What Are Dates and How Can I Use Them?
Dates rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 415 recipes to cook with them.
Key Points
- Dates are a whole food — fiber, potassium, magnesium, and natural sugars in one bite.
- Medjool: large, soft, caramel-like — best for baking and sweetening.
- Deglet Noor: smaller, drier, less sweet — best for savory dishes.
- Never substitute 1:1 for sugar — use 2/3 cup dates per 1 cup sugar, reduce liquids.
- Pit and soak dry dates before blending — they soften and blend better.
- Use in smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, granola — natural sweetness and chew.
- No true substitute; raisins, prunes, maple syrup are workarounds.
- Do not use honey — too thin, no structure.
- Store in sealed container — lasts 6 months; freeze for 1 year.
- Buy Medjool dates — soft, sweet, versatile.
- When a recipe says "dates," it means Medjool.
What are dates?
Dates are not just sweet. They are a whole food. They are fiber, potassium, magnesium, and natural sugars in one bite.
Medjool dates are the gold standard. They are large, soft, and caramel-like. They’re used in baking, energy bars, and as a natural sweetener.
Deglet Noor dates are smaller, drier, and less sweet. They’re used in stews, tagines, and salads.
Never substitute dates for sugar 1:1. They add moisture and texture. Use 2/3 cup dates per 1 cup sugar, and reduce other liquids.
Using Dates
Pit them before use. Soak in warm water for 10 minutes if they’re dry. They’ll soften and blend better.
Blend them into smoothies — they add creaminess without dairy. Chop them into oatmeal, yogurt, or granola — they add natural sweetness and chew. Use them in place of raisins — they’re bigger, sweeter, and more nutritious.
Storing Dates
Store in a sealed container in the pantry. They last 6 months. For longer storage, freeze them. They last 1 year. If they harden, microwave them for 10 seconds with a damp paper towel.
Substitutes
There is no true substitute for dates. But if you need to replace them:
- Raisins: smaller, less sweet, less moist.
- Prunes: darker, earthier, more fibrous.
- Maple syrup: liquid. Add less and reduce other liquids.
Do not use honey. It’s too thin. It doesn’t add structure.
Why Dates Matter
Dates are not a treat. They are a nutrient-dense ingredient. They add sweetness without refined sugar. They add texture. They bind. They moisten.
The difference between a dry energy bar and a chewy one is the date. The difference between a bland oatmeal and a rich one is the date.
Buy Medjool dates. They’re worth the cost. They’re soft, sweet, and versatile. When a recipe says "dates," it means Medjool. Use that. Don’t guess. Dates are not magic. They are nature’s candy. Understand it. Respect it. And your baking will improve.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup, pitted, chopped (178g)Where found
Dates are usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Dates are a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much do dates weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup, pitted, chopped | 178 grams |
| 1 date | 8 grams |
Related
Fruits and Fruit Juices
- In Chinese:
- 日期
- British (UK) term:
- Dates
- en français:
- dates
- en español:
- fechas
Recipes using dates
There are 415 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Super Fudge Cupcakes
Super fudge cupcakes soak chopped dates in boiling water before folding into a chocolate batter studded with chips and nuts. Date-sweetened, intensely fudgy cupcakes with a tender crumb.
Whole Grain Spice Pumpkin Muffins
Whole grain spice pumpkin muffins with whole wheat pastry flour, bran, honey, dates, and raisins. Naturally sweetened, fiber-rich fall muffins with warm spices and orange zest.
Homemade Pocket Triangles
Buttery shortcrust pockets folded around a caramelized coconut filling studded with dates, raisins, and cashews, baked golden. A Sri Lankan sweet pastry with crisp edges and a chewy, nutty center.
Date Squares (Healthier Version)
Make the traditional date squares healthier by using some whole wheat flour, canola oil and applesauce. Super moist and tasty, great to enjoy at any time.
Ann's Date Biscuits
Old-fashioned date biscuits with a folded cinnamon-sugar layer and chopped dates inside. A simple stovetop-style biscuit with a hidden sweet swirl, ready in 20 minutes.
