Top 7 Date Ideas

No, we don’t mean walks on the beach. We mean the fruit, have you heard of it? Mejool dates are soft and chewy, loaded with nutrients, and can be used to make secretly healthy desserts that actually taste good. Seriously- we bring our date sweetened desserts to work and they're gone within seconds. Whether you are dabbling with veganism, paleo, whole30, or whatever diet trend is out there, you can use them in place of sugar to get your fix. We're all sugar addicts at heart. Here’s how we date:

1. Take em Raw.

If you’re lazy, take out the pit and eat it plain or stuffed with nut butter and dipped in chocolate. Don’t worry, they’re low-glycemic so your blood sugar won’t spike. You see, fruit (like dates) contain fiber. Fiber is super important for overall health and digestive health. Nature's candy rules.

2. Grind em up.

If you have a food processor, combine nuts (we typically use walnuts), oats, Mejool dates, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and a nut butter until it gets sticky. Roll them into balls and bite into chocolate heaven.

Our go-to recipe:

- 1/2 cup of walnuts

- 1 cup of rolled oats

- 8 Mejool dates

- a splash or two of vanilla extract (or imitation vanilla)

- 1/4 cup of cocoa powder

- 2tbs of a nut butter

Tip: Looking to cut down on fat? Skip the nut butter and add more oats!

Want to add some more excitement to your date balls? Try rolling them in crushed freeze dried strawberries for a blast of fruity goodness!

3. Purèe.

Dates blended with water can be used in place of a liquid sweetener like maple syrup. Pour it on your pancakes, put it in your lattes or drink it with a (bamboo) straw.

How to make date syrup:

- Finely chop 1 pound of dates

- Add the dates to 4 cups of water and simmer on the stovetop for about 30 mins

- Let the mixture cool for about 30 mins

- Purée in a food processor or blender until smooth (about 1 minute)

- Strain out the pulp

- Enjoy!

4. Sprinkle.

Break off tiny date pieces to add some sweetness to a boring old salad. Try these flavors in a salad: grilled fennel, red onion, dates, chili spiced almonds. You can also add these tiny date pieces to an oatmeal bowl to add some sweetness to your morning.

5. Caramelize.

Blend dates with full fat coconut milk and vanilla extract and it will taste like caramel sauce. Enough said.

6. Sweeten things up.

Does your daily green smoothie taste too...well...green? Add one date to your usual smoothie mixture for that subtle sweetness you needed.

7. Savor.

Sneak in a date to your go-to salad dressing. Here's ours:

Easy Vegan Ranch Recipe:

Add all ingredients to a blender

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes and drained

3 tbs apple cider vinegar

3 cloves of crushed garlic

1 date

1tbs dried dill

1/2 tbs dried parsley

1/2tsp paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder

Bonus: Mix em' together.

Combine them with your favorite nuts such as peanuts, almonds, cashews or walnuts and any other dried fruits to create your own trail mix for a quick on-the-go snack.

There you have it. If you’re sick of the mindless swiping on Hinge and Bumble, get down with these dates instead. They taste better anyway 😉

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