Stuffed Dates and Peanut Butter (With Chocolate Option)

Meet my favorite pre-workout snack, which is loaded with healthy carbohydrates and fats. Stuffed dates and peanut butter (with a chocolate drizzle option) taste like a candy bar—they’re sweet, salty, chewy, soft, and creamy. Make them in advance for a delicious snack any time, satisfying a sweet tooth or energizing for a great workout and powering through the afternoon.

Stuffed Dates & Peanut Butter Benefits

• Simple Ingredients – You only need fresh dates, peanut butter (or any nut butter or seed butter), and optional chocolate chips and salt. 
• Macro-Friendly – Tracking macros has changed my body and health and allowed me to accomplish incredible fitness goals over the past 2.5 years. Peanut butter dates are one of my favorite snacks because they have a great balance of essential nutrients: carbs and fats (and a tiny amount of protein). Learn about macros.
• Meal Prep – Make the dates in advance for an easy and quick snack or sweet treat. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Now, you have the perfect healthy snack or dessert ready to enjoy at any time. 
• Healthy Sweet Treat – Drizzle melted chocolate over the peanut butter-stuffed dates, and you have a delicious, healthier treat without added sugar. 

Before You Get Started: What You’ll Need

Main Ingredients 

• Dates –  Sweet dates are a fruit that grows on date palm trees in the Middle East. Fresh Medjool dates are my favorite; you’ll find them in the grocery store’s produce aisle. 
• Peanut Butter – Rich peanut butter elevates the chewy dates and pairs perfectly with their sweetness. I love crunchy peanut butter, but creamy peanut butter also works. You may also use nut butter or seed butter: almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, and sunflower seed butter. The type of peanut butter or nut/seed butter you choose is a personal preference. The amount used depends on how stuffed you’d like the dates. I prefer 1/2 tablespoon (8 grams) per date. 

Optional Ingredients 

• Chocolate Chips – If you want to make chocolate-covered dates, use the chocolate chips you choose. I love semi-sweet chocolate chips, but milk or dark chocolate chips also work. The type depends on how much sweetness you desire.
• Salt –  Adding a pinch of salt over the chocolate enhances the chocolate flavor and sweet/salty flavor. This is also a personal preference – use whatever you love: flakey sea salt, fine salt, or coarse salt. 

Recipe Steps for Basic Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates

• Step 1 Slice Dates –  Place the dates on a cutting board and use a pairing knife to slice them in half. If the dates have a pit inside, you’ll need to slice just until you hit the seed inside, then remove the seed. If there aren’t any pits in the dates, cut just the top of the date (do not cut all the way through).  
• Step 2 Fill Dates – Use a spoon to fill the cavity of the date with peanut butter, then repeat until all the dates are stuffed. How much you use is up to you. I prefer 1/2 tablespoon per date (8 grams), but you can use up to 1 tablespoon per date if desired (16 grams). 
• Step 3 Refrigerate – Place the dates in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. They can be sealed and stored for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy them cold (straight from the fridge) or at room temperature.  

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Dates

To make chocolate-covered dates, stuff the dates with peanut butter as described above. Then melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (like a glass bowl) and spoon over the dates. Here’s the best way to do this…

• Add the chocolate to a bowl, then heat for about 30 seconds, remove and stir, heat for another 30 second-intervals, remove and stir. Continue to do this until the chocolate looks slightly glossy and melts when stirred.
• Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the peanut butter dates. You can do this with the dates on a plate, storage container, or cookie sheet. 
• Refrigerate the dates to allow the chocolate to harden. 
• After removing a date from the fridge, sprinkle with a pinch of salt (if desired) and enjoy.

​Storage

Store the dates in an airtight container for up 2 weeks in the fridge. 

Expert Tips & Variations

• Stir the Peanut Butter Well Before Use – If you’re using natural peanut butter, there’s usually a lot of separation in the jar. Using thick peanut butter rather than super runny peanut butter is best. So I recommend stirring the peanut butter well so it’s thick rather than runny before stuffing the dates. If not, the peanut butter will ooze out of the dates. 
• Tracking Macros – If you’re tracking macros, I suggest placing the peanut butter jar on your scale and zeroing out. Now, the scale will read 0 grams. Take a spoonful from the jar until you reach the desired amount (8 grams = 1/2 tablespoon, 16 grams = 1 tablespoon). One serving of peanut butter is usually one tablespoon, which is how I keep the fat down on this delicious recipe so I lots of room for more fat throughout my day.
• Other Variations – Sprinkle shredded chocolate, mini chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or crushed peanuts over the dates. There are so many different ways to top the dates. I’d love to hear how you serve them.