Abstract

Date fruits present elevated sugar contents in addition to essential macro and micronutrients. This study investigated the development of cookies that utilize fruit sources as sweeteners for toddlers to mitigate the intake of refined sugars from commercially available cookies such as Safari and Cereal. The collection and processing of raw ingredients, development of cookies, and several quality assessments, including proximate analysis, trace element, texture, microbiological, and sensory evaluations, were carried out to determine the suitability of the manufactured cookies. A minimum of 30% date fruit paste incorporation, in conjunction with other components, yielded significantly (*p < 0.05) elevated levels of moisture, fiber, potassium, and calcium while providing a reduced caloric content compared to commercial samples. In the assessment of texture, formulated goods adhered to the characteristics of marketed commodities, although they exhibited reduced hardness. Among all the sensory characteristics, the sweetness attribute was deemed excellent, and the purchase preference significantly increased for Nutrinos as well. The intentional bacterial challenge test, including deliberate inoculation of S. aureus, demonstrated a successful decrease from week 1 to week 3, as evidenced by a reduced log cfu/g at the conclusion. Overall, this research provides insight into enhancing cookie fortification with fruit sugars from dates and bananas as an alternative to the use of commercially refined sugary cookies for toddlers. Further studies on shelf-life determination and large-scale production are suggested to support commercial application.