Date Nut Bars
Date nut bars combine sticky-sweet dates and toasted pecans in a brown sugar batter that bakes into chewy, butterscotch-edged bars. One bowl, one pan, ready in 30 minutes. Holiday cookie tin staple, dressed simply.
Sugar Free Peach Oat Bran Muffins
Sugar free peach oat bran muffins packed with chopped peaches, toasted pecans, and dates. Made with brown rice flour and oat bran for a hearty, gluten-free breakfast muffin sweetened only with fruit.
Adam's Sticky Toffee Pudding
My brother's Sticky Toffee Christmas pudding recipe that he serves with homemade Chai Latte Ice cream.
Monika's Black Tea & Date Bread
This recipe isn’t mine. It belongs to Monika, who lives in Hagen, Germany. I asked her to share the recipe around the world because her bread is delicious, and she gave me her approval. This bread is sweet but not too sweet, any salt at all, fine as a dessert, fits to milk soups (photo #9).
Vegetable Porridge
Might want to eat it with a blindfold. It tastes a hell of a lot better than it looks.
Tomato Date Chutney
Indian-style tomato date chutney slow-simmered with vinegar-soaked chilies, ginger, garlic, and warm whole spices. Sweet, tart, and lasts six weeks in the fridge.
Boozy date & Coffee Cake
Boozy date and Coffee Cake with Lime Buttercream Icing, Using Atholl Brose, a traditional Scottish Whisky liqeuer. Perfect with a cuppa' Joe :)
Boozy date & Coffee Cake
Boozy date and Coffee Cake with Lime Buttercream Icing, Using Atholl Brose, a traditional Scottish Whisky liqeuer. Perfect with a cuppa' Joe :)
Apple Date Strudel
Apple date strudel rolls a homemade dough around toasted Zwieback crumbs, sliced apples, dates, walnuts, and cinnamon-sugar, then bakes into a buttery horseshoe-shaped German pastry.
My Vegetarian Mince Pies
Vegetarian mince pies with a suet-free, no-suet British mincemeat: dried fruits, ripe banana, almonds, brandy, and warm spice tucked inside flaky shortening pastry. The traditional Christmas pie, made meatless.
Banana Orange Yogurt Muffins
Banana orange yogurt muffins are a healthy oat-based breakfast bake with mashed banana, fresh orange zest, plain yogurt, and chopped dates. Lower-fat with egg whites, ready in under an hour.
Orange Date/Raisin Scones
Orange date scones with bright fresh orange zest, sweet sticky dates, and a cake-flour-tender crumb. A big-batch bakery-style recipe perfect for crowds, freezing ahead, or weekend brunch.
Randy's Christmas Persimmon Cake
Christmas persimmon cake with ripe Hachiya pulp, raisins, dates, nuts, and warm holiday spices. A spiced loaf cake that bakes long and slow for a moist, fruitcake-style holiday gift.
Canadian Date Squares
Classic Canadian date squares with a buttery oat crumble crust and thick, sticky date filling. A beloved bake sale staple from coast to coast, eh.
Walford Salad
Walford salad is a Waldorf-style fruit salad with celery, grapes, diced apple, dates, and walnuts in a wine-thinned mayonnaise dressing. Crisp, sweet, no cooking required.
Chunky Date, Coconut & Almond Granola
Crunchy homemade granola with dates, coconut, almonds, and cashews baked in honey butter with allspice and cinnamon. Makes ahead and stores for two weeks. Kid-friendly breakfast or snacking.
Christmas Date Walnut Pinwheel Cookies
This recipe is nearly 100 years old. These cookies are great at Christmas time.
Pumpkin Fruit Bread
Quick bread made with canned pumpkin, dates and walnuts. Perfect for breakfast anytime during the fall season.
Grand Champion Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin bread loaded with chopped dates, warming pumpkin pie spice, and a tender oil-based crumb. A two-loaf recipe perfect for fall baking, gift-giving, and freezer stash.
