Chocolate Dates

This Chocolate Dates recipe includes Medjool dates filled with nuts and covered in melted chocolate to make the ultimate healthy treat. You only need 4 ingredients to make them and they are also vegan and gluten free too!

Chocolate dates are something I always have in my freezer! They’re a healthy and delicious treat and perfect if you have a sweet tooth after dinner like me!

I love making a batch of these as part of meal prep so they’re ready when you feel like a quick healthy dessert.

Being Persian, I have grown up eating dates since childhood. We would usually eat them plain or simply with a nut inside, especially with tea. Filling with nuts and covered in melted chocolate takes them to a whole new level!

Here I've shared a few different variations of chocolate covered stuffed dates. I’ve included peanut butter dates, hazelnut dates and almond dates. These make healthy versions of everyone's favorite Snickers bar and Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

If you are allergic to nuts or prefer a nut free alternative, you can also use seeds instead too and tahini which is another yummy seed butter.

Table of Contents

• Ingredients to make Chocolate Dates
• How to make Chocolate Dates
• Peanut Butter Dates (Date Snickers)
• Hazelnut Dates (Healthy Ferrero Rocher)
• Almond Dates
• Tips and Tricks
• FAQs
• More No-Bake Desserts
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients to make Chocolate Dates

• Medjool dates are the star of this recipe and my preferred dates to use. They are rich in sweetness and have a caramel like taste. More information on Medjool dates are in the FAQs below
• Nut butter is added inside the dates. It's always best to use a natural nut butter that doesn't have any ingredient besides the nut itself, and maybe sea salt. You can either make it yourself or buy it. Here I’ve used hazelnut butter, almond butter and peanut butter. To make this recipe nut free, use a seed butter or even tahini instead
• Nuts, a whole nut is added inside the date as a little surprise in the middle and for crunch. I like to pair the chocolate covered dates with the same nut inside as the nut butter I'm using. You can even try mixing it up and adding a different nut on the inside than the butter used. Other nuts you can use are pistachios, walnuts, or even cashew
• Chocolate, well you can't have chocolate dates without chocolate right! There isn't a rule here on what type of chocolate to use. I personally love using dark chocolate with 85% cacao. The higher the percentage of cacao means it's richer in dark chocolate taste, antioxidants and has less sugar too. You can of course use a less percentage of dark chocolate, or even use semi sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or chocolate chips
• Toppings, I like to garnish the chocolate dates with either crushed nuts or even flakey sea salt

How to make Chocolate Dates

1. Melt chocolate using either the double boiler method or microwave
2. Remove pits from dates. Using a knife or your fingers, carefully slice a date lengthways to open and remove the pit. Make sure not to cut all the way through the other side

3. Add filling. Add a teaspoon of nut butter inside the date and spread on both sides, followed by adding a nut in the middle

4. Time to dip. Close the date and dip into the melted chocolate using your fingers or with a toothpick. Make sure they are fully coated and allow the excess chocolate to drip off then place on a tray with parchment paper

5. Add toppings and freeze. Sprinkle with crushed nuts or flakey salt then freeze for 20-30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. You can then enjoy your Chocolate Dates!

Peanut Butter Dates (Date Snickers)

Dates and Peanut Butter are a match made in heaven!

Peanut butter stuffed dates are one of the first recipes I ever shared on social media 2 years ago! Medjool dates are stuffed with peanut butter and peanuts and then covered in melted chocolate.

I call them Date Snickers or Snickers Stuffed Dates as they really do taste like a snickers bar, but healthy too!

If you close your eyes when you take a bite, you will think its a snickers bar hehe

Hazelnut Dates (Healthy Ferrero Rocher)

These are one of my newest creations. If you’re like me and love Ferrero Rocher chocolates, you will love these!

The Medjool dates are stuffed with creamy hazelnut butter with a whole hazelnut in the middle, before coating in melted chocolate. Don't forget to add crushed hazelnuts on top for the signature Ferrero Rocher look and taste. So fun and absolutely delicious!

I've also made my own hazelnut butter for this recipe which is super easy, and cheaper too.

Almond Dates

Almond stuffed dates are one of the classic ways we would eat stuffed dates in my family. We would normally make it with just an almond in the middle, but these are so much better!

In the image below are almond butter stuffed dates, with a whole almond in the middle. Then covered in melted chocolate and topped with crushed almonds too… yum!

You can also make your own almond butter too, or easily buy it from the supermarket or health food store.

Tips and Tricks

1. Make a production line to make the process quicker. I like to make the dates in stages like, rather than each date separately. Starting with pitting, filling, coating, etc
2. Use whole dates rather than pitted dates and remove the seed yourself. Pitted dates are usually dry on the inside
3. If melting chocolate in the microwave, use a microwave-safe bowl. Also, melt in stages and stir the chocolate so it doesn't burn
4. Place chocolate covered dates on parchment paper so they don't get stuck on the bottom. You can also use a baking sheet too
5. Add the toppings while the chocolate is still melted and hasn't set. This is so the crushed nuts or salt stick to the dates when frozen

FAQs

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to tag @cookingwithayeh and share your Chocolate Dates photo on Instagram so I can share the love.

Recipe