Vegan Coffee-Infused Spiced Date & Walnut Loaf
This delicious coffee-infused loaf is lightly-spiced with warming cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, andand loaded full of soft dates and crunchy walnut pieces. An absolutely irresistible treat for the fall, winter, and holiday seasons, but with a dose of nourishing whole wheat grains from whole wheat flour.
Raise your hand if you love Medjool dates. 🙋♀️ If you’re not raising your hand right now, I’m going to assume it’s because you’ve never TRIED Medjool dates. I mean, what’s not to love?! They’ve got an incredibly delicious, caramel-like flavor and irresistibly soft, even gooey texture. While I love eating them plain (they really are a delight on their own!) and incorporating them into smoothies and energy balls, one of my favorite foods to pair them with is walnuts (like I did to form the crust of my key lime cheesecake bars)! It’s a classic flavor combo: there’s just something about dates and walnuts together that makes them even more irresistible! The crunchy, earthiness of the walnuts with the sweetness of the dates is an absolutely perfect pairing.
I’ve been pondering creating some sort of baked good with these two ingredients for a while, and I finally landed on a loaf cake because it can withstand an almost absurd amount of extra flavor add-ins (i.e. tons of dates and walnuts!) without losing its structure. Consider this loaf to be my homage to the classic date and walnut flavor combo, but enhanced with subtle spicing, complementary coffee flavor, and some extra nutty flavor notes from the whole wheat flour. It’s quite the treat, and I think you’ll love it as much as I do!
Why You’ll Love this Date & Walnut Loaf
Loaded with delicious flavors and textures. First and foremost, let’s talk flavors. This bread has a lightly spiced, nutty, and espresso-infused base that’s generously filled with tons (and I do mean tons) of soft Medjool dates and walnut pieces.The gooey dates amp up the sweetness, while the crunchy bits of walnuts perfectly contrast the ultra soft texture of the dates. The espresso (or coffee), combined with some light spicing, helps flavor the base of the bread while also amplifying the classic date and walnut flavor pairing. Dates and walnuts together: great. But dates, walnuts, and espresso? Mindblowing. 🤯 This loaf’s got the perfect balance of everything: nutty, sweet, crunchy, gooey, and subtle but rich espresso/coffee notes to create a delicious loaf that’s guaranteed to make you crave another slice!
Incorporates nourishing whole plant foods. Sure, this loaf is a treat. But who said we can’t incorporate whole foods into treats - especially without comprising any deliciousness?! In most baked good scenarios, incorporating whole grain flour poses a challenge. But in this bread? The whole wheat pastry flour actually amplifies the flavor of the loaf by adding in more flavor depth and nutty notes. A whole grain flour that actually makes a loaf taste even better 😍 - sounds crazy, right?! But trust me, it works. It’s not just about the whole grains, though - this loaf is loaded full of dates and walnuts. Together, these whole foods add in extra fiber and nutrients into this delicious treat!
Perfect during fall, winter, and the holidays. Caramel-y dates, roast-y nuts, classic fall and winter spices, and coffee. Alone, each of these is a classic colder weather flavor, but together, they create a richly flavored loaf that’s great during the holiday season, but equally (or perhaps even more!) wonderful anytime during late fall and winter. It’s something you’ll still enjoy baking and eating post-holiday mania in the cold January through March months since it doesn’t have season-specific flavors (like pumpkin, gingerbread, etc.) and relies on pantry staples like walnuts and dates. *Activate cozy vibes for all the cold months!*
Ingredient Overview
All-purpose flour. To create a tender-textured bread while allowing the coffee, date, and walnut flavors to shine through, we use plain all-purpose flour for ⅔ of the base.
Whole wheat pastry flour. To add in some nutty flavor notes and whole grain goodness without making the loaf dense! I know this may sound counterintuitive, but the whole wheat flour actually amplifies the nutty flavors of this loaf, so I don’t recommend swapping it out with more all-purpose flour. In fact, the first recipe version I tested used 100% all-purpose flour, and it didn’t taste nearly as good or interesting as the final versions - it was actually a bit plain and boring! So embrace the whole grain!
Whole wheat pastry flour has a lower protein content than regular white whole wheat flour, meaning it will produce a more tender crumb, so I recommend buying whole wheat pastry flour for the best flavor and texture. And as a bonus, since it’s ground from the entire grain kernel (which contains the endosperm, bran, and germ), it contains all the fiber, protein, vitamins, and various micronutrients found in the whole grain, so it also gives this loaf a bonus nutrient boost!
Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. For some subtle, warming notes that complement the flavors of the dates and walnuts.
Baking soda, baking powder, and salt. The leaveners, plus salt for texture and flavor balance.
Light brown sugar. To sweeten the loaf! Because brown sugar contains molasses, it has a richer and bolder flavor than cane sugar, which pairs especially well with rich, caramel-y dates and espresso. 🤤
Neutral oil. The source of fat in the loaf, which is necessary for adding in lots of moisture! Any neutral oil (such as avocado, grapeseed, sunflower, etc.) will work, but whenever possible, opt for a “high oleic” variety (you can sometimes check the nutrition label to see if your oil is “high-oleic”)! High-oleic oils have a much higher content of monounsaturated fats than other neutral vegetable oils, so they are the more healthful option when it comes to choosing an oil.
Applesauce. Helps tenderize the loaf’s base while also adding some extra moisture and sweetness.
