Vegan Date Walnut Loaf

Name: Vegan Date Walnut Loaf
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 8 min
Total time: 1 h 38 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup (85 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped; 1½ cups (225 g) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into ¼-inch pieces (about 12 dates); ¾ cup (180 ml) boiling water; 1½ tsp (7 g) baking soda; 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled; 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder; 1 tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; ½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened plant milk (soy or oat), at room temperature; ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed; ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower); 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar; 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract; ¼ cup (30 g) walnut halves, broken into large pieces

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A moist, deeply caramel-sweet whole wheat quick bread built on soaked Medjool dates and toasted walnuts. It's completely vegan, needs no eggs or butter, and slices cleanly once cooled.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 8 min
Wait: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 3 hr 8 min
Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices)

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the loaf
¾ cup (85 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
1½ cups (225 g) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into ¼-inch pieces (about 12 dates)
¾ cup (180 ml) boiling water
1½ tsp (7 g) baking soda
2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
1 tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened plant milk (soy or oat), at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower)
1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
For the topping
¼ cup (30 g) walnut halves, broken into large pieces

Equipment (9)

9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan
Parchment paper
Rimmed baking sheet
Medium heatproof bowl
Large mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Wire cooling rack
Aluminum foil
Toothpick or wooden skewer

Steps

Before you start

Plan on about 3 hours start to finish; the loaf needs at least 1 hour of cooling before slicing or it will be gummy.
Use soft Medjool dates if you can. If your dates are firm or dry, soak them 5 minutes longer.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or better, weigh it. Packed whole wheat flour makes a dense loaf.
Bring a kettle of water to a boil before you start.

1
Preheat and line panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly grease a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment that hangs over the two long sides by 2 inches (5 cm) to act as handles.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 350°F (175°C) and pan is lined.
Tip: The parchment handles let you lift the loaf out cleanly without breaking the tender crumb.
2
Toast the walnutsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Spread the ¾ cup (85 g) chopped walnuts and the ¼ cup (30 g) topping walnut pieces on a rimmed baking sheet in separate piles.
- Toast at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes, stirring once halfway.
- Remove the topping pieces if they darken sooner.
- Cool on the pan.
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Ready when: Walnuts smell nutty and look slightly darker and golden at the edges.
Tip: Walnuts burn quickly and turn bitter; pull them as soon as they smell toasty.
3
Soak the dates
- Place the chopped dates in a medium heatproof bowl and sprinkle the baking soda over them.
- Pour in the ¾ cup (180 ml) boiling water; it will foam briefly.
- Stir, then let stand 15 minutes, stirring once or twice and mashing a few dates against the bowl.
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Ready when: Dates are very soft and the liquid looks thick, dark and jammy; the bowl is warm, not hot.
Tip: Do not drain the dates. The soaking liquid is what moistens the loaf.
4
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt for about 30 seconds so the leaveners are evenly distributed.
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Ready when: No streaks of cinnamon or clumps of baking powder remain.
5
Mix the wet ingredients
- Once the date mixture is warm or cool to the touch, stir in the plant milk, brown sugar, oil, apple cider vinegar and vanilla until the sugar mostly dissolves, about 1 minute.
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Ready when: The mixture is glossy and uniformly brown, with no oil pooling on top.
Tip: If the date mixture is still hot, let it cool a few minutes first so it doesn't prematurely activate the leaveners.
6
Fold the batter
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Fold with a spatula just until no dry flour is visible, about 15 strokes.
- Fold in the ¾ cup toasted chopped walnuts.
- The batter will be thick and scoopable.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets remain and the batter is thick, like a heavy muffin batter.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes the loaf tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears.
7
Fill the pan
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
- Scatter the toasted walnut pieces over the surface and press them in gently.
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Ready when: Batter fills the pan about two-thirds full with an even surface.
Tip: Bake right away; the baking soda and vinegar begin reacting as soon as they are mixed.
8
Bake the loafOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes.
- After 35 minutes, loosely tent the loaf with foil if the top or walnuts are browning too fast.
- Start checking at 55 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center.
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Ready when: The top is deep brown and springs back lightly, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter). A few sticky date smears are fine.
Tip: A toothpick that hits a chopped date can look wet; test in a second spot to be sure.
9
Cool the loaf
- Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Use the parchment handles to lift it onto the rack and cool for at least 60 minutes more before slicing.
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Ready when: The loaf feels barely warm to the touch and the bottom is no longer steamy.
Tip: Slicing too early makes the center gummy and crumbly.
10
Slice and serve
- Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut the loaf into 10 slices about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick.
- Serve plain, toasted, or spread with vegan butter or nut butter.
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Ready when: Slices hold together with a moist, dense crumb.

Good to know

Tips

Chop the dates with a lightly oiled knife to stop them sticking.
Use unsweetened plant milk to keep the sweetness balanced; the dates and brown sugar supply plenty.
Check your baking soda is fresh by dropping a pinch into hot water; it should fizz immediately.
For a shinier crust, brush the top with 1 tablespoon maple syrup right after baking.

Make ahead

"Bake the loaf up to 2 days ahead; the flavor deepens and the texture becomes even more moist. Wrap tightly once fully cool."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: wrap tightly or keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Fridge: up to 7 days. Freezer: wrap slices individually in plastic and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat slices in a toaster or in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or thaw overnight at room temperature."

Substitutions

walnuts → pecans. Use the same weight; toast the same way. For a nut-free loaf, use pumpkin seeds.
whole wheat flour → half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. Gives a lighter, softer crumb; use 120 g of each. The bake time stays the same.
light brown sugar → coconut sugar or maple sugar. Use the same weight; the loaf will be slightly less sweet and a bit more caramel-like.
unsweetened plant milk (soy or oat) → any unsweetened plant milk such as almond. Keep it unsweetened so the loaf isn't too sweet.