February 3, 2019 By Janice Pattie 43 Comments

Date and Walnut Scones

Date and Walnut Scones are a delicious sweet tea time treat. And they are so easy to make you can have them on your tea table in 30 minutes. All they need is a little bit of butter because of the intense flavours of the dates and walnuts.

Why make Date and Walnut Scones?

The sweetness of the dates combines so well with the sweet earthy flavour of walnuts. These scones are very easy to make but they really pack a punch of flavour. They are ideal as a snack or to serve as part of afternoon tea or supper.

What ingredients do I need to make Date and Walnut Scones?

stoned and chopped dates
walnut pieces
self-raising flour
baking powder
mixed Spice
butter
light brown soft sugar
milk
demerara sugar optional

A full list of the ingredients and the required quantities is found in the recipe card at the end of this article.

I don’t have self-raising flour, what else can I use?

If you don’t have self-raising flour you can make it at home using plain (all-purpose flour) and baking powder.

This recipe uses 250g self-raising flour therefore you need to add tw0 and a half teaspoons baking powder to plain (all-purpose) flour. This gives you self-raising flour, you will still need to include the additional baking powder as listed in the recipe.

Can I use baking spread instead of butter?

You can use baking spread to make Date and Walnut Scones. You can also use other vegetable spreads as long as they are full fat. Spreadable butter and low-fat spreads are not suitable as they contain a high proportion of water that will affect the recipe.

What can I substitute for light soft brown sugar?

If you don’t have any soft brown sugar, then you can use white caster or granulated sugar. The brown sugar adds a slightly caramelised flavour to the scones but they will still be delicious with white sugar.

What are dates and what kind should I buy?

Dates are the fruit of a date palm. Buy them fresh in season and they are dark and glossy and eat very well with other fruit in a fruit salad or serve them as part of a cheeseboard. I love to eat them with soft French cheese like Brie.

This recipe uses dried dates which are ideal for baking. They are lighter in colour and a bit wrinkly because they have been dried. There are many varieties of dates the most common named varieties are Deglet Noor dates and Medjool dates.

Avoid buying dates which are too sticky and covered in crystalised sugar. Make sure you remove the stones from the centre of the fruit before chopping up to add to your scones.

What are walnuts and what kind should I buy?

Walnuts are the fruit of the walnut tree and, as the picture above, they come in a hard shell. They are often associated with the Christmas holidays, especially in the UK.

One of the great things about walnuts is that they are full of good fats, vitamins and minerals, I buy shelled walnuts for baking, as shelling every time you want to bake is more than I’m prepared to do!

Be aware that shelled walnuts will only stay fresh for 2-3 months. You can freeze shelled walnuts and they will keep for about 12 months.

I don’t like walnuts, what other nuts could I use?

If you are not a fan of walnuts then don’t be put off. You can substitute other nuts such as pecan nuts or chopped hazelnuts.

I’m allergic to nuts, can I leave them out of the recipe?

If you are allergic to nuts nuts, then just leave them out and add extra dates. Just make sure you keep to the same total weight.

What is the demerara sugar for?

I like to brush the tops of the scones with milk and sprinkle them with demerara sugar before baking. It makes them look pretty and is a nice touch if you are entertaining guests. You can use any large crystal sugar or even granulated sugar.

How many scones does the recipe make?

This recipe makes 8 large scones. However, if you want to make smaller scones then use a smaller cookie cutter and you will get a more.

Tips for making great scones

Rub the butter or baking spread thoroughly into the flour, the result should look like fine breadcrumbs
Do not overmix. Gently bring together the mixture and roll or pat it into a thick round before cutting out the scones.
Do not twist your scone cutter, this seals the edges of the dough and stops the scones from rising. Press straight down and lift, if you dust the cutter with flour it will lift off easily.
Keep practicing! When my husband first started to make scones the first two batches were very good but it took him until the third bake before they were perfect.

Vegetarian

These scones are suitable for vegetarians.

Gluten Free

Date and Walnut Scones contain wheat flour and are not suitable for a GF diet.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Date and Walnut Scones?

I like to serve Date and Walnut Scones slightly warm and spread with butter. You can serve jam with the scones but the sweetness of the dates means that you really don’t need it. These scones are also great served with cheese. Dates and walnuts are often part of a cheese board so that combination of cheese makes total sense and is well worth trying.

More Scone Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen

I really love making scones because they are so easy to make and so versatile. Here are some more recipes for different kinds of scones:

Treacle Scones (Scottish)

Treacle Scones are a simple traditional Scottish bake and a variation on the classic oven scone using black treacle as a sweetener.

Check out this recipe

Cranberry Orange Scones

Sweet scones packed with cranberries and orange zest.

Bacon Cheddar Scones

Bacon Cheddar Scones are a fabulous savoury scone packed full of tasty bacon and grated Scottish Cheddar.

Check out this recipe

Make Scones in your Air Fryer

Your air fryer is perfect for baking a small batch of scones try these recipes for delicious Air Fryer Scones.

More Date Recipes