12 Tasty Ideas for Using Fresh Dates

Bursting with flavor and goodness, dates are a highly prized fruit in the foodie world, especially amongst the health-conscious. Providing an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, these bite-sized treats have an irresistible natural sweetness, and they’re incredibly versatile too. 

Dates grow on date palm trees, with thrive in hot, dry areas, such as the Middle East, Asia, and Mexico. These fruits come in both fresh and dried form, with a wide range of different varieties sold around the world. Dried dates tend to be firmer in texture, with a somewhat wrinkled skin. On the other hand, fresh dates are much more moist, with a plumper, glossier appearance. They’re also more likely to come unpitted, which means you’ll need to remove the stones before eating them. 

One of the most popular varieties of fresh dates are Medjools, which can be found in most large supermarkets and health food stores. These are known for their melt-in-the-mouth texture and delicious caramel-like taste. Other types that are typically sold in fresh form include Barhi, Hayani, and Zahidi dates. Whichever variety you go for, these sweet little gems have a whole host of uses in the kitchen, and that’s exactly what we’re exploring today. From elegant appetizers to decadent desserts, dates can fit seamlessly into both sweet and savory recipes. So, let’s take a look at some of the very best ways to enjoy them.

Being pleasingly bite-sized, and having a conveniently boat-like shape with sliced open and pitted, dates are the perfect candidates for stuffing. Whether you’re looking to craft a platter of sophisticated canapés, or whip up a quick snack, there are endless filling options to explore.

To prep your dates for stuffing, cut them lengthways down the middle, and carefully remove the stone. You can either cut the dates all the way through, splitting them into two halves, or leave one side uncut and simply open them out to form a single, larger pocket. Next, choose your fillings. One of our go-to recipes is pecan-stuffed dates with balsamic, which offers a wonderful combination of sweet and savory flavors. Here, we use cream cheese, but other types of cheese such as brie, mascarpone, or goat cheese also make fantastic additions. Nuts are also a popular choice — think walnuts, almonds, and pistachios, which can be left whole or finely chopped and scattered atop the date.

If something sweeter is more your style, dates and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Try splitting open and pitting the dates, spooning in some creamy peanut butter, and closing them back up again. Then, dip the dates into some melted dark chocolate, and pop them in the fridge until the chocolate has set. Or, to really amp up the sweetness, you could even try stuffing the dates with mini marshmallows, Nutella, or cream cheese frosting.

When you’re aiming to keep refined sugar to a minimum in your homemade sweet treats, dates are always great to have on hand. The naturally occurring sugars in these fruits are perfect for sweetening recipes, whilst adding a boost of nutrients too.

Medjool dates are a star ingredient in our no-bake dates and oats snack bars, providing plenty of caramel flavor and stickiness. Here, they help to bind the other elements together, whilst sweetening everything up nicely. Before combining the dates with the other ingredients, you’ll need to soak them in boiling water for about 15 minutes. This will makes it easier to blend them into a smooth puree. Once you’ve blitzed them up in a food processor, mix the dates with oats, slivered almonds, and cacao nibs. Then, warm the wet ingredients — almond butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon — in a saucepan, and pour the mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir well, and press everything into a parchment-lined square baking pan, before popping it into the freezer for 30 minutes or so. Once it’s firmed up, slice the block in bars, and your wholesome, date-sweetened snacks are ready to enjoy.

Dates aren’t just great for crafting delicious snacks and desserts, they’ll also work fantastically when blended into drinks. With their sweet but mild taste, you’ll find that these fruits pair beautifully with a wide range of other smoothie and milkshake ingredients.

To make a healthy three-ingredient date milkshake, start by soaking fresh dates in boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain the water away, and add the dates to a blender along with some frozen bananas, and a generous splash of milk (or plant-based milk). Blitz everything up until nice and smooth, pour the milkshake into a glass, and slurp away. If you feel like concocting something a little more fancy, try our date, tahini, and cardamom smoothie. For this, you’ll blend the soaked dates with sliced bananas, tahini, soy milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and a handful of crushed iced. We love to top the drink off with some crunchy cacao nibs, too. Dates would also taste wonderful alongside tangy berries or citrus fruits, and other creamy add-ins like peanut butter or coconut milk.

Another great way to use dates is in a homemade hot chocolate. Just blitz dates, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and milk in a blender until smooth, then warm the mixture in a saucepan on the stove top before serving in your favorite mug. Feel free to finish with a generous swirl of whipped cream or scattering of grated chocolate.

