Quick Summary
Spicy, soft, and moist persimmon cookies with raisins and a sweet orange glaze. This persimmon cookie recipe uses ripe Hachiya persimmons.
It’s December which means it’s time to turn on the ovens and get baking. My holiday baking list is long so I can’t waste any time. I asked Josh if he had any requests for Christmas cookies this year and of course he added his favorite Lime Coconut Snowballs and Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles to the list, but he also asked if we could make Persimmon Cookies. I looked at him with a blank stare. I’ve never even had a persimmon or a persimmon cookie. Josh said his mom used to make Persimmon Cookies every year and he loved them. Well, Josh’s mom came to visit us last week from California and brought us a bag full of persimmons. Guess what we made? Yep, a batch of Josh’s mom’s famous Persimmon Cookies.
Josh’s mom had to show me what to do with a persimmon. I was clueless:) I guess there are two kinds of persimmons, Fuyu and Hachiyas, we used Hachiyas persimmons, which are better for baking. Make sure your persimmons are nice and ripe. We scooped out the pulp from the fruit to use in our cookies. The pulp is bright orange and sort of slimy:) I was a little afraid, but Josh’s mom promised me it was going to produce a good cookie…and she was right:)
The cookies have a few of my favorite spices-cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The cookies also have raisins in them. If you are a raisin hater, you can leave them out or add dried cranberries, but we love our raisins:) Josh’s mom sometimes adds walnuts to the cookies, but since Josh is allergic, we left them out. The cookies have a cake-like texture and are super soft. They aren’t the prettiest cookie on their own, but the orange glaze dresses them up a bit and compliments the spices.
A big thanks to Josh’s mom for sharing her Persimmon cookie recipe. We will be baking these cookies every holiday season from now on. It will be our family tradition. I am sure Caleb will love these cookies, just like his daddy:)
Persimmon Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup persimmon pulp, from 2-3 persimmons
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional, we omitted
- 1 cup raisins
For the orange glaze:
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in persimmon pulp, egg, and vanilla. Slowly add in the flour mixture until everything is combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using, and raisins.
- Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes or until cookies are brown around the edges and set. Let cool on baking sheets for five minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the orange glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, and zest together. Whisk until smooth. Dip the cookie tops into the glaze and twirl the cookie. Set cookies back on wire rack for glaze to harden.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod
If you like these Persimmon Cookies, you might also like:
This was my first experience using fresh persimmons. I substituted date sugar, which made them darker, and also added another layer of flavor. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!
I am glad you enjoyed the cookies! They are fun ones!
I’m not a baker, but I keep trying and have some recipes from grandmother to mother that I manage to bake delicious! THESE are definitely in the cookie rotation. We had persimmons picked out of our friends ranch in coastal central California. Most we just ate like an apple but I wanted to bake something and found your recipe. My overripe persimmons were perfect for the recipe which I followed exactly! Glazed or not ( well you have to try both ways) the cakey cookie is delicious. A keeper. Thanks for sharing. Take care.
I LOVE THIS RECIEPE!! It’s the first recipe that I’ve EVER use to make persimmon cookies and it’s now my GO TO. I’ve made this recipe at least 8 time and changed it a bit to my own liking. I use slivered almonds instead of walnuts (friends allergies) and I use dried cranberries instead of raisin’s. Great both ways too!!