When you are craving something sweet but don’t want to heat up the oven or spend a lot of time making a dessert, these simple date bites are the perfect solution.
These soft chewy dates filled with yogurt and nut butter are the perfect healthy snack and take just minutes to make and will satisfy all your sweet candy cravings. The dates offer a delicious caramel flavor and when you add some roasted peanuts on top OMG… I dare you to just eat one! 😉
Why you will love these dates
- SO easy to make. It takes less than 10 minutes to make a whole batch – which is about the maximum time I want to spend making a snack.
- They are a healthy alternative to a snickers or chocolate bar! They taste indulgent but are nourishing, and way better for you than conventional candy bars.
This isn’t as much a recipe as a sweet hack that some clever person has come up with. I would happily credit someone, but I am genuinely not sure whose idea this was to stuff sweet dates with a dollop of nut (or seed – tahini works brilliantly too) butter and yogurt for a healthier treat.
I typically make them with cheaper Deglet Noor dates, but the caramel-tasting Medjool ones take this simple treat to the next level of indulgence.
The beauty of this treat is that while it is far better for you than most other sweets (dates are sweet yet good for you 🙂), it requires few ingredients, most of which you will probably have in your cupboard anyway and takes minutes to prepare. Having a stuffed date or two often lessons my desire for something a bit naughty, which is a win in my (nutrition) book.
I suspect it might have originated somewhere in the Middle East as stuffed dates (with both sweet and savoury fillings) are a common fixture in the date growing countries and then the blogosphere has jumped on the bandwagon. It took me a while, but so did I eventually!
My fav two combos are: dates with peanut butter and dates with tahini. You can top them with a pinch of dark chocolate shavings and a little bit of sea salt for a true flavour bomb. And even though I would love to say that one of these treats satisfies the sweet craving, I are capable of putting away more than one of these babies 😛 cos they are so addictive…
After making an easy work-from-home lunch, I always want something sweet, and too often reach for snacks that are less than healthy. Whilst I have don’t have a problem with anyone indulging, it’s also nice to know you are eating foods that are nourishing your body and boosting your energy, not sending you into a sugar slump!
And these stuffed dates with nut butter and yogurt are a nourishing treat. They are the perfect snack because not only do they satisfy that mid-afternoon or night time sweet craving, but the protein and fat actually boost your energy. Win!
So feel good about enjoying these as a mid-afternoon or post-dinner snack! I do.
Dates With Yogurt & Nut Butter
Ingredients
- 20 large fresh dates
- 1 cup thick Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup peanut (or any other nut or seed) butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Start by removing the pits from your large, whole dates. You can buy them already pitted, but I find they are much fresher with the pits. Remove the date pits by slicing a shallow line vertically down one side of the date, gently open the date and remove the pit.Melt the peanut butter and coconut oil for 20-30 seconds in the microwave (or in a small pot on stovetop) and add to a bowl with the yogurt and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and creamy.Place a heaped teaspoon of yogurt, peanut butter mixture inside each date.Add a few peanuts to each and freeze about 30 minutes.Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months.
If you are looking for more delicious, healthy, no bake desserts and treats to help you reach your health, wellness and fitness goals, you will love my collection here: Blended Bites
