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    Home » Recipes » Sweets & Desserts

    Feb 10, 2023 by Katie

    Chocolate Dates

    Jump to Recipe Step-by-Step Photos Watch the Video

    These chocolate dates are the perfect treat for anyone with a sweet tooth who craves that gooey in-the-middle story. These stuffed dates are super easy to make and full of goodness.

    The soft nut butter center is like a little caramel surprise when you bite into it. Fair warning, these chocolate dates are not for the faint-hearted; they can be classified as high-level indulgent.

    chocolate dates on a white parchment paper.

    I love that you can whip up these chocolate-covered dates in 30 minutes or so, perfect for a quick “make it the night before” sweet treat. Just like my Chocolate-Covered Grapes or Chocolate Walnuts they’re made with simple ingredients, but they turn out pretty special because of the combination of delicious elements.

    Great as a fun and simple dessert item, keep this recipe in your back pocket this Valentine’s Day.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients & Substitution Notes
    • How to make chocolate dates
    • Top tips
    • Variations
    • Topping & styling ideas
    • Pairing
    • Meal prep friendly?
    • Storage
    • FAQ
    • More sweet treats
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • Wholesome ingredients; no added sugar and transfat-free, this chocolate dates recipe is altogether wonderful.
    • Naturally vegan, gluten and dairy free!
    • Fun to make; this is a really sweet activity to do with kids, a partner, or a friend.
    • Can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge or at room temperature in a cool kitchen until you’re ready to serve them.
    • Make these for special occasions; they look lovely on a board or platter.
    • You can pick up most of the ingredients at your local grocery store.

    Ingredients & Substitution Notes

    all ingredients needed for chocolate dates.
    • Dates: This recipe does work with regular smaller, so-called neglet noor dates but I highly recommend large Medjool dates becuase of their soft and gooey center. Choose organic dates if possible.
    • Chocolate: Any chocolate of your choice; I prefer dark chocolate, but milk chocolate, semi-sweet, white or vegan will work too. Good quality chocolate chips are easy to melt.
    • Nut Butter: pick your favorite as long as it's natural nut butter without any additives. Cashew butter, almond butter, or creamy peanut butter, will always work beautifully.
    • Coconut Oil: This gives it its lovely coating and helps the chocolate form a coat.
    • Nuts: Hazelnuts, almonds, brazil nuts or macademia nuts go beautifully with chocolate. But you can also choose other types of nuts.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to make chocolate dates

    This delicious treat comes together quickly as you'll only need a handful of ingredients.

    chocolate pieces and melted coconut oil in a glass bowl.

    STEP 1: Add the chocolate and the coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and melt the two ingredients together. Alternatively, you could use the double boiler method (see recipe card).

    medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter and a hazelnut.

    STEP 2: Split the date lengthways down the center, remove the pit, and fill it with a teaspoon of peanut butter and a single nut. Repeat with all the dates.

    stuffed dates in a bowl of melted chocolate.

    STEP 3: Dip the date into the melted chocolate mixture and stir until it's fully coated with chocolate.

    chocolate dates with crushed nuts as a topping on a cooling rack.

    STEP 4: Place the dates on a cooling rack and sprinkle with a few crushed nuts. Put in the fridge to set for about 30 min to 1 hour.

    Top tips

    • Type of Dates: selecting the right type of dates is crucial for the best results; Medjool dates are lovely as opposed to the regular “smaller” dates you will find. Medjool dates have very soft center and caramel flavors, which just really “deliver” in this chocolate date recipe.
    • Fresh Dates: you need to ensure your dates are soft and moist, not dry, or you will miss out on the gooey center.
    • Be Creative: Create different flavors by using different nuts and butters.
    • Don't burn the chocolate!: Melt on low to medium heat and make sure to pause every 30 seconds to 1 minute to give it a good stir. This will help to evenly distribute the heat.
    • Melted chocolate: If the chocolate starts to set during preparation, put it back into the microwave to soften it up again.
    • Toppings: Add toppings such as crushed nuts or dried, edible flowers for a Valentine’s Day treat.
    chocolate date cut into 2 pieces.

    Variations

    • Type of chocolate: Use high-quality chocolate or chocolate chips with a high cocoa and cocoa butter content. I like to use callebaut. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate.
    • Vegan: Simply choose a vegan or dairy-free chocolate of choice.
    • Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead and skip the nut in the middle or use sunflower seeds instead.
    • Different types of nuts: Try different types of nuts such as macademia nuts, almonds, pistachios or brazil nuts.
      • Peanut Butter Dates: use peanut butter and peanut in the middle for a fun Snickers Bar version of this recipe.
      • Hazelnut for a Ferrero Rocher copycat recipe.
    • Spicy: Add a touch of cayenne pepper to the melted chocolate for a spicy version.

