Date Nut Bread Day

What the day is

Date Nut Bread Day is observed every year on December 22. It celebrates a quick bread built around two simple ingredients: chopped dried dates and nuts, usually walnuts or pecans. The batter leans on baking soda rather than yeast, so there is no kneading and no long rise. The dates are typically softened first in boiling water or hot tea, which breaks them down into a sticky pulp that keeps the finished loaf moist and gives it a deep caramel color.

The result is dense, faintly sweet, and sturdy enough to slice thin. It is often eaten plain, toasted with butter, or spread with cream cheese, a pairing so common that it became a standard tearoom sandwich in mid-century America. Some versions are baked in cans to produce round slices, an old commercial format that a few brands still use.

Origin and background

The origin of the observance itself is not documented, and no founder or sponsoring organization is reliably known. Its placement on December 22 puts it squarely in the baking season, when dried fruit loaves are already common gifts.

The bread has a longer and clearer history than the holiday. Quick breads leavened with chemical agents spread through American home baking in the nineteenth century, and date nut bread became popular as imported dates grew cheaper and date palms were established in California's Coachella Valley in the early twentieth century. Recipes circulated widely in community cookbooks and on the packaging of flour, baking soda, and packaged date brands. During periods when butter and eggs were scarce, the loaf's reliance on fruit for moisture and sweetness made it especially practical.

How to take part

The most direct approach is to bake a loaf. A basic recipe needs little more than pitted dates, boiling water, baking soda, flour, sugar, an egg, a little butter or oil, and a cup of chopped nuts.

• Pour boiling water over the chopped dates with a pinch of baking soda and let them sit until soft before mixing.
• Stir the batter only until combined, since overmixing makes quick breads tough.
• Let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it overnight; the flavor and texture improve by the second day.
• Try pecans instead of walnuts, or add orange zest or a splash of coffee to the soaking liquid.

If baking is not practical, canned or bakery date nut bread works just as well. Slices travel easily, keep for days, and make a reasonable gift for neighbors or coworkers in the last stretch before the holidays. Serving it with tea or strong coffee is traditional.