Persimmon Cookies | Family Favorite Recipe

Persimmon Cookies topped with fresh orange juice flavored glaze are on the baking list for the season!

Have you seen those beautiful orange acorn shaped fruits in the stores, but not quite sure what to use them for?  Well, you’ve come to the right place for delicious homemade cookies made with hachiya persimmon pulp!

Persimmon Cookies

If you have never baked with persimmons, then you must give this cookie recipe a try!

Persimmon fruit is delicious in their natural state, but they also add wonderful moisture and flavor to cookies and bread.

When I see persimmons I think of my late grandmother. I can picture her tiny kitchen overflowing with ingredients for her next meal; dishes in the sink, and always a pot of beans or pozole Mexican soup simmering on the stove.

Among all the kitchen chaos, there would also be a paper bag filled with persimmons during the fall months, and peaches in the summer time.

She must have had bearing fruit trees nearby because we would often come home with our own bags of fruits.

What Is A Persimmon?

If you aren’t familiar with persimmons, there are several varieties. I mostly see Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons in the stores.

Fuyus are shaped like little pumpkins and can be eaten like an apple.

The Hachiya persimmons are shaped like an acorn or heart, and this type is what is usually added to baked items.

Photo credit: Produce Clerk

For this recipe I used the pulp from super ripe hachiya persimmons. How do you know if persimmon are ripe?

The fruit should be soft to the touch with a little bounce when gently squeezed.

In addition, you should be able to remove the leafy tops with your fingers by easily pulling and wiggling it off.

As well and pull the skin off with your fingers. Finally, the pulp should be soft enough to break apart with a fork.

Persimmon Cookie Recipe Ingredients

Most of the ingredients for this recipe are stocked in most kitchens. The persimmons can be found at grocery stores or farmer’s markets.

Shopping list

• Flours – I use use all-purpose and white whole wheat flour. You can use all all-purpose flour if you prefer.
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Spices; cinnamon, ground coves and nutmeg
• Butter, unsalted at room temperature
• Sweetener – granulated sugar or to sweeten without sugar I like to use granulated monk fruit.
• Persimmon – Hachiya pulp (2-3 large persimmons)
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Walnuts – chopped
• GLAZE
• Powdered sugar
• Fresh orange juice
• Persimmon pulp (optional)

Utensils

• large mixing bowl
• small mixing bowl
• mixing spoons
• measuring cups and spoons
• baking sheets
• baking cooling racks

How to make persimmon cookies

• First prepare the pulp by gently removing the skin from about 3 persimmons.
• Place in it a small bowl and set aside (the pulp should be so soft and ripe that you will just need to break up the pulp with a fork).
• Whisk the  dry ingredients together.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until it’s nice and fluffy.

• Add the remaining wet ingredients, and then mix in the persimmon pulp.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients

• Fold in the nuts and with a cookie scoop place on a parchment line cookie sheet.

• Bake each batch for about 12 minutes
• Cool completely before adding the glaze.

Fall Persimmon Cookies

These persimmon cookies are soft with fall spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The trio fills your house with the aroma of the holidays!

For this reason, I recommend freezing the dough or extra persimmon pulp in airtight freezer bags or freezer proof containers to enjoy anytime!

Do you have a recipe that reminds you of family?

I began to look forward to those cookies though, and thought it was a special cookie just known to our family, since I never saw anything like them in the stores!

Persimmon Cookies – Frequently Asked Questions

Persimmon Cookies

Seasonal persimmon cookie recipe with fresh persimmon pulp and warm fall spices. This recipe uses wheat flour giving these a earthy flavor. Top with a simple glaze.

4.96 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baking, cookies, dessert, holiday, persimmon

Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 dozen

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Sandra Shaffer

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter unsalted at room temperture
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup persimmon pulp 2-3 large persimmons
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• GLAZE
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4-6 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon persimmon pulp

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add persimmon pulp, egg, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. On low speed, add the flour mixture, and blend until a dough forms. Fold in walnuts.
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are set. Move cookies to a wire rack to cool.
• For glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, orange juice and whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of persimmon pulp. Dip the cookie tops into the glaze and set cookies on parchment paper or wire rack until the glaze hardens.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g

Disclaimer

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.

This recipe was originally published December, 2013. I have added additional content and updated the photos, November 2020.

More persimmon recipes to try

Are you enjoying seasonal persimmons? Try these other recipes using hachiya and fuyu persimmons.

Add persimmons to some savory dishes as well!  Try this Fall Harvest Salad or how about Roasted Acorn Squash with Black Grapes and Cardamom Persimmons!

Persimmon Bread

Persimmon Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

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