dark chocolate covered stuffed dates

dark chocolate covered stuffed dates

This recipe is incredibly easy, delicious and heathy – packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. Three main ingredients is all you need. No baking. 

Any nut or seed butter can be used. I use sunflower seed butter for nut free zones (school) or almond butter for home (cashew works well, too; if you are a peanut butter lover, go for it) (NOTE: all peanuts have a fungus, even organic). Seed butter has just as much protein as nut butter, and with the addition of chocolate, the different taste goes next to unnoticed so don’t be afraid to try it. Sunflower seed butter is loaded with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and B vitamins. Pumpkin seed butter is another good nut free option.

Make sure you use medjool dates. They are larger in size and softer than other dates and sweeter, with an almost caramel-like taste. They are lower on the glycemic index than refined sugar (so they don’t spike your blood sugar level like other sugars). 

Choose a natural, dark chocolate (at least 70%; I prefer 84%) that does not have sugar as the first ingredient. You will get plenty of sweet from the medjool date. 

gluten free, dairy free, raw, nut free option, vegan, paleo, 

dark covered chocolate stuffed dates

• medjool dates
• nut or seed butter
• dark chocolate bar 
• maldon sea salt flakes

MELT the dark chocolate in a pyrex dish in a pot of water on the lowest heat (chocolate burns quickly). 

REMOVE the seeds from the dates. 

FILL the dates with your nut or seed butter of choice. (You may have to help form the holes where the seed was to create some space for the butter.) Place them in the freezer for approx 10 minutes so that the melted chocolate sets quickly when you dip them. (This also allows the salt flakes to sit nicely on top of the chocolate, without sinking or dissolving.)

Once the chocolate is melted, remove the pyrex dish from the pot, to allow to cool slightly. (For a thicker chocolate coating, allow the melted chocolate to cool for a good 5 minutes.) 

DROP one date into the pyrex dish and use a fork to cover it completely with the melted chocolate. Use the fork to lift the date (allowing any excess chocolate to drip off or scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the pyrex) and place it on parchment paper on a dish. 

PLACE in fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

CRUMBLE some sea salt flakes onto the chocolate after it has started to harden. If you drop it on right after the heat will slightly melt the salt as well as it will sink a little and doesn’t look as pretty. Sometimes I crumble a bit before placing in the fridge and then again part way through.

Enjoy