The adaptive iterative learning control method for electro-hydraulic shaking tables based on the complex optimization algorithm was proposed to overcome the potential stability problem of the traditional iteration control method. The system identification precision’s influence on convergence was analyzed. Based on the real optimization theory and the mapping relationship between real vector space and complex vector space, the complex Broyden optimization iterative algorithm was proposed, and its stability and convergence was analyzed. To improve the stability and accelerate the convergence of the proposed algorithm, the complex steepest descent algorithm was proposed to cooperate with the complex Broyden optimization algorithm, which can adaptively optimize the complex steepest gradient iterative gain and update the system impedance in real time during the control process. The shaking tables experiment system was designed, applying xPC target rapid prototype control technology, and a series of experimental tests were performed. The results indicated that the proposed control method can quickly and stably converge to the optimal solution no matter whether the system identification error is small or large, and, thus, verified that validity and feasibility of the proposed adaptive iterative learning method.