Whoa. That’s all I have to say about these babes.
The inspiration for these Tahini-Stuffed Dates came from two places:
1) A local restaurant
2) My 5-ingredient Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Snowballs
Get your taste buds ready. We’re going for a ride.
Inspiration struck after trying Wolf & Bear’s “bunny balls,” which are essentially a date truffle with tahini and cacao powder. (Learn more about the origin of tahini and how to make it here!)
Because the flavors weren’t as pronounced as I’d like, I decided to deconstruct them. I kept the dates whole, stuffed each one with as much tahini as possible (almost 1 teaspoon each!), and then dunked them in my Easy Vegan Chocolate, which is naturally sweetened to taste and absolutely perfect for these tahini bombs.
I just like saying tahini bombs. Can you tell?
If you’re intimidated by making chocolate, don’t be. If I can do it, you can do it.
It does require cocoa butter, which is super easy to work with and also featured in my White Chocolate Lemon Cheesecakes, Easy Vegan Chocolate, and Raw Double Chocolate Macaroons. What I’m saying is: Invest in a block and it won’t go to waste around here (wink wink).
Not to worry if you can’t procure cocoa butter though – I include a workaround in the notes.
These dates require just 8 ingredients and about 30 minutes to make. They’re ready to enjoy right away, or can be frozen or refrigerated to keep fresh up to 1 month. In other words, a little effort for a lot of reward.
I think you guys are going to FLIP over these tahini dates! They’re:
Rich
Tender
Decadent (yet healthy)
Naturally sweetened
Loaded with tahini
Super chocolaty
Caramel-y
& My new favorite thing
These would make the perfect dessert for summer get-togethers, dinner parties, or hosting events. They also make fun gifts! Edible gifts are the best gifts in my opinion.
If you try this recipe, let us know what you think! We love your comments, ratings, and especially your photos tagged #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Tahini-Stuffed Dates (AKA Tahini Bombs!)
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE*
- 1 1/4 cup finely chopped cocoa butter*
- 2 heaping Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
DATES
- 25 whole medjool dates
- 4 Tbsp tahini (divided // from raw or roasted sesame seeds)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut flake or sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium and set a medium glass or ceramic mixing bowl on top, making sure it’s not touching the water (this creates a “double boiler”).
- To the mixing bowl, add finely chopped cocoa butter and coconut oil and let melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or whisk – about 2-3 minutes.
- Once melted, carefully remove bowl from heat (turn off stove top) and add the maple syrup and cacao or cocoa powder. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to mix until fluid and thoroughly combined.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed. I added about 2 Tablespoons maple syrup total (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), but it’s completely up to how sweet you prefer your chocolate.
- Because the chocolate is quite thin at this point, set in the refrigerator to chill and slightly thicken and make dipping the dates easier – about 15-20 minutes total, removing to stir/whisk occasionally. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s more like pourable hot fudge than melted coconut oil.
- Next, carefully remove pits from dates and be careful to keep one side of the date intact, as opposed to splitting it into two separate pieces. You’re trying to create a small crevice in the date (see photo) so it’s easy to add/contain the tahini. Once pitted, fill with tahini – about 1/2 – 1 tsp depending on size of date.
- Add dates to a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop in freezer to chill while chocolate thickens.
- Once chocolate has thickened (if it got too thick, briefly microwave or set back over the double boiler to thin), add one date at a time and flip with a slotted spoon or fork to fully coat, then tap off any excess chocolate. Set back on the parchment baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with a little sea salt and either sesame seeds or coconut. Repeat until all dates are coated.
- Enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for 1 month. Let come to room temperature before enjoying for best flavor/texture.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated using all of the tahini and chocolate.
The Vegan Goddess says
OMG, so far I have just had tahini-stuffed dates without the chocolate coating, and I’ll never be the same again. I devoured three (four?) of them earlier but who’s counting?
Chocolate would take it another level and is on my to-do list.
