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

Medjool is the soft, caramel-like eating date; firmer Deglet Noor is the everyday baking date.
Swap about ⅔ cup blended date paste per cup of sugar and cut other liquids.
Soak firm dates ten minutes in warm water before blending or the paste turns gritty.
Always pit dates first; even boxes labeled pitted hide the occasional pit.
White frost-like spots are crystallized sugar, not mold; dates keep months at room temperature.

What are dates?

Dates are the fruit of the date palm, sold semi-dried so their sugars concentrate into something close to natural caramel. They are the rare sweetener that is also a whole food.

Nearly 450 Recipeland recipes, sweet and savory both, put that to work.

Two varieties cover almost everything in American stores. Medjool dates are the big, soft, expensive ones, best eaten out of hand or blended into paste. Deglet Noor dates are smaller, firmer and cheaper; they are the workhorse for chopping into baked goods.

A recipe that just says "dates" usually works with either; pick Deglet Noor when they will be chopped and baked, Medjool when the date texture is the point.

Using Them

Pit them first, always. Even boxes labeled pitted hide the occasional pit, and one surprise pit costs a tooth.

Dry, firm dates soak back to softness in warm water in about ten minutes. Skip the soak before blending and the paste comes out gritty instead of smooth.

Chopping dates is sticky work. Flour the knife blade, or snip them with kitchen scissors dipped in hot water, and the pieces stop welding themselves together.

Blended with a splash of water, dates become date paste, the backbone of no-bake treats and the soft center of Date Macaroons. As a sugar swap, use about ⅔ cup of date paste per cup of sugar and cut the recipe's other liquid slightly.

Sweet and Savory Range

The classic baked uses lean on their jammy chew: date squares, scones, and above all Adam's Sticky Toffee Pudding, where the soaked dates melt into the batter and the toffee sauce. Cook a chopped-date filling down to spreading consistency and you have the standard base for bars.

They also carry slow comfort dishes like Date Rice Pudding, where the fruit sweetens the pot without any added sugar.

Savory cooking uses dates as the sweet counterweight. They round out tagines and braises, getting along with acid and spice the way good chutney does.

The pairing rule of thumb: dates plus something salty or sharp. Bacon-wrapped dates, dates with blue cheese, dates with tahini and flaky salt; the sweetness needs an opponent or it dominates.

Standing In for Them

Prunes are the closest swap, a little darker and less sweet, same jammy texture. Dried figs work the same way with a seedier crunch.

Raisins cover chopped-date duty in scones and oatmeal at about the same measure, though you lose the caramel character.

Going to a liquid sweetener changes the recipe's structure. Maple syrup or honey can replace the sweetness of date paste but not its body, so expect to reduce other liquids and lose some chew.

Buying and Keeping Them

Look for plump, glossy fruit without hardened edges. White film on the surface is usually crystallized sugar working its way out, not mold; mold looks fuzzy, sugar looks like frost.

In a sealed container they keep for months at room temperature, up to a year in the fridge, and longer frozen.

Hardened dates revive with ten seconds in the microwave under a damp paper towel, or a few minutes of steaming. The texture comes most of the way back, plenty for baking.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup, pitted, chopped (178g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 501Calories from Fat 6

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.7g 1%

Saturated Fat 0.1g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 3mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 133.6g 45%

Dietary Fiber 14g 57%

Sugars 112.8

Protein 4.4g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 7% • Iron 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find dates: 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.

In Chinese: 日期
British (UK) term: Dates
en français: dates
en español: fechas

How much do dates weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 cup, pitted, chopped	178 grams
1 date	8 grams

Fruits and Fruit Juices

Apples 1607 Apples, granny smith 280 Apple juice concentrate 68 Apricots 237 Apricots, dried 146 Mixed dried fruit 62 Avocados 441 Bananas 1034 Blackberries 70 Blueberries 462

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.

Favourite Date Pinwheel Cookies

Date-pecan pinwheel cookies, delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.

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.

Pecan Date Pinwheel Cookies (Healthier Version)

Use some whole wheat flour to replace all-purpose flour; use canola oil and applesauce to replace some of butter. Give these date pinwheel cookies a healthy twist. They not only deliver all the yumminess, but also lots of goodness.

Penny's Apple-Date Scones

Penny's apple-date scones with chewy oats, sweet sticky dates, fresh apple, and warm cinnamon. A cut-but-don't-separate baking method gives soft middles and crackly sugar tops.

Date Squares

Tired of making cookies and muffins? Try this tasty snack that is sure to make you a fan.

Classic Christmas Cake

"This cake is a rich, dark, moist fruit cake, very flavorful at Christmas. Try icing with almond paste for a more festive touch. This recipe is started in October or November so as to let it mellow before the holidays. I remember very well my mother storing her fruit cake in an old butter churn that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. I wish that I had that old crock."