Chocolate Covered Dates

Chocolate-Covered Dates make for the best snack, treat, or dessert. These indulgent-tasting treats are made with wholesome ingredients and are sure to cure your sweet tooth without any sugar hangover!

Stuff the dates with your favorite nut butter and some crushed nuts; then dip in melted chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt for a tasty sweet-salty treat!

Chocolate-Covered Dates Recipe

A few years ago when my husband and I traveled through Dubai, we discovered dates coated, filled, and covered in just about every sweet you could imagine. Date shops were everywhere–even multiple shops within the same mall.

These shops sold all types of dessert dates — nut and sugar-stuffed dates, chocolate-dipped dates, and more. Piles of dates as far as the eye could see! 

Naturally, we had to try a good variety of these dessert dates! After eating more dates than anyone should probably ever consume on the same day, the consensual favorite was the nut-butter-stuffed and chocolate-covered dates. So, so good.

If you’ve ever wondered where to buy chocolate-covered dates while having the opportunity to ride a camel on the same day, add a trip to Dubai to your bucket list!

What Do Chocolate-Covered Dates Taste Like?

The Dubai dessert dates we enjoyed inspire today’s chocolate-dipped stuffed dates. They also taste somewhat reminiscent of a snickers bar — the dates are sweet and gooey with nutty (almost caramel-like and buttery) notes of flavor. They’re stuffed with creamy peanut butter and lightly salted peanuts. Then everything is covered in a layer of rich melted chocolate!

Let’s Chat Dates

Did you know dates are actually fresh, not dried fruit?!

If you love dates, you know this fruit is sticky, sweet, and gooey with a satisfying sweetness. And when you consider the health benefits of dates, it makes these little treats even that much more gratifying! I will say right here if you aren’t a fan of dates, you most likely won’t be a fan of this recipe. I mean…they’re dates!

Working With Dates

• Here are the exact dates I use.
• Find these near other dried fruits, trail mixes, and nuts in the store. For these dates covered with chocolate to taste best, you’ll want to use fresh soft dates.
• Soften dates if needed. Here’s a quick way to revive stale or hard dates. If the dates are too hard, they won’t be very easy to eat.
• Some dates have pits, others are sold with the pit already removed. Make sure to check and remove any pits from the dates before filling with nut butter.

QUICK TIP

If you’ve got some leftover dates, use them in these Granola Bars, Cauliflower Smoothies, or Gluten-free Zucchini Muffins!

How To Make Chocolate-Covered Dates

• Melt the chocolate slowly and stir it often. To avoid burning the chocolate, don’t rush the melting process. Microwave the chocolate in bursts of time, remembering that the chocolate is still melting even after you take it out of the microwave. Make sure to give the chocolate plenty of time to melt outside of the microwave as you stir.
• Use high-quality chocolate for the best results. You’ll get both a better melt and a better flavor. My favorite chocolate for these Chocolate-Covered Dates is Ghirardelli® or Guittard®. Cheaper brands can have a waxier content that is less flavorful. 
• Don’t allow any liquid near the chocolate. If it gets wet, it will seize and harden, and you don’t want that. Here’s why.
• Microwave the chocolate chips in sturdy, heat-safe bowls instead of using plastic or melamine. 
• When coating the dates, I like to press a toothpick through the date and then dip the bottom in the chocolate while spooning more chocolate over the top. Holding the toothpick, carefully and gently tap the date against the edge of the bowl so excess chocolate can fall off. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan or plate and allow chocolate to harden.

Chocolate Covered Dates FAQs

More Nutritious Snacks And Treats

• Healthy Carrot Muffins without refined sugars!
• Healthy Chocolate-Covered “Caramels” using dates
• Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with a cream cheese frosting
• Healthy Ice Cream made without any bananas; hint– we use a veggie!
• Healthy Banana Bread with miniature chocolate chips

FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content.

Chocolate-Covered Dates

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

Chocolate-Covered Dates make for the best snack, treat, or dessert. These indulgent-tasting treats are made with wholesome ingredients and are sure to cure your sweet tooth without any sugar hangover!

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Chocolate-Covered Dates

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Chocolate-Covered Dates make for the best snack, treat, or dessert. These indulgent-tasting treats are made with wholesome ingredients and are sure to cure your sweet tooth without any sugar hangover!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Healthy, Vegetarian

Keyword chocolate covered dates

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 10 dates

Chelsea Lords

Calories 141kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $5.12

Equipment

• Sheet pan and parchment paper, tin foil, or wax paper
• Toothpicks

Ingredients

• ▢ 10 soft, fresh whole Medjool dates (Note 1)
• ▢ Creamy peanut or almond butter (Note 2)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons finely chopped roasted and lightly salted peanuts or almonds
• ▢ 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate melts (Note 2)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• ▢ Optional: Maldon sea salt flakes (if you like salty-sweet)

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• PREP: Cut a slit in the top of each date and gently remove the pit. Discard pits. Coarsely chop the peanuts or almonds and set aside. Line a sheet pan or plate with parchment, foil, or wax paper and set aside.
• ADD NUT BUTTER: Fill each date with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of peanut or almond butter and spread/smooth into the date with the back of a spoon. Add a sprinkle of crushed peanuts or almonds on top of the nut butter. Gently press the nuts down into the nut butter. Gently press a toothpick through each date. Set aside.
  
• CHOCOLATE COATING: Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in bursts of 20 seconds, stirring in between bursts for 20-25 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remember, chocolate is melting even outside of the microwave, so stir for a while to ensure it doesn't get burned.
• DIP DATES: Working one at a time, hold onto the toothpick and dip each date into melted chocolate to coat the bottom. Use a spoon to coat the top of the date and sides until the date is fully covered in chocolate. Holding the toothpick, tap the date a few times to allow excess chocolate to fall back down into the bowl. Transfer coated date to the prepared sheet pan/plate and use another toothpick to coax the date off the original toothpick.

  Sprinkle any remaining crushed peanuts/almonds and/or sea salt flakes on top of each date. Place the dates in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set, about 30 minutes, or let harden at room temperature for about an hour.
  
• STORAGE: Keep leftover chocolate-covered dates in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. (We keep them in the freezer!)

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Dates: These dates can be found near other dried fruits, trail mixes, and nuts in the store. For best texture and flavor, you’ll want to use fresh soft dates.

Note 2: Nut butter: Use whichever you prefer; we like peanut butter best! Be sure to use a nut butter you find flavorful -- preferably one that is roasted and lightly salted.

Note 3: Chocolate: We use dark chocolate to keep these treats as nutritious as possible (and we love dark chocolate), but any type of chocolate will work here -- milk, semi-sweet, or even white chocolate!

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.