The intense sweetness of dates, and the deeply savory, smoky taste of bacon couldn’t be more different, which is why these ingredients balance each other so brilliantly. Bacon-wrapped dates are the ultimate salty-sweet appetizer, great for everyday snacking, or serving to dinner party guests.

First, grab your dates of choice. These could be gloriously golden Deglet Noor dates, which have a firm texture and honey-like flavor, or, if you prefer a softer consistency, go for dark, sticky Medjools. Make a cut down the length of each date, remove the stone, and stuff a small chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese inside. You could absolutely switch this out for blue cheese, cheddar, feta, or goat cheese if preferred. Next, wrap a thin strip of bacon around the outside. Feel free to poke a toothpick through the date to secure the bacon in place. Arrange the bacon-wrapped dates onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake until the bacon has crisped up nicely — about 20 to 25 minutes. And, for a final pop of color, try scattering over some finely chopped parsley or chives or before serving.

Can at oatmeal cookie really be complete without raisins? The answer is yes! Dates can serve as an excellent replacement here, adding sweet, chewy goodness to every bite. They offer a more complex flavor, and softer texture than raisins, and they can be subbed in at a one to one ratio by weight. Just made sure to chop the dates finely beforehand.

We recommend following our classic oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, and simply switching out the half cup of raisins for an equal measure of finely chopped dates. It can also help to toss the dates with a spoonful of flour, to prevent them from clumping together. You’ll start by creaming butter and sugar, then beating in an egg and a splash of vanilla extract. Next come the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and oats. And of course, those delicious caramel-like date morsels. 

There’s also the option to combine the dates with other cookie add-ins such as chopped nuts, pretzels pieces, chocolate chunks, or peanut butter chips. Once you’ve mixed up the dough, scoop out small portions, roll them into balls, and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. After 10 minutes or so in the oven, they should be perfectly chewy-crisp and golden brown.

There’s no one way to make a tagine, but this beloved Moroccan stew typically features meat or fish, vegetables and/or fruits, all slow-cooked to perfection with a medley of spices and aromatics. Dates make for a particularly tasty addition to this versatile dish, bringing a unique sweetness and texture, that complement the other elements of the dish effortlessly.

You can’t go wrong with classic lamb tagine. This meat has a rich, savory flavor, which works wonderfully alongside warming spices and fresh fruits. Our favorite method, which is adapted from a recipe by chef Alan Jackson, involves incorporating both dates and almonds into the tagine. The dish starts with sauteed onions. We then brown chunks of lamb meat with turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. Pour over some chicken broth, then leave everything to simmer on low for 90 minutes, after which the lamb should be beautifully tender. Next, stir in pitted dates, fresh ginger, slivered almonds, honey, and brown sugar, and simmer for a final 30 minutes. The final dish can be served with cous cous, crusty bread, or a rice pilaf.

To maximize the fruitiness of your tagine, try pairing the dates with other sweet additions, such as dried apricots, figs, or sultanas. Keeping things vegetarian-friendly is no problem here, either. Just ditch the meat and balance the sweetness of the dates with chickpeas, kidney beans, or tofu. Veggies like sweet potato, zucchini, and eggplant will all fit in perfectly too.

Most brownie recipes are loaded with refined sugar. But, reach for dates, and you can bake up a naturally sweetened, but still gorgeously gooey and chocolatey treat.

The first step in making these beauties is blending the pitted dates with hot water to create a paste. Then, beat the paste with some softened butter until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract, followed by cocoa powder and flour, and your batter is complete. Spread it out evenly into a parchment-lined square pan, and bake until set on top, but still somewhat gooey in the middle (you can test this with a skewer or toothpick). This should take about 20 minutes.

Date brownies are super easy to customize, with the option to throw in some dark chocolate chips (refined sugar-free, if preferred!), chopped nuts, or even a pinch of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor even further. A sticky glaze would also complement the caramel-like taste of the dates fantastically. Try combining melted butter, honey, cocoa powder and vanilla, and drizzling this atop the freshly baked brownies before slicing.

This wholesome treat first went viral on social media back in early 2024, and we’re still not over it. The combination of sticky dates, crunchy nuts, smooth peanut butter, and slightly bitter dark chocolate is insanely good, and crafting these ingredients into a snackable bark is rather fun too.

