This Irish oat bread with dates and hazelnuts is decadent with an irresistibly deep and nutty sweetness that pairs perfectly with whipped butter.
I just recently shared a recipe for Irish oat bread with raisins. I learned that recipe from an Irish cookbook from the mid-century, and we totally fell in love with it upon first bite. The chewiness and crunchy bits from the steel-cut oats and nuts works so nicely with dried fruit.
For my Galentine’s Day party, I bought thin toasts for my charcuterie board. I wish I could remember who made them, but they had bits of dates and hazelnuts in them. I absolutely loved the combination. After I made the Irish oat loaf with raisins, I immediately thought of those toasts and knew I needed an Irish oat bread with dates and hazelnuts.
The next day, I got to work and made my dream a reality. It turned out just as deliciously as I could have imagined.
Personally, I give the edge to the date and hazelnut variation just because the combination is just so heavenly. Dates bring a deep sweetness, almost like molasses, to this oat loaf making it feel so decadent and rich. It’s really a beautiful loaf that I think you and your family would love for a St. Patrick’s day breakfast!
This recipe uses the original Irish oat bread with raisins as its base, so many of the steps are the same as what’s found in that post!
How to make Irish oat bread with dates and hazelnuts
This recipe is so beyond easy to make, and you only need a handful of ingredients.
What you need
- Irish oat meal: Irish oat meal, or Irish oats, is another name for steel-cut oats. These are coarsely cut whole oat groats (a hulled oat) which have a chewier texture and more intense flavor than rolled oats. Don’t replace Irish oats with rolled oats or with quick-cooking steel-cut oats in this recipe as the chewiness of the oats is what makes this bread so tasty!
- Bread ingredients: Beyond the oats, you’ll add butter, honey, egg, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt to the bread.
- Fruit and nuts: This recipe uses chopped dates and hazelnuts.
How to make it
- Step 1: Soak the oats. Cover the oats with 1¼ cup boiling water. Soak for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours at room temperature. The oats should be tender, but not mushy.
- Step 2: Add butter and honey. Melt butter and add it to the oats along with honey and stir to combine.
- Step 3: Add milk, egg, and dry ingredients. Whisk together the milk and egg and set aside. Add flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add half the egg and milk mixture to the oats and stir until combined. Add half the flour and stir until combined. Alternate adding the remaining egg and milk and flour and stir until the ingredients are well-combined.
- Step 4: Add the fruit and nuts. Fold in the dates and hazelnuts and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Step 5: Let cool. Remove the oat bread from the oven and turn out onto a wire baking rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Step 6: Make the whipped butter. While the bread cools, combine the butter and milk in a small bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until light and fluffy. It should be pale yellow in color. Transfer to the refrigerator until needed.
From there, you’re ready to serve it up. You can serve it with just fresh fruit on the side or with the whipped butter. However you eat it, you will be in love with this decadent, sweet Irish oat bread!
How long does oat bread with raisins last
Oat bread with raisins will last for 3 to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container. While you can refrigerate it, it’s better to keep the bread at room temperature.
How to freeze oat bread with raisins
If you want to freeze the oat bread, let it cool completely first. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in aluminum foil. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag. Store the bread in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can freeze the bread as a loaf or you can wrap and freeze individual slices of oat bread.
How long will the homemade whipped butter keep?
Keep the whipped butter in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 10 days. If it’s like my house, it won’t last 10 days in the refrigerator with that oat loaf on the counter!
Irish Oat Bread with Dates and Hazelnuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup Irish oat meal (or use steel-cut oats)
- 1¼ cup boiling water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup butter (melted)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups chopped dates
- ½ cup hazelnuts (roughly chopped)
For serving:
- ½ cup Kerrygold butter (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
Soak the oats:
- Place the oats in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water on top. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Prepare the dry ingredients:
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Prepare the wet ingredients:
- Whisk together the egg and milk in a separate bowl.
Prepare the bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Add the melted butter and honey to the prepared oats and stir until combined.
- Add half the milk and egg mixture and stir until combined. Add half the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Alternately add the rest of the milk and eggs and flour and stir until combined.
Add the fruit and nuts:
- Fold the dates and hazelnuts into the mixture. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake the oat loaf:
- Transfer the bread to the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool the bread:
- Remove the bread from the oven and turn onto a baking rack. Let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Make the whipped butter:
- Add the Kerrygold butter to a mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of milk. Use an electric mixer to beat until light and fluffy. Transfer to the refrigerator until needed.
To serve:
- Slice the oat bread and serve with whipped butter on top. Enjoy!
This loaf is so dense, so flavorful, and completely satisfying. One piece is almost an entire meal. The recipe was easy to follow and needed no substitutions or tweaking to make it work.
On a personal note, I am SO grateful to have found these recipes via your regular postings on imgur. I tried this one today and it was as easy, tasty, and interesting as all the others I’ve attempted. Thanks so much for the helpful pictures, descriptions, and for the incredible food I’ve been cranking out lately!!
I’m so thrilled to hear this — thank you!
I think the crackers you were thinking of are Raincoat Crisps. If not they are very similar and I am sure you would enjoy them.