I eat cashew-stuffed dates regularly so I’m not surprised that tahini would be wonderful as well. (Oh, and I’m sure peanut butter would be equally divine.)
Thank you, again, for the inspiration!
We’re so happy you love them! Thank you for the lovely review! xoxo
Manda says
I had extra chocolate so I just melted that for the topping this time. This combination may be the most delicious and easy dessert recipe I’ve ever made. Great idea!
Keeps in the freezer so they’re ready anytime. Love love this.
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Manda! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Vani says
Where do you get your dates from? They look so soft and huge.
Typically from the produce section at health foods stores!
Diana says
Made these for a New Years Eve party – they were a HUGE hit! YUM! Stuffed half of them with tahini, and the other half with peanut better. Hubby and I preferred the peanut butter filling – plus it’s a little firmer and less likely to leak out of the date than the tahini. But both were to die for!
We’re so glad to hear it, Diana! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Nicole Heskey says
I stuffed with peanut butter and a few chopped pecans and rolled in melted dark chocolate and topped with sea salt. So freaking good! I can’t wait to try this with tahini and coconut.
Amazing! Thanks, Nicole!
Margaret says
Would this recipe work using regular dates? I have a large container I’d like to use. Thank you!
Hi Margaret, we aren’t sure which type you are referring to, but we think any dates that are big enough to create a space for the tahini would work. Hope that helps!
Whitney says
so simple yet so delicious!!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them Whitney =)
Carey Haller says
I ate way too many! So delicious!
I melted carob chips instead of making chocolate. Topped with sea salt and coconut and loved!
I also made some with pecans that I mashed up in food processor and they were declicious as well. Thank you for the recipe!
haha, yay! Thanks, Carey. These are favorites of ours, too!
Lynda says
Ok I went and made these again and they are so good. My first time to use cocoa butter cooking and Tyhini both are delicious so add them together and what do you get? Yummy dates! Which reminds me of another recipe by Dana which is called
Tyhini stuffed zucchini another wonderful recipe.
viola says
This recipe is amazing and I adore this web page. Thank you so much, I actually like your entries rather than skipping them and I am so delighted with the creativity and love that you put in. I also am just so grateful you decided to share tahini in a dessert as I am completely obsessed with it alone. All the best love.
Lynda says
Dana,
These are great and easy to make. I noticed you have to keep them in a cold place like the frig or the tahini and chocolate get really runny. Another awesome recipe by you!
Thanks,
Lynda
Yulca says
Made these yesterday as dessert for my upcoming birthday dinner. Love that they can be made a few days in advance!
As suggested by another commenter, I added sesame seeds to the tahini for extra crunch. I also added the salt directly to the filling for better distribution, melted dairy-free dark chocolate instead of making it from scratch & worked with dates that came already pitted. Super easy, looking fancy & sooooooo yummy – thanks, Dana!
Yay! We are so glad you enjoyed these, Yulca!
Emaleigh Downey says
Yesssss! Im obsessed with tahini so I absolutely loved these! I also made some with peanut butter for some of my family who are not a fan of the bitterness of tahini, but for me, it works so well with the sweetness of the dates and chocolate!
Jan says
I would love to try this recipe, but do you have a recommendation for a good substitute for coconut oil? Thanks so much!
Liz Medina says
A truly decadent and sweet snack! Perfect for converting junk-food addicts.
I posted a picture on my Facebook and tagged MB in it.
Happy Holidays!
Liz Medina
Kristin says
Thank you for your work on this recipe! My son and I made these for his gardening group snack. I’m stuffed after several samples to make sure they would be good. We can’t wait to make these beauties again for holiday gifts to the neighbors. Sharing the love! I substituted coconut butter mixed with shredded unsweetened coconut for the filling. It gave them a nice crunchiness at the center.
hamza says
Yummy and tastey tahini recipe
hamza says
looks yummy i want eat this,
Monica Brands says
This looks amazing….is there a way to make it work if you only have chopped dates?
