Sticky Toffee Coffee Pudding Cake too. 🙂
Sarah says
October 26, 2016 at 12:55 pmLOL! Oh, that’s true! I hadn’t thought about that!! That would’ve been a great title for this recipe. I’m so glad you like it! 🙂 The coffee just makes it all taste so rich and intense! Thanks, Jenni. 🙂
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
October 30, 2016 at 5:05 pmThe Thanksgiving morning treat – add a cup of coffee – relax before the rush! Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up and don’t forget to leave a comment at the party – Next week’s features that also leave a comment get pinned, yummed and tweeted!
Sarah says
November 2, 2016 at 8:57 pmYES!! Such a perfect way to start a morning!
Patty says
November 1, 2016 at 7:47 amThis looks delicious! It’s been years since I’ve had a sophisticated dessert like this. My 6 and almost 4 year old are doughnut kids and hubby is pretty picky when it comes to eating but I may have to make this for myself this Christmas break when I have the time to bake myself a treat or two. Thanks for putting this on the turn it up Tuesday link party!
Sarah says
November 2, 2016 at 9:08 pmAwww, thank you!! I know, it kind of feels like an old-fashioned recipe, doesn’t it? But it’s still so wonderful! The flavors are divine!
Lindsey says
November 4, 2016 at 11:45 amYum! This looks so good it’s making me hungry! Thanks for sharing for the Home Matters Link Party.
Lindsey
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
November 5, 2016 at 9:25 pmOh I love that coffee is baked right into this bread and glaze. It looks like the perfect morning treat! Thanks for sharing with us at Pretty Pintastic Party and I hope you’ll join us at my Small Victories Sunday Linkup that just started for this week too!
Theresa @DearCreatives says
November 10, 2016 at 11:40 pmLooks so good! Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. PInned & Shared
Gale says
November 4, 2018 at 9:22 amIs the amount of butter correct 2 TBSP ?? I would think you need more. Please email me directly.
Sarah says
November 4, 2018 at 9:43 amIt’s correct! That recipe is loosely based on this recipe:https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/date-pecan-tea-bread/.
I’ll add the link to that recipe in mine. I should’ve when I published it, but probably forgot. Thanks for checking, Gale!