22 Dessert and Dinner Recipes using Dates

I love eating dates! A handful of the sweet luscious fruit is more than enough to satisfy my sugar cravings after each meal. I sometimes eat them as snacks too. Don’t you?

I mean what’s better than eating a natural guilt-free energizing gift from God that’s full of all the right vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy?

‘Which vitamins?’ I hear you say.

Well, dried dates are supposed to be a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, fibre, essential sugars like fructose and dextrose, calcium, flavonoids, and antioxidants. And fresh dates also give you Vitamin C. Which makes them the answer to a lot of physical problems. But please don’t take my word for it. Ask your nutritionist or doctor.

Anyways, where was I? Yes, we love dates. So yes, it’s a frequent ingredient in our diet. And not just plain ol’ dates; but other recipes using dates too, date cakes, date biscuits, date chutney, date salads, date bread, date barfi, and more. Dates for breakfast, dates for lunch, dates for dinner!

So while we’re celebrating the lusciousness of dates, here are just some of the date recipes from my food blogger friends that I’ve saved to try in the near future. Some are sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free too!

1. Bacon Pecan Dates Appetizer

These easy bacon pecan date appetizers by Kim from Two Kids and a coupon only need three ingredients! bacon, pecan cream cheese and dates. It’s the fastest and easiest finger food to make when you have guests over.

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2. Healthy Date Loaf

40 minutes is all it takes to get this Healthy Date Loaf from Cook it Real Good on the table. Vegan, free of natural sugar and full of the healthy goodness of wholemeal flour, coconut oil and medjool dates, Cassie’s Healthy Date loaf is perfect for sharing.

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3. Sugarfree Anjeer Barfi – Indian Fig Dessert

Anjeer barfi or fig barfi is a traditional Indian dry fruit barfi that's rich to taste and full of nutty flavor. Here is our version of it, a sugar free gluten free anjeer barfi.

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4. Date and Vanilla Chia Pudding

As easy breakfeast treat, this Vanilla overnight Chia pudding by Sandi from Fearless dining doesn’t require any time on the gas or in an oven. Just mix all your ingredients together, including those precious dates and refrigerate! Et voila, after a few hours your gluten free, vegan and paleo chia pudding is ready.

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5. Chicken, Date And Quinoa Bake

A healthy chicken casserole with the skin on, just the way I like it. Pam’s Chicken, Date and Quinoa Bake is a new take on the traditional chicken and rice recipe. And all of the ingredients are easily replaceable with something else. But the best part is that this sweet and crunchy chicken recipe from Side Walk Shoes has got our favorite ingredient, dates!

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6. Dairy free Gluten free Khajur Dry Fruit Barfi

An Indian dry fruit barfi made mainly of khajur or dates that is dairy free, gluten free and sugar free.

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7. Vegan Chocolate Cauliflower Ice Lollies

Calling every mom who’s had trouble with feeding kids their veggies. These vegan ice lollies by Bintu of Recipes from a Pantry will save you from all the fuss of getting your child to eat cauliflower. Made with four simple ingredients, dates, cauliflower, cocoa and coconut milk, the Cauliflower Chocolate Ice Lollies are perfect for vegans too!

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8. Dark Chocolate Coconut Brownie Bites

Liv was probably in a 5 ingredient competition while making these! Just kidding. She just decided to make some healthy brownie bites as a follow up to her famous Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites, and wanted to use as few ingredients as possible. It’s really the simplest combinations of ingredients that taste the best. So Healthy Liv took some coconut, almonds, dates, cocoa and walnuts and made her magical Dark Chocolate Coconut Brownie Bites.

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9. Moist Semolina Date and Orange Cake

This semolina date and orange cake is so flavourful, you'll be craving for more! The bittersweet taste of the orange peel and dates is just mouth-watering. Make this perfectly moist semolina cake for any celebration or just for tea time.

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10. Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes

Stef’s sticky toffee pudding recipe has the denseness and distinctive flavor of dates complemented by a caramel sauce. Adapted from the pudding at The Schlafly Tap Room in St. Louis, Stef has turned the pudding into an amazing Sticky Toffee Cupcake recipe. Good if you don’t want to share! Wink wink!