    Topping & styling ideas

    • Crushed nuts and cranberries.
    • Crushed seeds like poppy and chia will look pretty.
    • Some sea salt flakes or coconut flakes will make an upscale topping.
    • Dried or fresh flower petals.
    • Crushed cookies and chocolate nibs.
    • Dried fruit like orange peel

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with these chocolate dates:

    • Skinny Iced Caramel Macchiato
    • Decaf Cold Brew
    • Hot Chocolate With Cocoa Powder
    • Peanut Butter Coffee

    Meal prep friendly?

    This is a brilliant make-before item, especially if you’re going to be hosting. I love finding elements that can be made beforehand so I can spend the evening with my guests instead of in the kitchen.

    These chocolate dates are lovely on a Vegetarian Charcuterie Board or a dessert charcuterie board, so whip them up the day before, and you’ll have a simple setup on the night.

    Storage

    You can make these up to 4 days before the occasion.

    Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator – you’ll be tempted to sneak a couple! These are also freezer-friendly.

    FAQ

    What do chocolate-covered dates taste like?

    They are rich and deeply chocolatey with caramel and nutty undertones.

    Are dates healthy?

    Dates are a fantastic source of fiber and antioxidants. As far as sweet treats are concerned, these are a healthier choice.

    What type of dates should I use?

    Medjool dates are lovely as opposed to the regular “smaller” dates you will find. Medjool dates have very soft center and caramel flavors, which just really “deliver” in this chocolate date recipe.

    I don’t have a microwave; how can I melt the chocolate?

    Using the double boiler method: Add the chocolate and oil to a large, heat-proof bowl. Fill a pot with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer on the stove. The pot needs to be smaller than the bowl. Place the bowl with the chocolate over the simmering water. The steam that's trapped between the two bowls will melt the chocolate.
    Ensure that the bowl your chocolate is in is heat-proof and not touching the water. Also make sure that there's no water dripping into the chocolate!

    More sweet treats

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
    • Homemade Peanut Butter Cups (without powdered sugar)
    • Healthier Rocky Road
    • Best Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

    📖 Recipe

    chocolate dates on a white parchment paper.

    Chocolate-Covered Dates

    These stuffed and chocolate-covered dates are a sweet treat for sure. They will make a wonderful gift or addition to a special occasion, so give them a try. I love the process of making these dainties, and I’m sure you will too.
    If you love this recipe as much as we do, click on the 5-stars below!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Chilling Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Middle-Eastern Inspired
    Servings: 15 dates
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 15 Medjool dates *see notes
    • 6 oz chocolate of choice (dark, vegan...)
    • 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
    • 2 tablespoon nut butter of choice (peanut, almond...)
    • 15 hazelnuts, almonds or other nuts of choice + more as topping

    Instructions

    • Open the dates lenghtwise using a knife or your fingers.
    • Remove the pit.
    • Fill each date with a teaspoon of nut butter followed by your nut of choice.
    • Close the date by pressing both sides gently together so that there is no gap left and both sides stick together.
    • Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave save bowl and melt in the microwave.
    • Dip each date into the melted chocolate until fully covered using a fork.
    • Transfer to a cooling rack or parchment paper and add some crushed nuts as a topping.
    • Put them in the fridge to set for 1 hour or in the freezer for 15 mintues.
    Pssst...You can find detailed step-by step-photos right above this recipe card

    Video

    Notes

    • Type of Dates: selecting fresh, soft and moist dates is crucial for the best results; I highly  Medjool dates for this recipe which have very soft center and caramel flavors.
    • Don't burn the chocolate!: Melt on low to medium heat and make sure to pause every 30 seconds to 1 minute to give it a good stir. This will help to evenly distribute the heat.
    • I don’t have a microwave; how can I melt the chocolate? Using the double boiler method:  see FAQs above.
    • Toppings: Add toppings such as crushed nuts or dried, edible flowers for a Valentine’s Day treat.
    • Type of chocolate: Use high-quality chocolate or chocolate chips with a high cocoa and cocoa butter content. I like to use callebaut. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate, vegan chocolate or white chocolate.
    • Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead and skip the nut in the middle or use sunflower seeds instead

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1date. | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 0.3mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg
    All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.
    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating and comment telling us how you liked it! Or tag @wholefoodsoulfood__kitchen on Instagram so we can admire your creations!

    More Sweets & Desserts

    • Chocolate Walnuts
    • Chocolate Covered Grapes
    • Healthy Banana Brownies
    • Low Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookies (without butter or eggs)

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    katie author of WSK

    Hi, I'm Katie and I am the face behind this website. Click here to learn more about me and my passion for (healthy) food and photography.

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