You gotta save THESE Dates!!!
These gourmet stuffed Dates make the perfect healthy snack and a natural fuel for the body! The Medjool dates taste super moist, crunchy, and creamy and are stuffed with many flavors: almond-pistachio, chocolate-hazelnut, lemon-apricot, etc.
My gourmet stuffed dates recipe is a decadent treat to serve during Ramadan or offer as a housewarming, Valentine’s Day, birthday, or any special occasion present. Yum!
Flavors and Ingredients
Dates are naturally sweetened and high in nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. Therefore, I try not to add sugars in recipes involving dates. I mainly focused on naturally-sweetened ingredients such as nuts, dried apricots, citrus zest, and orange blossom water in this recipe. Here are my favorite flavors:
- Pistachio: made with almond paste, homemade pistachio paste, and orange water.
- Lemon-Apricot: made with almond paste, lemon zest, dried apricots, and orange water.
- Almond-Rose: made with almond paste, rose petals, and rose water
- Orange-Walnut: made with almond paste, orange zest, chopped walnuts, and orange water.
- Rose-Coconut: made with almond paste, shredded unsweetened coconut, and rose water
- Chocolate-Almond: made with fried blanched almonds and dark chocolate.
- Chocolate-Hazelnut: made with chopped hazelnuts, almonds, milk chocolate, and cereal flakes.
Medjool Dates Vs. Regular Dates
Although Native to Morocco, Medjool dates are now grown in the United States’ warm regions, such as California. If you’re shopping for Medjool dates, here is how you can spot them:
- They have a smooth texture and look darker and larger than regular dates.
- They are notably richer, softer, and chewier than other dates.
- They have a caramel-like taste and make an excellent healthy snack.
Bain-Marie Technique:
For this recipe, it is best to use the bain-marie technique to melt your chocolate, which refers to the water bath or double boiler method used to melt ingredients for cooking. I highly recommend this technique for melting chocolate because it prevents cocoa butter and solids from splitting. The steps are easy to follow:
- First, boil water in a saucepan.
- Second, place a clean bowl over the simmering water. Put your chocolate chips in the bowl and stir with a spatula until they melt.
- Third, remove the bowl from the heat and place it on a trivet. Add some coconut oil and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Dip your stuffed dates in the melted chocolate using a fork and immediately place them on a parchment-lined tray.
- Finally, place your tray in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour of cooling. The chocolate will harden, but the dates will still be soft and chewy!
Other Variations
In Morocco, splitting Medjool dates with walnuts and enjoying them with a glass of milk on the side is common. It is an easy-to-reach snack served to welcome guests to your house. I have previously posted another recipe with an easier option to stuff dates. Therefore, if you’re running out of time, please use this recipe instead. Because Medjool dates pack many calories in a small serving, you should limit your intake to one or two daily dates.
Bon appétit!
Stuffed Medjool Dates
These gourmet Medjoul Dates make the perfect healthy snack and a natural fuel for the body! They taste super moist, crunchy, and creamy and are stuffed with many flavors: almond-pistachio, chocolate-hazelnut, lemon-apricot, etc.
Ingredients
Chocolate-Hazelnut (8 Dates)
- 60 grams chopped lightly toasted hazelnuts (1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup crushed cereal flakes
- a pinch of salt
- 30 grams milk chocolate chips (1/4 cup)
- 200 grams milk chocolate chips for dipping (1 – 1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup of a mixture of more chopped hazelnuts, almonds, and crushed cereal flakes. (to be mixed with milk chocolate for dipping)
Chocolate-Almond (4 Dates)
- 1/4 cup fried blanched almonds
- 150 grams dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Almond Paste Ingredients (for 12 dates – see all flavors below)
- 130 grams blanched almonds (1 cup)
- 2 Tbsp orange blossom water
Almond-Pistachio Flavor (3 Dates)
- 40 grams almond paste (see instructions below)
- 2 Tsp pistachio paste (store-bought or homemade; see notes for recipe)
- 2 tsp orange blossom water
- crushed pistachios for decorating
Lemon-Apricot Flavor (3 Dates)
- 40 grams almond paste
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp orange blossom water
Walnut-Orange Flavor (3 Dates)
- 40 grams almond paste
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 tsp orange blossom water
- 2 Tbsp crushed walnuts
Rose-Coconut Flavor (3 Dates)
- 40 grams almond paste
- 1/4 tsp rose water
- 1/2 Tbsp room temperature water
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
Cleaning the Dates
- First, dip a clean paper towel into some orange blossom water and wipe each date to clean it and give it a shiny texture. Next, slice your dates halfway and remove the pit. Set your dates aside.