Espresso mixed with hot water OR strongly-brewed coffee. For those complementary coffee flavor notes, while also providing an acidic component for the baking soda (a base) to reach with so that the loaf can rise. Science! 🤓 Depending on the type of coffee brewing mechanism you have at home, you can either use freshly brewed espresso mixed with hot water (think Americano!) like I did, or you can substitute strong-brewed coffee.
Vanilla extract. For warmth!
Apple cider vinegar. Just a splash to ensure a nice rise.
Medjool dates and walnuts. The namesake ingredients! Soft, tender caramel-y dates and crunchy walnut pieces are studded (read: loaded 😂) throughout the batter to create an insanely delicious loaf with contrasting soft and crunchy textures and complementary flavors. Plus, both dates and walnuts are antioxidant-rich whole plant foods, and they add in fiber and lots of nutrients and vitamins!
In particular, dates are incredibly sweet (80% sugar by volume!!), so they’re actually the primary source of sweetness in this loaf, while also providing us with potassium and copper (among other nutrients). Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), which is beneficial for heart health.
Tips for Baking this Date and Walnut Loaf
Use a scale to weigh the flour and sugar. Baking is a very specific science, and any deviations from the exact quantities can turn a perfectly textured baked bread into a mushy or dense one! For the most consistent results, make sure you weigh out the exact quantities of flour (too little flour = mushy bread; too much flour = dense and dry bread) and sugar.
Don’t have a food scale? Use the “spoon and level” method to measure out the flour (here’s a detailed guide on how to do that). For the brown sugar, measure it out by lightly packing a 1-cup measuring cup. These two tips will get you fairly close to the exact gram measurements!
Use very soft Medjool dates. In order to get those soft chunks of dates in your baked loaf, you’ll want to start with very soft, fresh dates. Found some dates in the back of your pantry that have turned semi-hard? No worries - you can rehydrate them and make them soft again! Simply cover them with boiling hot water, allow them to soak for 5-10 minutes, then drain and proceed with pitting and chopping them as you would with fresh dates.
Use an electric mixer for the batter. For the most tender and fluffy loaf structure, I’ve found that using a handheld electric mixer works better than hand mixing with a spatula. Or, at the very least, it does the job a lot faster since the electric mixer is better at incorporating all the wet ingredients thoroughly without much effort on your part. Then, when you add in the dry ingredients, just make sure to use the lowest speed setting to avoid overmixing the batter. Which leads me to the next tip...
Do not overmix. As with any quick bread, mix the batter just until the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated in with the wet ingredients to form a batter. And then switch to a silicone spatula to fold in those walnuts and dates!
Bake the batter ASAP after mixing. Once the dry ingredients touch the wet ingredients, baking soda begins reacting immediately to release carbon dioxide, which creates little pockets that help the loaf rise. This means you’ll want to work quickly to mix everything together and get that loaf into the oven to bake ASAP so you don’t lose any rising power!
Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. After it’s done baking, you’ll want to let the loaf cool completely (about 3 full hours) before digging in (tough to do - I KNOW). Not only does this allow the structure to form completely, but cooling it also allows the flavors to come through (you won’t be able to taste the delicious coffee notes when it’s warm). My advice? Bake it the night and allow it to cool overnight so you can eat some for breakfast!
Coffee-Infused Spiced Date & Walnut Loaf
Vegan
Ingredients
160 grams / 1⅓ cups (spooned & leveled) all-purpose flour*
80 grams / ⅔ cups (spooned & leveled) whole wheat pastry flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
⅓ cup neutral oil (such as sunflower, avocado, grapeseed, safflower, etc.)
128 grams / ⅔ cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
6 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso + ½ cup and 2 tablespoons hot water (to equal ¾ cups total volume)** OR ¾ cups strong-brewed hot coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 packed cup (225 grams) very soft Medjool dates***, pitted then chopped
1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 9x5 sized loaf pan with parchment paper, letting the excess paper hang over the sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves), and salt.
In a large bowl, use an electric handheld mixer to beat together the brown sugar and oil until combined. Add in the applesauce, espresso/hot water mix or coffee, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar and continue mixing together until thoroughly combined.
Add in the dry ingredients and use the lowest setting on your hand mixer to gently fold all the ingredients together until just combined, being careful not to overmix. (I like to do this in two rounds, adding the second half of the dry ingredients once the first is mostly incorporated.) Add the chopped walnuts and dates and switch to a rubber spatula to gently fold them into the better.
Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and use the spatula to smooth out the top.
Bake for about 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at an angle near the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool for 15 minutes inside the loaf pan. After 15 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool fully (about 3 hours) before slicing.
Notes:
*If you don’t have a food scale, measure the flour using the “spoon and level” method. To do this, “fluff” the flour to aerate it. Then, spoon the flour into a measuring cup until it overflows slightly, and use the back of a knife to “level” the excess flour off the top.
**The easiest way to measure the espresso/water mix is to fill a measuring cup with 6 tablespoons of espresso, then add in hot water until you reach the ¾ cup mark, making sure to measure the liquid at eye level. (You’re essentially diluting the espresso down into an Americano.) Alternatively, you can substitute the espresso with ¾ cup coffee.
***If your dates aren’t soft, place them in a bowl, cover them with hot water, and allow them to sit and soften for 5-10 minutes. Then drain and proceed with pitting and chopping them as written.
****Recipe originally published 11/10/2021; last updated 6/24/2022.
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