How to Eat Dried Dates

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 19, 2023 References

A date is a sweet and versatile fruit that can be used in a variety of dishes. Although dates can be eaten both fresh and dried, dried dates are more common. Dried dates are simple to prepare, and they can be used in salads, smoothies, oatmeal, desserts, and many other kinds of dishes. Dates are naturally sweet and they make a great substitute for refined sugar.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing Dried Dates

1
Find dried dates at grocery and health food stores. In general, dates can either be found in the produce aisle, or located with other dried fruit (such as raisins and prunes). Most of the time dried dates will be sold in packages, but some stores may sell them by weight.^{[1]
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2
Remove the pit. Many dried dates will already be pitted, but some will not. Look carefully at any packaging to see if your dates have been pitted or not. If there is no packaging, cut open 1 date to check. To remove a pit, make a lengthwise slit into each date. Use your fingers to wiggle the pit free and remove it.^{[2]
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- Even in packages of pitted dates, you will occasionally come across a pit. Watch out for this to protect your teeth!
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3
Chop dates into smaller pieces. Steady each date with your non-dominant hand, and use a sharp paring knife to slice it lengthwise. Then turn the strips sideways and cut across them. Add chopped dates to oatmeal, salads, and other recipes.
- If you are adding chopped dates to salads or oatmeal there is usually no need to soak them.
4
Soak dates to soften them before blending. Prior to blending dates for smoothies, dates balls, or other recipes it is a great idea to soak them. This softens the dates and allows them to release even more of their sweet flavor. Place dried dates in hot water for 10 minutes prior to using, or soak them in room temperature water overnight.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Using Dates in Recipes

1
Eat dried dates for an easy snack. You can pop dried dates right into your mouth for a quick and delicious snack. If your dates have not been pitted, bite into each date carefully and remove the pit.^{[4]
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2
Sprinkle dates into your oatmeal. Dates pair wonderfully with oats. Add a few chopped dates when simmering your oatmeal in the morning, or use them to make overnight oats. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 date per serving of oatmeal. Some recipe ideas include:
- Date-sweetened apple pie oatmeal^{[5]
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- Espresso overnight oats with salted date caramel^{[6]
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3
Add dates to salads. Chopped dates are an excellent addition to traditional green salads, grain salads, and other vegetable medleys. For a salad with 4-6 servings, try adding 5-8 chopped dates (depending on their size). Some recipes ideas include:
- Roasted cauliflower salad with chopped dried dates.^{[7]
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- Butternut squash and quinoa salad with dates
4
Blend dates into a smoothie. Dates are an excellent way to sweeten foods without adding refined sugar. Soak dried dates in hot water for 10 minutes, then add them to your favorite smoothies. For 1 serving, try using about 3 pitted dates (depending on their size).^{[8]
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- Peanut butter and jelly date smoothie^{[9]
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- Banana date smoothie^{[10]
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5
Make date balls for a healthy dessert. The sweet, sticky quality of dried dates makes them an excellent base for no-bake dessert balls. Add soaked dates to a food processor. Add in other ingredients, such as oats, chocolate chips, nut butters, chia seeds, coconut flakes, or cashews. Pulse the food processor about 10 times to create tiny chunks. Roll the mix in your hands to create small balls. Refrigerate for 1 hour before consuming. Some date ball ideas include:
- Almond butter date balls^{[11]
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- Coconut date balls^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I blend dates with ginger?

Community Answer

Yes. You can dress them up with anything you like.
Question

Can I blend dates with coconut?

Community Answer

Yes! I do it all the time and my kids and I love it. It has a sweet taste and nice, creamy consistency.
Question

Can dried dates be added into Chapati?

Dxhyuns

Community Answer

Absolutely! You can find many recipes and YouTube tutorials online to guide you through the process.