Dates form the foundation of this recipe, serving as a sturdy bottom layer on which to layer the remaining ingredients. You’ll first need to make a slice down the length of each date and remove the stone. Open the dates out and squash them down firmly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, arranging them in rows with a slight overlap between each. Keep going until you have a large, flat rectangle of dates. Next, spoon over that luscious peanut butter and spread it out evenly, right up to the edges of the rectangle. A runnier, natural peanut butter will work best here, but if you’re using a creamy variety, you can always warm it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it more spreadable. Scatter over some chopped nuts (pecans or almonds are great), then drizzle melted dark chocolate on top, again spreading this out to cover everything. To set your creation into a solid bark, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes. You can then slice it up into squares or shards.

Dates are a staple in this quintessentially British dessert. Here, they’re baked into the fluffy sponge itself, boosting the sweetness whilst contributing to that signature toffee flavor.

This is another recipe where the dates will benefit from a quick pre-soak. Finely chop the pitted dates, then add them to a bowl with some boiling water. You’ll want to leave them for around 20 minutes, but you can preheat the oven and start on the batter in the meantime. The sponge consists of butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and soda, and black treacle (which can be substituted for molasses). Once you’ve beaten these ingredients together, add the dates (and their soaking liquid), along with some milk, and mix until well combined. The dates will provide a little texture, which is totally fine, but if you’d rather keep things perfectly smooth, just blitz them in blender before combining them with the other ingredients. Pour the finished batter into a greased baking dish, and bake for around 35 minutes.

When fresh out of the oven, the sponge is then drizzled with a generous layer of toffee sauce (usually a mixture of butter, brown sugar, treacle, and heavy cream). For the ultimate sticky toffee pudding experience, serve the dessert warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

When you need a quick pick-me-up, energy balls are the way to go. They’re easy to make, requiring no baking, and the result is a perfectly portable, bite-sized snack that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Dates are particularly well suited to energy ball recipes, since their naturally sticky texture gives them excellent binding properties. In fact, you can make a delicious, naturally sweetened batch of energy balls by combining Medjool dates with just one other ingredient — nuts. Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, and cashews are all excellent options. All you’ll need is a food processor, and you’ll be on your way to snack heaven. Toss in the dates (no need to soak them) and nuts in roughly a two to one ratio, and blitz until well combined. Then, simply scoop our portions of the mixture and roll in into balls between your palms. The energy balls will keep well in the fridge for up to two weeks.

An array of other add-ins will taste delicious alongside the dates, too. Try incorporating rolled oats to make things a little heartier, seeds like chia, flax, or hemp to boost the nutrient content, or a spoonful of nut butter for added creaminess. Coconut flakes or chocolate chips can also be a great way too add some crunch.

It’s not unusual to see fruit added to a salad — think grapes in a Waldorf, or watermelon tossed with greens and feta cheese. Dates, however, are an often overlooked addition, and they’re an amazing option if you’re looking to introduce some contrasting sweetness and softness to the other fresh, crunchy ingredients.

A bed of fresh greens, such as arugula, spinach, and watercress, makes the perfect base for a date salad. The dates themselves can simply be pitted and sliced, before tossing them with the other salad ingredients. Try pairing them with other sliced fruits, such as apples or pears, or even a scattering of pomegranate seeds. Something creamy and tangy, such as crumbled blue cheese, feta, or even shaved Parmesan would also work brilliantly to balance out the sweetness. For a crunchy finish, scatter over some toasted nuts or seeds, such as walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds.

When it comes to dressing your date salad, opting for a light, tangy vinaigrette is a great approach. A simple combination of olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper can take the salad to new levels of deliciousness. Or, if you’d prefer something creamier, give this tahini ranch dressing a try.

Fuss-free to make and satisfying to eat, quick breads are a popular option for home bakers. We all love a good banana bread, or perhaps zucchini bread is a staple in your house. But, if you haven’t tried adding dates to quick bread yet, what are you waiting for?!

Step one is pitting, chopping, and soaking the dates in boiling water for about 30 minutes. Adding a sprinkling of baking soda to the water can also aid the softening process. Next, beat together butter and sugar, then add an egg, a splash of vanilla extract, and the date mixture. Separately mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and soda, salt, chopped walnuts, and any spices of your choice, such as cinnamon and nutmeg), then pour all of this into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Once folded together, transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan and bake until a skewer poked into the center of the bread comes out clean — that’s about an hour.

Date bread tastes incredible served warm with a simple smear of butter, though you could totally push the boat out with more decadent toppings like Nutella or Biscoff spread. Or, for a deliciously tangy-sweet combo, trying spreading a slice with cream cheese before drizzling over some honey.