In our house, dates are a thing. I mean….you’ll find my 15-year-old daughter snacking on them with a bit of dark chocolate and walnuts, my son loving them in chocolate smoothies, and my niece putting them in everything from bowls to homemade cookies. I myself love to come up with creative snacks out of them for my kids. Sometimes you’ll hear a shout from the pantry, “Who ate the last date??” Whether it’s eating dates by themselves or sliding them into a recipe, they are a pantry staple at our house.
Having littles makes me adore the fact that dates are so easy to cook with, especially anywhere you want a kiss of caramelly-sweetness, naturally. Dates give you every reason under the sun to enjoy them - they are high in fiber, have a low glycemic index, and are a source of iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and what I call “the sunshine vitamin” - vitamin D.
Because of their fiber content, they slow digestion, and if you’re a parent, you know this is a total winner! Kids can get hungry fast, and keeping them full - on nutritious food - is always a goal.
These kinds of recipes give dates the main stage.
Healthy “Twix” Bites - One of my favorite new ways to use dates is to make a homemade “caramel” out of them. This recipe is made in a mini-muffin tin, so it’s perfect for little hands!
Date “Snickers” Bites - A 5-ingredient satisfying bite of heaven! Dates are stuffed with peanut butter, coated in chocolate, and sprinkled with peanuts.
Toasted Coconut Date Bars - Packed with coconut, almond butter, and dates, these delicious bars need to have a place at the snack table!
These recipes let dates have the supporting role. And sometimes - for certain littles - it’s best to hide the dates in a recipe. Dates have other qualities that are a win: In a smoothie, dates add a perfect kiss of sweet, plus all that nutrition. In baking, they not only add sweetness, but they also contribute to the perfect texture. Dates are plump and chewy, and have such a great moisture content. Below are some recipes to get you started….but the possibilities are endless!
Samoa Cookies - Melt in your mouth delicious!!
Chocolate Date Smoothie - Smooth, creamy, and chocolaty! It’s all the things! With the added sweetness and nutritional benefit of dates.
Baked Peanut Butter Oat Bars - Soft and chewy with pops of chocolate, these are my kid’s favorite homemade granola bar!
Healthy Breakfast Cookies - A hearty, nutrition-packed cookie filled with flavor and perfect for an on-the-go breakfast.
Whether you create recipes that “let dates shine” or “hide dates in,” your littles will love these kid-approved recipes as much as mine do!
Annessa Chumbley is a mom, award-winning Dietitian, 2x Emmy-nominated former TV anchor, recipe creator, and spokesperson, who cares deeply about encouraging and inspiring people to make memories in the kitchen and fall in love with healthful food. She has been a national healthy living spokesperson for Albertsons Safeway, Unilever, Premier Protein, Fruits from Chile, American Heart Association, Seafood Nutrition, and many more. Annessa's health tips and recipes have been featured in segments on morning shows and in print media all over the country, including the Hallmark Home and Family Show, Women's Health, Yahoo, Forbes Online, and Pop Sugar. She makes healthy cooking easy, fun, and irresistible. Annessa comes from a big, food-loving family, and can usually be found in the kitchen making (messy) memories with her kids.
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