23 Easy And Delicious Dessert Ideas With Dates

If you are on the search for the perfect date desserts for your next family gathering, party, or holiday celebration, we have the best ones in this article!

While you might be used to preparing desserts with the classic ingredients – flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and so on – using dates will not only make your dessert tastier, but it will also be a pleasant surprise for your guests who would’ve expected a classic chocolate cake!

Even though dates are a common fruit and cooking ingredient in the Middle Eastern and North Africa regions, they are only recently making their way into the Western cuisine.

The great thing about these tiny and nutrient-dense fruits is that they pair well with a variety of sweet desserts.

From nuts and other fruits to chocolate and cream cheese, they are an amazing ingredient that can go in cakes, cookies, and sweet tarts (see also ‘33 Amazing Sweet And Savory Tart Recipes‘). Keep reading below for some date dessert inspiration!

1. Dates Buckeye Balls

Little chocolate-coated date balls made with only 4 ingredients and in no more than 30 minutes!

This dessert is extremely popular in Ohio and the surrounding states, like Indiana. The traditional Buckeye balls are coated in chocolate and made with butter and sugar.

This recipe is a healthier version of the iconic Ohio treat that uses dates and peanut butter.

2. No-Bake Date Brownies

These brownies can be made vegan if you use pure maple syrup instead of honey for the frosting. They are made with raw food like walnuts and dates, and some nutrient-dense ingredients like peanut butter.

The use of Medjool dates that replace the sugar in traditional brownie recipes yields an extremely chewy and thick brownie tray.

3. Date And Oats Muffins

Soft muffins with dates, cranberries, and pecans are a perfect sweet treat after a savory meal, or a good snacking option if you are trying to eat more healthy snacks.

If you are not used to having a full meal for breakfast, they can be a great on-the-go breakfast option next to a cup of coffee.

The balance of taste provided by the nuts and fruits in combination with the oatmeal will wow everyone and they will be asking for more, so make a big batch of them to make sure there’s seconds for everyone!

4. Snickers With Dates

After you’ve indulged in all the cocktails and treats during the holiday period, this guilt-free dessert will become the best way to keep enjoying sweet desserts with no guilt as you get back in the gym.

These date-stuffed snickers contain no sugar because the dates provide enough fructose to satisfy your sweet tooth. They’re tasty but not overpowering, so you’ll keep coming back for another bite.

They are also vegan, so there’s no excuse not to make some right away!

5. Oaty Date Bars

Oat bars are among the most common Medjool date desserts. The clashing textures of the date-studded bars you can make with this recipe is what makes them addictively delicious.

With simple ingredients and much less sugar thanks to the sweetness the dates give, these oat bars smell of cinnamon and taste like heaven!

6. Millionaire’s Bar

In the United States, you might hear people calling these no-bake Millionaire’s bars caramel shortbreads or Twix bars.

With the traditional recipe you will get shortbread crusts topped with two extra layers: one of chewy caramel and one of chocolate.

This dates recipe, on the other hand, is a healthier version of the original Twix bars, as instead of sugar it uses Medjool dates to make that caramel.

7. Quinoa Crumbles

These nutritious and fresh sweets have a stuffing of stone fruits, cinnamon, and nutmeg and are topped with an oat, date, and quinoa crumble.

Dates are the ideal topping for this dessert. Not only do they add a natural sweetness and a caramel essence to the crumble, but their sticky effect also helps with binding all the topping ingredients.

On a hot summer day, you can optionally, you can serve this crumble with some vanilla ice cream.

8. Toffee Cake

A traditional British treat, the sticky toffee cake finds its healthier version in this recipe with dates. Toffee sauce and dates are a dreamy combination, and the moisture of this cake is simply incomparable.

Rich in taste and flavors, this cake can easily be the centerpiece of the dinner table!

9. Orange Date Bread

Bake this soggy and yummy bread during holiday time, whether it’s Christmas, Easter, or any other time of year, and your holiday celebrations will forever change!

The dates in this recipe contribute to the bread’s sweet flavor while also keeping it moist and spongy.

Orange, on the other hand, brings a citrusy and vibrant essence to the dates, making this bread a delicacy.

10. Gooey Pecan Bars

If you enjoy both nutritious stone fruit and pecan nuts, this is the quintessential snack to make!

These flavorful and soft pie bars have a coconut layer and a date-sweetened caramel stuffing. The stuffing is made up of Medjool dates, vanilla essence, vegan milk, and pecans.

Vegan and paleo, they are easy to make and taste better than any other vegan bar you’ve ever tried!

11. Date And Blueberry Cheesecake Tarts

These mini cheesecakes are so creamy and delicious that you’ll be genuinely shocked when you realize they are dairy-free!