Annie says
If you only have chopped dates you could do a similar idea in a bark. Flatten in a baking sheet all mushed together, drizzle with tahini and then with chocolate. It has to be frozen to solidify but it’s the same ingredients and is just as delicious
Great idea, Annie!
Caitlin says
Why did I wait so long to make these?! OMG, new favorite dessert! I cheated and melted dark chocolate instead of making my own, so I can only image how good these taste when you make your own chocolate coating. YUM!!
sbordeaux says
love these so much. the tahini is a perfect balance to all the sweetness i think!
Dana Williams says
These are AMAZING. I don’t eat chocolate, so I melted carob chips for the outer shell, and they are so good. Have you tried them with peanut butter? My daughter and I are about to give it a try…
Great idea, Dana!
BonsaiTreeGardener says
F*ckin’ remarkable things here. I am very happy to look your post. Thank you a lot
Katie says
Could you use cacao butter instead of cocoa butter? Looking forward to making these!
Anna says
These are a great Paleo snack! Thank you!
I’m adding some sesame seeds to the tahini to make the filling a bit firmer and in addition it is nicely crunchy :)
Sarah says
These are SO good! But they KILL my teeth because they are so sweet. Dang dates! I stuffed mine with natural peanut butter. They make great gifts, too.
Monica says
I made these tonight and they were wonderful! I used dark chocolate in a bag I got from my local grocery store and;melted that over a double boiler. I used toasted sesame seeds and sea salt. This is a wonderful recipie. My weekend candy!
Michal Conger says
I just made these, mixing almond butter in with my tahini (because yum) and they are delicious! I didn’t think I was a huge date fan, but had some left over from another recipe, and they’re my new favorite thing. I had some chocolate left over so I made tahini-almond butter cups in a mini muffin tin, too. I think I’ll have to buy my cocoa butter in bulk now. ;-)
Alexis says
These are ridiculous! They didn’t sound good to me, but I had an excess of Medjool dates (i know, lucky, right?) and a holiday party coming up, so I did a test run. I made 5 and asked for testers. Once the chocolate was dry, I took a bite and knew I needed no more testers! Amazing!
I made about 30 for the party and brought none home!
Really, really yummy!
I used Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips (they are dairy free) and coconut oil for the chocolate-your recipe from another dessert-I love how easy it is and how good the chocolate is!
Thanks again for another amazing, super easy, staple recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
Jk says
Made them last night and I’m officially addicted.
sherri says
I absolutely love these…so sad they are almost 150 for only one. I’m going to make them anyways:))
Ayelet says
Hi Dana,
Do you make the Tahini first? I.e. Add water, lemon etc or do you use the tahini raw? Can’t wait to try these!
Thanks
Ayelet
We use raw tahini!
Ayelet says
Thanks so much Dana!
I made them and they came out soooo amazing. I lucked out to find this place in Brooklyn that has everything chocolate organic and fair trade and at really great prices. They were so great that I want to give them a shout out. They deliver too…
Thanks again. These are really fantastic
Ayelet
Hannab says
These have been on my list for a while. Currently regretting making them only because they are SO good – can’t stop eating them! Filling the dates was a little tedious, but they are so worth it. Thanks for another great recipe, Dana!
Ashley says
I am currently living in Iraq and dated are CHEAP so I wanted to find a good recipe for them. This was it! It was delicious! The tahini balanced the sweetness of the date and I added a few flakes of sea salt at the end that really made the dark chocolate taste perfect. Great recipe.
Tanya says
I can’t even stand how delicious these are! Sweet, savory, a little nutty.
Regina says
I am an email subscriber and cannot find what I did with the recipe for the Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Snowballs. How to I go about getting it again. Thanks
Just sent!
Katie says
I have to say I have made these Date Bombs 3 times in 10 days. Twice for dessert when friends came for dinner and once just for the fam!!!! These are really the BOMBBB!! I can’t tell you how delicious these are. I did cheat and melted Dove Dark chocolate for the chocolate coating cuz I was in a hurry, but these are a real favorite and will be at my house frequently! Thanks Dana for a great blog. New comer but can’t get enough of your recipes!
