Vegan stuffed dates with almond butter and cocoa

Vegan stuffed dates with almond butter and cocoa: a quick, sweet recipe with Medjool dates, creamy almond butter, cocoa and a fine pinch of sea salt.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• No cooking needed
• Total time: 10 min
• Calories: 290 kcal per serving
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Carbs: 48 g

Ingredients

• 8 Medjool dates
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 pinch of sea salt

Method

You’ll need: chopping board · knife · mixing bowl

1. Cut the Medjool dates open lengthways and remove the stones. If they're very dry, leave them at room temperature for a while to soften.
2. Put the almond butter into a small bowl and stir with the cocoa powder and sea salt until smooth. The cream should be spreadable and evenly dark.
3. Fill the opened dates with the cocoa and almond butter cream. Press the filling in lightly so it sits well in the dates.
4. Chill the stuffed dates for a short while if you like (about 15–20 min). That firms up the filling a little and makes the texture more compact.
5. Before plating, decide whether to serve the dates neatly closed or slightly open. Both work well.

Good to know

When you want something sweet but simple and honest, these stuffed dates are just right. In a few minutes you have something creamy and chocolatey.

Swaps

Almond butter → cashew butter (milder flavour, similarly creamy texture) | Almond butter → sesame tahini (more calcium, a more savoury note) | Cocoa powder → carob powder (caffeine-free, naturally mild and sweetish) | Medjool dates → Deglet Nour dates (a little less soft, usually more subtly sweet)

Allergens

Contains tree nuts (almond butter); with tahini, also sesame. Offer to children with care because the date mixture is sticky; in pregnancy the ingredients are generally fine in normal kitchen amounts.

Dairy-free recipes