Even with their fancy appearance, these blueberry cheesecakes are super simple to make and only take 20 minutes. The crust contains only three things: Medjool dates, oats, and a dash of salt.

12. Date And Coconut Cake

This indulgent dessert is perfect for when you want to go all out! This moist date and coconut cake is soft, thick, and fluffy all at the same time.

Although the pecans and dates provide much sweetness for this dessert, if you want some extra crunchiness, you can top it with some extra pecans!

13. Date And Chocolate Fudge

This date and chocolate fudge can be stored in the freezer for a couple of months in case you want to make some extra to have some ready-made dessert in store for any late-night cravings.

Because of the pairing of dates, coconut oil, and cacao powder, this dessert is the perfect balance of fruity, chocolate-y and coconut flavors.

With some dried nuts toppings, with this recipe you can make the perfect snack for any day.

14. Date Ice Cream

Ice cream isn’t generally a first option for dried fruits like dates. Nevertheless, this fresh ice cream will change your mind.

This date ice cream’s sweetness comes from the Medjool dates and maple syrup, which provide plenty of sweetness to satisfy your sugar cravings.

The vanilla and cinnamon notes complement the sweet flavor of the dates, while the toasted almonds added as a topping bring the perfect crunchiness to this recipe.

15. Date Scones

The classic is unbeatable. These date scones are so easy to make, delicious, and ideal for breakfast or snack time. They taste best with jam, cheese, or just some butter!

The dates added in this recipe are a great way to jazz up traditional scones. Their sweet taste and fruitiness are balanced by the citrusy orange zest and blended spices.

16. Date Flapjacks

This quick snack is made with dates and oats and has a foamy, delicate, and spongy texture.

The dates add to the flapjack’s sweet taste. As a result, you don’t have to use as much sugar as you would typically use, and to your surprise, this version of flapjacks with dates will taste much better!

17. Zucchini And Date Cookies

If you would like to hide some vegetables into a date snack, zucchini seems like the ideal option! These cookies taste like a cross between oatmeal cookies and zucchini bread.

They are fluffy and chewy on the inside, while their outside is crisp. With simple and natural main ingredients such as dates and zucchini, they are a healthy dessert you can freely indulge in.

18. Date And Nut Pinwheels

It would be an exaggeration to say that dates and nuts were made for each other. However, when they get together for sweets, they taste amazing!

These pinwheels is a great example! The gentle sweet taste of dates complements the nutty taste of toasted walnuts.

This mixture is then covered in a brown sugar dough to make a gorgeous and delectable treat.

19. Fig And Date Newtons

Fig Newtons are more than cookies; they’re a tasty combo of cake and fruits, with sweet dates serving as an optional ingredient.

This savory spin of the traditional Newtons is great for people who are gluten intolerant, vegan, as well as those who don’t like baking.

20. Chocolate Date Truffles

These chocolate truffles can be ready in 30 minutes, and they taste way better than the classic sugary ones.

For vegans, paleo dieters, and gluten intolerant people, these healthy chocolate date truffles are a fantastic option that can be enjoyed daily as a snack.

21. Date-Filled Cookies

Sweet dates take their rightful place in these Maamoul pastries! Maamoul is a popular Middle Eastern sweet snack.

It is a shortbread cookie stuffed with dates, walnuts, or pistachio nuts that tastes like heaven. There are plenty of variations, but this recipe for Maamoul cookies is one of the best you can find!

22. Cashew Tahini Bars

These cashew tahini bars are high in healthy fats and fiber and pack a lot of taste in just one bite. They are made with no more than five ingredients, all of which are oil-free and sugar-free.

And if you are a tahini lover, then there’s no thinking twice about making a batch of these by following this recipe!

23. Yogurt, Date And Walnut Parfait

Very easy to make yet very fancy as it is served in champagne glasses, this yogurt parfait needs only 4 ingredients to make.

You start with the yogurt base and then top it with honey, walnuts and dates. It is that simple!

Sprinkle each parfait with some cinnamon and leave them in the fridge to cool until your guests are ready to be served their desserts.

The Bottom Line

Dates are an amazing ingredient that can replace sugar in so many desserts and make them healthier and tastier.

These 23 date dessert ideas are a great way to start experimenting with dates in your sweet treats, so go on and give them a try!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do Dates Pair Well With?

Medjool dates are intensely sweet, so they contrast well with salty flavors, like cured meat, as well as tangy flavors like citrus, yogurt, mild goat cheese, and blue cheese.

They also pair well with warm flavors, like cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, and other fruits, like pears, apples, and bananas.

Can You Eat Dates As Dessert?

Dates can be eaten as is! They make a great snack (just remember to remove the pits). They are fantastic stuffed with all-natural nut butter as an energy booster or even dessert.