How to Eat Dried Dates

Preparing Dried Dates

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.

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. Even in packages of pitted dates, you will occasionally come across a pit. Watch out for this to protect your teeth!

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.

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.

Using Dates in Recipes

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.

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 Espresso overnight oats with salted date caramel

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. Butternut squash and quinoa salad with dates

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). Some smoothie ideas include: Peanut butter and jelly date smoothie Banana date smoothie

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 Coconut date balls