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11. Sea Salt Caramels

Sheri realized that dates are a perfect dairy-free substitute for butter and cream. So she used Heartbeet Kitchen’s salted caramel recipe to make these delicious bars of goodness. She’s tweaked this vegan recipe a little bit, and it’s turned out amazing. Go on and try it yourself!

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12. Pecan and Date Granola

Brimming with the goodness of sweet dates, toasted oats, and crunchy pecans, Carrie’ homemade granola bars are the perfect snack for any occasion. These granola bars don’t have raisins because Carrie is doesn’t like having them in her food, bagels, snacks, trail mixes or bread. But the Frugal Foodie Mama’s recipe for Pecan and Date Granola‘s is perfect, whether you choose to include raisins or not!

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13. Oil Free Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Now, I’ve used dates in chutney’s before, but never in a dressing. So this dressing by Cindy’s Veggie Fun Kitchen is next on my must try list. It’s made of balsamic vinegar, strawberries and the love of my life, Medjool dates. The mild sweetness of the Balsamic Vinegar complements the Medjool dates just perfectly and the strawberry and date dressing will be a hit on most of your salads.

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14. Chocolate Covered Dates

A famous Ramadan recipe, chocolate covered medjool dates are a great treat at any other time of the year too. This 3-ingredient recipe by Anu from Herbivore Cucina takes hardly 10 minutes to prepare. You can replace the almonds with any of your other favorite nuts too. Read more about chocolate covered dates here!

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15. Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Bites

The flavors of fall on your plate, these pumpkin pie chocolate chip bites by Sherri from To Simply Inspire require just a food processor and 5 ingredients to make. Tasty pumpkins pureed with oats and blended with medjoul dates and chocolate chips take hardly 15 minutes to turn into yummy bites for a mid-morning snack.

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16. Butternut Squash, Dates & Cranberries

Anne-Marie’s recipe for jasmine rice stuffing can be dish in itself. She first created it as a gluten free Thanksgiving stuffing, but it can be used for much much more. We love the blend of flavors This Mama Cooks and think you will too. I mean, how can you even stay away from spicy jasmine rice that has cranberries and medjoul dates in it?

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17. Tamarind and Date Chutney

Meeta makes a mean tamarind date chutney or khajoor imli ki chutney as it’s called in India. A traditional Indian chutney, sort of like a spicy sauce that’s often eaten with savoury snacks, the date chutney is made with tamarind pulp, dates, jaggery and spices. Let Meeta from Piping Pot Curry show you how to make a tamarind date chutney in an instant pot or pressure cooker. And no, you don’t have to only have it with samosas. You can eat it with other savories too!

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18. Date And Coconut Energy Bites

Khadija’s Date and Coconut Energy Bites are perfect for the month of fasting that is Ramadan. They can also be eaten as energy bites at any other time of the year. Easy to make, they contain the goodness of mashed dates, coconut powder, pistas and honey.

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19. Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

Everyone loves a chocolate cake. But if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to the rich and heavy chocolate cakes, Jennifer from A Sweet Alternative has a yummy dairy-free chocolate cake recipe using date paste and oat flour. PS. It’s also sugar free and gluten free.

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20. Vegan Coconut Corn Chowder

Here’s a light and flavorful recipe from Lexi and Beth of Crowded Kitchen. This vegan corn chowder is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and leaves you feeling satisfied. Peppercorns and chilies hint at spiciness while the pan fried dates add a touch of crispy sweetness to your chowder. All in all, a perfect meal for lunch or dinner!

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21. Date Rolls (Shortbread Cookies stuffed with Walnuts and Dates)

Traditional East Indian date rolls are delicious bites of dates and walnuts wrapped in buttery shortbread-like cookies.

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22. Dense Date and Walnut Cake

A delightful cake made of sweet pitted dates and crunchy walnut pieces, the East Indian Date and Walnut Cake is easy to make at home.

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So that’s our list of yummy recipes with dates for dessert or dinner. Try them and let us know which ones you like the best!

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Abby

I’m an East Indian foodie and travel blogger from Bombay, India. I love food, wine, and sharing my culture’s ethnic East Indian and traditional Indian recipes. You’ll find more info about me here!