Lovely! Thanks Katie!
Ashish says
ummm, yummy …..it looks damn delicious.
I will surely try it.
Cassie says
These honestly look like they’re the BOMB DOT COM. Tahini tastes so much better with dates than peanut butter in my opinion!
Brittany says
Need these little bombs in my life… like ASAP.
Jessie Snyder says
This is pure brilliance, Dana! I cannot believe I have never thought of this combo of a snack, you constantly inspire me friend! Hope you are having a gorgeous week, love all that you do – xx
Maxime says
I love dates! :-)
Rachel @ Baking Up Bliss says
These look so delicious, thanks for sharing! I have to admit I’m not the biggest tahini fan, so I might try these with some almond or peanut butter, I can’t wait!
Tamara says
A really common traditional dish in the Middle East are dates stuffed with halva (a dense, crumbly dessert made of sesame flour, honey and sometimes pistachios, chocolate, or other flavorings). I have a feeling you’d really love it.
Ooh, nice! Thanks for sharing!
Chelsey Crafts says
Yesss! Stuffed dates are the best :) I usually stuff mine with peanut butter.
Caity (@MoiContreLaVie) says
These looks amazing – I can’t wait to give these a try!!
Mara says
These taste spectacular! Giving some to my mom for her birthday. :)
Yay! Happy birthday, mom!
Kathryn says
These would be great for a shower I’m hosting. So, where do I find cocoa butter…just the local grocery? And where would it be located in the store? And desiccated coconut…what’s that? I can just buy a jar of raw tahini butter, right? This is unchartered territory for me, so I appreciate your help.
Lucia says
Desiccated coconut is just dried, shredded coconut meat. You might find it in the baking aisle, but I’m not sure US stores are organized the same way as German ones…
Kathryn says
Thank you, Lucia! Have a great week!
I always get mine on Amazon – link above! They also may have some at Whole Foods.
A says
Wolf and Bears is the best! Perierra Crêperie (Cartopia) has a coconut milk shake with basil and sea salt that would be great to make at home if you’re looking for additional food cart inspiration :)
WHAT?! On the list~ Thanks for sharing!
Rosanna says
Brilliant… just brilliant!.. Can’t wait to make these bad boys!
Leah says
Does anyone have a way to order cocoa butter in bulk, or something that will lower the price? The best price I’ve been able to find is eleven dollars a pound (https://smile.amazon.com/Terrasoul-Superfoods-Organic-Butter-Pounds/dp/B015JN6E66), but that’s still outside my budget. Must I continue to salivate over raw chocolate unsatisfied, or can anyone help me?
Amber says
You can make your own simply with unsweetened coconut and a food processor. Just put it in and buzz until it is smooth – probably about 20 minutes or so.
Lucia says
That’s coconut butter. Cocoa butter comes from the cacao bean ?
Amber says
Oh true. I guess that changes the recipe for me.
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
WHOA is exactly the first word that came to my mind too! The cocoa butter just puts these over the top, I love that stuff. I’m not sure I can be trusted around an entire batch of these lol.
Ha! Thanks. Hope you love these, Natalie!
Masha / Cardio with Carrots says
Omg. Making these tonight! Those look fantastic. Pure genius!! A switch up on the usual peanut butter stuffed dates. Wow
Aayushi says
I made some tahini yesterday with inspiration from your site, it did take 40 minutes in the thermomix though :( But I will definitely try these soon! Love all your work so so much!!
Benita W. Gibbs says
These stuffed dates look amazing! I think they will be perfect for our next picnic or church potluck! Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing them.
Laura @ Raise Your Garden says
Well I’m heading to your church then!!! Then do look most excellent and a fun project this afternoon, it’s pouring cats and dogs rights now. First rain we’ve had all summer.