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
I try to make this every year for my husband since his mother has passed away and for some reason it will not set. It is very gooey. Can you tell me what I might be doing wrong?
Make sure you have the recommended temperature of 235 degrees.
Stir before testing temp. It can vary from the sides of the pan to the middle.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Cindy!
What kind of cloth? It does matter the material you use. Lol. I try every year to make my great grandmas recipe, but fail ? Soooo…. it’s the towel method. Yes. It does not turn out if I use wax paper, dish towels, etc. I wish I knew the linen my grams used specifically for her date roll.
It was more then likely was cheese cloth
Possibly a flour sack towel (still available at Walmart)? I think it is what my grandmother used. Best candy in the world!
I usually use a cloth diaper or a brand new pillow case butter your cloth before you roll it up and then put it in foil
Flour sack dish towels! My mom and aunt made this every year! Wonderful!!
Beautiful memories. My granny and my mother made this, but with a can of Pet Condensed Milk. I still have the piece of paper with the recipe I wrote down the last time I watched my mother make a date nut roll. I’ll make it this weekend and cry sad happy tears.
Meg,
I know from my own memories that they are so precious and bittersweet. I hope you have a special holiday! Take care Meg. xo
On step number two, am I supposed to bring it to a “boil”? I think the word was omitted. And are you saying to make four rolls?…. and that’s why you have four baking sheets?….. I’m guessing you could use two cookie sheets and put two rolls on each one… is that correct?
Thank you so much for the receipe “Grandmother’s Date Nut Roll”. This is exactly like the receipe that my mom used to make. She passed away three years ago and I have not been able to find her receipe. I have one question. How long do you cook the mixture once it reaches the soft ball stage? Mine did not set up like I believe it should have. It remained soft like caramels but tastes like I remember. Thanks for any additional tips.
This is the recipe my grandmother used to make too! When I asked for the recipe before she died she handed over a card with only the ingredients written on it. She used to make this from memory. I thought it was a lost memory, but you’ve brought it back. Now if I can just recreate it the way Grandma used to make it … Thank YOU!
Oh Lisa,
I am so excited for you! Those family recipes are such wonderful heirlooms and I’m so glad I could play even a small part in helping you rediscover this one from your Grandma! I hope you have a Merry Christmas!
THE RECIPE ” GRANDMOTHER’S DATE NUT ROLL ” IS THE EXACT SAME ONE THAT MY MOTHER MADE….I HAVE LOOKED FOR SO LONG TO REPLACE THIS RECIPE THAT I HAD LOST….CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR PROVIDING THIS FOR ME…IT WILL BE USED MANY TIMES OVER…LINDA FREEMAN
That makes me so happy, Linda! I can’t imagine not having these special recipes from my Grandmother’s and my Mama and am so glad that this is one that has special memories for you, too! Enjoy! xo
I have looked for this recipe for many years. My mom made this each Christmas when I was growing up. I’m 63 now, so you know it was special to still remember it. Thank you so much!
Hi Kaye,
I’m so glad you found it! There’s nothing like those special treats that our mother’s and grandmother’s made, especially around the holidays. I do hope you enjoy it and have a very Merry Christmas!!!
Robyn xo
My Grannie in MS used to make this at Christmas time also. She passed the recipe down to my mother who began making it when we moved here to VA. I am now the candy maker in the family and make tons of “logs” of Date Nut Roll at Christmas. I also make it for Thanksgiving and I just finished off a big chunk Yummm…it’s my favorite! I do have a devil of time rolling them though. Does anyone have any tips or tricks to roll them? I used the “wet towel” method also but they just never seem to get completely ‘hardened’. Still tastes delicious but messy to eat haha Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas to All!
My Aunt Frankie lived in middle Georgia and used pecans out of her yard to make these. I have her recipe but I never could make it work. Old terms like; 1 box of dates, about an egg shape of butter, pinch of this, etc. I really thank you for this recipe! It is one of my favorite candies and memories. Aunt Frankie would roll these candies up into a log and hand press whole, perfect pecan halves over the outside. Adults got a whole log, we kids only got slices. Now I can have a whole log to myself!
Robyn this was made by my mother when I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s,thank you for posting this I never found her recipe. She used a wet towel also to roll hers. What size baking sheets do you use? Would anyone tell me how to roll it by the towel method?
WE used a clean dishtowel or tea towel; wet it then wring it out good. Pour candy directly on the wet towel to make a roll and then roll it up in the towel. Our roll was about 2 inches in diameter and maybe 10 inches long. Let cool and then gradually unroll from the towel, slice and enjoy. Generally that towel was not worth much so we’d toss it. LOL
My mother’s recipe says wrap in a buttered cloth!