4-ingredient almond butter stuffed dates with chocolate and sea salt

Stuffed dates with chocolate are filled with almond butter, dipped into luscious dark chocolate and sprinkled with flaky sea salt. A healthy 4-ingredient treat that tastes sinful!

Stuffed dates with chocolate recipe

This almond butter stuffed dates recipe is an easy way to pair dates with chocolate, and elevate them to a full healthy snack with a touch of protein-filled almond butter and sea salt.

Full disclosure: we eat a lot of dates in our home. My son pops them into his mouth like candy, I love to put them in my favorite Chicken Marbella with Dates recipe, and homemade date syrup is always in our pantry.

Dates with chocolate are one of our favorite snacks. But to make it into a dessert, a bit more was needed.

That’s when I got the brilliant idea for stuffing dates with almond butter!

A healthy snack when you need a pick me up

Working in front of a computer all day, I would often find myself crashing after lunchtime. My brain would start to wander, my eyes would shut on their own, and all I wanted was a little pick me up.

At this point, back in my old office, I would often make my way down to the vending machine and get myself some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I KNEW they were bad for me, but I just couldn’t help myself - I craved that salty-nut-butter-meets-sweet-chocolate combination.

And of course, the sugar.

Working from home, I KNEW I COULD DO BETTER. 

So one day, when looking for a quick energy fix, I took a teaspoon of almond butter. I smeared it on the dates I had lying on the counter from more date recipe testing. And then, inspired by the creamy texture of the almond butter and the juicy medjool dates, I grabbed a cube of high quality dark chocolate as a chaser.

From there, the road towards a sprinkle of flaky sea salt was unbelievably short. Salt elevates sweets, and I just love taking the combination of sweet and salty even further with this little touch.

Why This Chocolate Covered Dates Recipe Is My Favorite

The truth is, there are many stuffed dates recipes. But this one is truly my favorite. It’s:

• Easy to make
• Super quick
• Only 4 ingredients
• Good for small hands - my 2-year-old son loves to help make it, and eats it all by himself
• Full of protein - each of these stuffed dates has 1+ whole gram of protein!
• Pretty 
• No added sugar
• Easy to transport
• Delicious - if there’s anything Reese’s pieces have taught us, it’s that almond butter and chocolate just taste great together. Using dark chocolate just elevates the whole thing to another level of flavor altogether.
• Healthy - almond butter has more protein, less fat and sugar than processed peanut butter. I love using it when I need a filling snack!
• Great balance and contrast between salt and sweet

Once you try these almond butter stuffed dates, dipped in good-quality dark chocolate, and sprinkled with flaky sea salt, you will forget about any other stuffed dates recipes.

You May Also Like These Other Medjool Date Treats:

Ingredients

To make these stuffed dates with chocolate you will need:

• Dates - not all dates are equal, and I strongly encourage you to make this a Medjool stuffed dates recipe. They are packed fresh, not dry, and their texture is just much more pleasant. They will also taste creamier than other dates.
• Almond butter - use whatever almond butter you like. You can also substitute it with other nut butter (more on that below, in the variations section).
• Dark chocolate - a few cubes of good quality dark chocolate is all you need. 
• Flaky sea salt - Maldon sea salt, or Saltverk make some of the best flaky sea salt around (see links below).

See recipe card for exact quantities.

Equipment

• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Microwave-safe bowl

How To Make STUFFED DATES WITH CHOCOLATE From Scratch 

This chocolate covered dates recipe really couldn’t be simpler.

First, you de-pit your dates. Then, you take 1 teaspoon of almond butter, and smear it inside the date. Try to keep the outside of your dates as clean as possible. Repeat until you are out of dates or almond butter.

Then, take the dark chocolate, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and continue microwaving in 30-second bursts, until your chocolate is fully melted.

Grab each Medjool date, and dip it halfway into the dark chocolate. Set aside. Repeat with all the stuffed dates. 

Finally, sprinkle dates with a few flakes of sea salt each. Transfer to fridge to cool for at least 1 hour, or however long you want. 

Grab a chocolate covered date each time you need a pick me up.

Storage and Making in Advance

These stuffed dates will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, and 3-4 days outside the fridge.

Substitutions

These stuffed dates with chocolate are naturally paleo, gluten free, vegan and grain-free. They are also free of added sugars.

Variations

Here are some variations I like to make to this almond butter stuffed dates recipe:

• Peanut butter stuffed dates - substitute the almond butter for peanut butter.
• Nut butter stuffed dates - if you’re not a fan of peanuts, you can use any nut butter you like as an almond butter alternative in this stuffed dates recipe. I love cashew butter and mixed nut butter.
• Tahini stuffed dates - for another vegan stuffed dates variation, this one a bit more savory, stuff your medjool dates with tahini.
• White chocolate covered dates - use white chocolate and pink sea salt to turn this into a Christmas worthy treat. You can also use red and green peppercorns.
• Milk chocolate coated dates - use milk chocolate in place of the dark chocolate.
• Flavored sea salt dates - use a flavored sea salt like the Birch sea salt or Arctic thyme sea salt from Saltverk.
• Dates covered in Ruby chocolate - for an extra-special touch, dip your almond butter stuffed dates into some melted ruby chocolate.

I've also taken to making a batch of these Paleo Almond Joy Bars. They are such a great treat to have in my freezer for when the munchies strike!

Top Tips

• Use good, high quality Medjool dates for this recipe. They are softer, juicier and bigger than other dates because they’re packed fresh.
• Similarly, use high quality dark chocolate. This is where the sweetness in your stuffed dates will come from, and you want to make sure it’s a good one!
• Salt matters too. Don’t be tempted to use regular table salt - it will not taste as good. Flaky sea salt will give this snack texture and flavor. You can also try pink Himalayan salt or a flavored sea salt as well.
• If you’re short on time, skip the cooling stage and eat the stuffed dates as they are. They will be just as delicious!
• If making a few of these, take care to first stuff all the dates with almond butter, and then dip them in chocolate. Otherwise, you're going to end up with clumps of chocolate in your almond butter.

Products

There are certain products I found that elevate this dish to another level. Here are some of my favorite ingredients to use in this dates with almond butter recipe:

You could pair these dates covered in chocolate with the following recipes for a Middle Eastern meal:

FAQ

Recipe