Grandmother’s Date Nut Roll Recipe
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Date Nut Roll Candy is a traditional, Southern candy served during the holidays. This recipe is easy to follow and a family-favorite!
Every year for Christmas, my Grandmother Verdie would spend a day in the kitchen making family-favorite candy recipes that had been given to her from my Granddaddy’s aunt.
As Grandmother would test to see if her candy was ready by dropping bits into a bowl of water to see if it had reached just the right stage, she’d tell us of favorite Christmases when she was a child. She’d tear up and tell us of the year her family had nothing for Christmas, yet the kindness of friends, family and even strangers supplied even more than she could have prayed for that year. She’d continue on to tell us of funny Christmas stories from her childhood and later when she grew up and had a family of her own.
So this year as I am in the kitchen with my Mama and Little Buddy baking and making candies to share with family and friends, I can’t help but think of my Grandmother and even my Great-Great Aunt Lorene whom I never had the opportunity to meet. I think of the strangers who blessed my Grandmother’s family that one special Christmas and for so many years after.
But mostly, I think of my Daddy whose favorite Christmas candy was this Date Nut Roll that Grandmother made each year and I am thankful for the life he lived.
I wish you each a very Merry Christmas and pray you have many blessing in the New Year.
Grandmother’s Date Nut Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup butter
- 8 – 10 ounces dried dates, chopped
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Stir milk, sugar and 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter together in a heavy bottom pan over medium high heat. Add dates. Stir constantly while cooking until the temperature reaches 235º F on a candy thermometer or when drops of the mixture into a bowl of cold water reach a soft ball stage.
- Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter and vanilla. Beat until starts to thicken and add chopped pecans.
- Divide onto four baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Carefully spread across parchment paper to form a roll. Roll smoothly and cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Robyn xo
This was always a favorite at Christmas at my Grandmothers and mothers too last Christmas I made some for the family Chritmas and my Uncles went crazy because they had been trying to make it for years after the lost of their mother and my mother who always made it. But the trick they always used was to use a wet dish towel almost twisted dry to pour out the candy on and roll it up in to the log . It always made a beautiful log .
Carol, my Mom was taught by a neighbor and she also rolled the candy into a dish towel.
I made some several right before my Mom passed away and gave each of my siblings some along with some of my other favorite cookies. They all started to reminisce and some cried.
I’m making it agai this year
Precious memories, Elizabeth. I have such vivid memories tied to this candy too. Take care. Thanks so much for sharing. xo
My mother made this, but with the addition of coconut. I remember well the evenings she spent cracking nuts, something I don’t have to do. I also remember that she passed me the stuff to beat as soon as I was old and strong enough too.
Do you know anything about where this recipe may have come from? My maternal grandmother was white and from Missouri (her family goes back to at least before the Civil War) and I’m pretty sure the recipe came from her.
Stories are welcome!
Armen
Armen, my grandma made this too and she was white and from Illinois but not far from Missouri border. Interesting huh? 🙂 My boyfriends mom sent us some dates this year since they grow them all over the valley she lives in and I have been looking for recipes to try out. So glad I found this one!
My Great-Grandmother is white and Cherokee and from MO from before the civil war and we’ve all always made this ‘Date Loaf’ around Christmas. I always wondered about the origin. You don’t hear much about this type of candy.
Robyn – My mama’s name was Verda (but I always called her Verdie as a nickname), and this was her favorite candy at Christmas. I would give anything to make her some this Christmas, but I know Heaven is more special than any candy. Have a truly wonderful and blessed Christmas.
I love this–thanks for sharing!
Delicious and how fun to use your grandmother’s recipe!
Mmm so yummy! Love this!
I had a gramma Verde too. She made date pinwheel cookies. Yumm. Her Christmas specialty was rosettes. This date candy sounds a lot like date skillet roll cookie with rice krispies in them. My favorite
How special, CJ! Those Grandmother Verdie’s {or Verde in your case} are extra special people, aren’t they? Merry Christmas!
My family has made this for years we called it bologna candy(looks like old fashion bologna you slice) and we rolled it in coconut.
Robyn — I have searched high and low for this recipe and plop! …it just landed in my inbox from you!! What a gift!
My grandma made this every Christmas for my entire life up until she passed away several years ago …and I could not find the recipe anywhere (many recipes for ‘date nut loaf’ out there but that’s not hers) This is it! Thank you, thank you!
Merry Christmas!
Sharon, I am sitting here crying now! LOL!
I hope your family has a wonderful Christmas!
I meant to say this is “close” sorry!
I too have searched for my Momma’s recipe. This is lose I think except she used homemade butter and fresh cream….it was so yummy. I’m going to make this 🙂
this is delicious ! merry christmas to you too
Thanks so much! Merry Christmas!
Hello Robyn I am so excited! I have been blessed with your blog!! My Momma passed to Heaven 11/18. I had a fire 4/14 this year, I UNFORTUNATELY lost her precious recipe file. Not only the recipes, but they were in her writing. On your blog I found not only her divinity recipe but also her date roll she made us each Christmas!! Bless you & yours this Holiday season!! 🥰🙃😋 Janet Gilmer
Oh, Janet, I am so sorry you lost your mother and her handwritten recipes. I am thrilled though that my grandmother’s recipes are ones that your mother made for you. These old recipes of our mothers and grandmothers are so precious, aren’t they?
Just in time! I have a huge thing of dates in my fridge from Costco and I’m running out of things to do with them. Question though – since we have nut allergies, what would you suggest subbing for the pecans? Would another dried fruit like cranberries work?
Yay! I’m so glad! My uncle did not eat nuts and my Grandmother would just omit them from a batch of the candy that she made especially for him. You could substitute in another dried fruit like a cranberry or just omit the pecans entirely. I hope you enjoy them! Let me know how they work for you!!!
Nut allergy? Simmer that second stick of butter in a small skillet until it is just starting to brown and taking on a nutty aroma. Look up “browned butter.”