Fit-again Barry Nicholson and Stevie Crawford returned to the side with Steve Lovell out injured and Rickie Foster dropping to the bench.
Visitors Kilmarnock were unchanged from the side which were comprehensively beaten on their travels to Hearts last weekend.
Kilmarnock were first to show in three minutes when good link-up play between Gordon Greer and Danny Invincibile saw the latter drive in a telling cross which was taken off the head off of Colin Nish by James Langfield.
Good crisp interplay through the Aberdeen midfield in six minutes saw Gary Dempsey pick out Crawford whose first-time effort from 14 yards was comfortably held by Alan Combe.
A clever lay-off from Gary Wales in 15 minutes fell into the path of Steven Naismith but from a good position 16 yards out the youngster smashed the ball wildly over.
At the other end, minutes later Crawford and Chris Clark combined, however the full-back's first-time effort was narrowly off target.
A tremendous run by Naismith bursting through the middle was stopped by a timely last-ditch challenge from Dons skipper Russell Anderson who cleared the danger.
Aberdeen midfielder Gary Dempsey must have thought he'd given his side the lead in 20 minutes. His snap-shot from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection off James Fowler.
The ball seemed to be dipping under the crossbar but a magnificent acrobatic save from Combe denied him as he twisted in the air to somehow fingertip the ball over the bar.
A lightening quick break by Killie in 30 minutes should have given the visitors the opening goal, however Nish needlessly drifted into an offside position and the opportunity was lost.
The visitors were first to show in the second half, where a Wales lay-off fell into the path of Allan Johnston, but his shot was well held low down by James Langfield.
Combe then made a vital stop from Graham Smith getting down to his right to turn the diminutive striker's 20-yard effort away to safety with Gordon Greer on hand to clear the danger.
As the game swung from end to end a Naismith fierce effort flew just wide of the upright.
On 62 minutes Aberdeen were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position when Fraser Wright felled Crawford on the edge of the area.
From the resultant kick Barry Nicholson touched the ball to Scott Severin whose low grounder beat the despairing reach of Combe but rebounded off the post.
Combe again broke the Dons fans' hearts in 67 minutes, charging down a tremendous first-time effort from Russell Anderson.
At the other end, a Nish header was just off target from a Hay free-kick in 75 minutes.
As the visitors continued to look dangerous on the break, Naismith looked to have broken the stalemate in 86 minutes when a Johnston corner was turned back across the area by Wright to find the youngster whose shot under pressure flew harmlessly wide.