Maybe I used to be living under a rock, but before our switch to “real food” I had never before purchased or cooked with dates. And I am just being honest here, but it’s possible I didn’t even know what dates were. Believe it or not Medjool dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits in the world, which means they are also a whole food, of course. :) And even here in North Carolina you can easily find fresh Natural Delights Medjool dates at several local grocery stores including Harris Teeter, some Lowe’s locations and soon Earth Fare as well.
The great thing about Medjool dates is that they are so sweet so they can basically act as a sweetener in recipes. And when you are avoiding refined sugar you start to get creative when it comes to satisfying your sweet tooth. A few weeks after starting our “100 Days of Real Food” pledge a reader actually suggested a “chocolate torte/truffle” recipe to me (pictured) using Medjool dates, and looking back I honestly don’t think I would have survived our pledge without them!
So today, I’d like to share three more recipes using Medjool dates in case you are new to this versatile sweet fruit as well. I do want to caution you though that even though the date seeds look like little pecans they are hard as a rock (pictured), so whatever you do be extra careful to remove the seeds first!
Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates
Ingredients
- 1 lb Medjool dates
- 1 lb bacon, sliced
- 6 oz nuts, minced (we used cashews, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- Split one side of Medjool date lengthwise and remove pit.
- Stuff with one teaspoon minced nuts. (Optional)
- Wrap entire bacon strip around date and secure with toothpick. To prevent toothpicks from burning soak them in water for a few minutes first.
- Place under oven broiler.
- Turn once to ensure even cooking and drain well (about 3 minutes per side worked well in our oven). Serve warm / immediately.
Recipe Notes
*To make this Peanut/Tree Nut Free omit the optional nuts.
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Medjool Date Pitas
Ingredients
- 2 whole-wheat pitas, we got ours from Trader Joe’s
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 8 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Cut each pita bread in half, crosswise, to form four pita pockets.
- Gently open each pita pocket and spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter to each of the interior sides.
- Top the peanut butter with the chopped dates, which have been evenly divided.
- Add the banana slices to each pita sandwich and then gently press the sides together to reform pita pockets.
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Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
Banana, Medjool Date, Vanilla Smoothie
A sweet dessert-like drink.
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, ripe
- 1 cup plain yogurt, whole-milk recommended
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cubes ice
- handful spinach, or other greens like kale or swiss chard (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a blender and puree together until smooth. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
This post has been brought to you by Bard Valley Natural Delights Medjool Dates. They are part of the Mediterranean Foods Alliance, which helps consumers discover the health benefits of Mediterranean foods. Tomorrow kicks off Mediterranean Diet Month so be sure to check out the details.
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I really like dates and use them as sweeteners in smoothies. I printed off your recipes and cannot wait to use them.
I never even thought about dates before this post. I read this, then last night I went to Fresh Market and they had Pecan Date Rolls from the The Jewel Date Co. They are DELICIOUS! My husband didn’t like them so I guess I get them all to myself! And only two ingredients, dates and pecans!
Thanks for the recipes. I am lucky enough to have a date palm growing in my garden. I have thousands of dates so I was looking for ways to use them. Fresh dates off the palm are completely different to the dates you buy in the shops. Shop bought ones are much harder and chewier. The fresh dates are really soft and sweet. I was never a fan of them when I was a child but I’m a big fan now!
If you have thousands are you interested in getting rid of some? I live in small town and don’t have access locally to fresh ones. I’d love to try them. How much would you charge for a pound or so to be shipped to Georgia?? :)
I just tried dates for the first time. (I planned to make the Lara bars but our family ate most of my cashews first). Anyway, I ate a date with a few raw cashews and it immediately made me think of pecan pie! Has anyone used them as a sub for the refined sugars to make a pecan pie-like dessert?
I use them as a sweetener in pumpkin pie. My very picky 9 year old loves it! I purée in my food processor and add to the other ingredients instead of any sugar. I have not tried in a pecan pie but think it would be delish!
I have discovered Natural Delights Medjool Dates recenlty. I remove the pit and put a natural (oil separated on top) crunchy peanut butter inside, close them again. OMGosh this is an awesome dessert. I usually eat one, and sometimes eat two. I have also used dates in smoothies. They have a lot of fiber and are so good for you. Much better snack or dessert than something made from refined sugar. Great for traveling, too, although good dates may be a bit sticky, better to eat at a rest stop with an apple.
I love medjool dates! I use them all of the time as a sweetener. My son has a milk allergy so I make hemp milk and sweeten it with a couple of medjool dates. I also chop one up and put it in our morning oatmeal, tastes just like I added a sweetener. I cannot wait to try the bacon wrapped dates, they look yummy!!!
Hi, loving your recipes! Another suggestion for the dates is to put a chunk of pineapple inside the date and then wrap in bacon and broil-delicious!!!!
I wanted something a little different for my morning smoothie and decided to give this a go. It’s delicious! I think I’ll turn this into ice cream for my kids later this week. I’m going to put this one in my recipe box (I do fruit/veggie smoothies each morning and don’t want to get stuck in a rut so I have a huge – and growing – list of recipes). Next time, I think I’ll add a spoon of almond butter and see how that tastes.
Hi! Love all the date recipes, since I love dates!! My question though, is, do you have to buy Medjool dates or can you use any pitted dates? Seems like I can find other dates less expensive….
Hi Terri. You can use other dates. ~Amy
I found your site because I have a dear friend who came here from Iran and she brings me gifts of dates from Montreal and I was looking for ideas to cook with them. We love yogurt smoothies, and I’m excited about using 3 or 4 dates to sweeten them instead of sugar. I break up my very ripe bananas into small chunks and freeze them for smoothies. Using frozen fruit eliminates needing to use ice cubes to cool off the smoothies. Thanks for your recipe ideas!
I love dates in my overnight oatmeal. So amazing!
Your vegan friends might not delight but the bacon wrapped dates are the pot luck item that will disappear first. Decadent and delicious.
I love bacon wrapped dates. I stuff them with feta or blue cheese, brush with balsamic vinegar and pop them in the oven…. yum yum
My family and I just made the smoothie, delicious!!!! I used almond milk and added a large handful of organic baby spinach… My kids loved it! Even the husband loved it! This is the first smoothie I have made with spinach that you couldn’t taste the spinach. I like spinach, I don’t like tasting it in smoothies though. The medjool dates are so amazing for sweetness. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
I love the smoothie recipe you can change the banana for any other fruit and it will be delicious