Making the Chocolate-Hazelnut Flavor
- Lightly toast 1/2 cup hazelnuts over the stovetop. Let cool down and blend until smooth. Set aside. Meanwhile, 1/4 cup milk chocolate in a bain-marie until smooth.
- Combine the crushed hazelnuts with crushed cereal flakes, salt, and melted chocolate and set aside until it cools to room temperature. Stuff your dates with the hazelnut mixture and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Melt 1 – 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a Bain-marie and add up to 2 tsp coconut oil if the texture is too thick. Add 1/3 cup mixture of some more chopped hazelnuts, chopped almonds, and crushed cereal flakes and mix well.
- Wipe your dates with a clean paper towel and dip them in the melted chocolate mixture. Place your dates in a parchment paper lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.
Making the Almond Paste
- Place whole almonds in a boiled water bowl and cover for 10 minutes. The skin should peel easily; if not, allow an additional 5 minutes. Wipe your almonds with a clean towel and let them completely dry before blending them.
- Blend your almonds and add 2 to 3 Tbsp orange blossom water, depending on how dry the almonds are. The texture should be smooth but not runny. Add 1/2 Tbsp honey or agave syrup, mix well, and divide the paste into four balls.
Making Different Flavors
- Use the ingredients above to make the flavor of your liking. Remember that each ball weighs between 40 and 45 grams and will be enough to stuff three large Medjool dates. You may have a left-over paste that you can use to stuff more dates.
- For example, mix 2 tsp of pistachio paste with one ball (40 grams) of the almond paste you prepared and 2 tsp orange blossom water to make pistachio-stuffed dates. Mix well, grab some of the paste, and roll to shape it into an oval dough. Place the oval dough inside a date to see if it fits, and reshape it until it fits perfectly.
- Continue with the remaining flavors until you've run out of paste. Please see the notes below for substitutes if you do not like any of the above flavors I suggested.
Notes
Making Homemade Pistachio Paste
- Place 1/4 cup unshelled pistachios in a boiled water bowl for up to 2 minutes. Drain and rub your pistachios with a kitchen towel. The skin should peel easily; if not, you may use your hands to peel off the most stubborn ones.
- Lightly toast the pistachios on the stovetop and allow them to cool to room temperature.
- Add the pistachios to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add 2 Tbsp water, 1/2 tsp orange blossom water, a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp honey or agave syrup. Blend again until you’ve reached a nice smooth texture.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Other Flavors (amount for three dates)
- Almond-Rose: mix one ball of almond paste (40 grams) with 1/4 tsp rose water and 1/2 Tbsp room temperature water. Add some rose petals or beetroot powder to get pink coloring. Decorate with bright rose petals.
- Plain-Almond: mix one ball of almond paste (40 grams) with 1 Tbsp orange blossom water. Decorate with sliced almonds or sprinkles.
- White Chocolate Pistachio: mix one ball of almond paste (40 grams) with 2 tsp pistachio paste and 2 tsp orange blossom water to stuff the dates. Melt 1/2 cup white chocolate with 1/2 tsp coconut oil for dipping. Decorate with unshelled pistachios.
- Chocolate-Almond: Stuff the dates with fried blanched almonds. Melt 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate with 1/2 tsp coconut oil for dipping. Decorate with fried almonds, crushed or whole.
Vegan Substitutes:
You may use agave syrup instead of honey and dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.Storing the dates:
It’s best to keep these stuffed dates in the refrigerator and enjoy them within one week.If you’re running out of time, try these Easy Stuffed Dates instead!
Easy Stuffed Dates
These Medjoul dates are stuffed with nuts, dipped in chocolate, then covered with yummy toppings for a double treat! They taste super moist, crunchy, and creamy at the same time. My gourmet stuffed dates recipe makes a decadent treat to serve during Ramadan, offer as a gift, or enjoy as a snack. They are all you need if you're going for a walk, a hike, or looking for natural fuel for your body!
Check out this recipe
Did you make these gourmet Medjool Dates? Tag @petitapron on Instagram so we can find you!
These are just perfect! I’m going to try them for sure !!
Just amazingly yummy
Mouthwatering! I will definitely try it 😋