Are the perfect snack to get you motivated for the rest of the day. Chewy dates, rich chocolate, crunchy almond, and fresh coconut. This is the perfect combination to make a super simple 4 ingredient, 10 minute snack. This will get you through a long morning, an afternoon-low, or work out as a super delicious dessert.
I got the idea to make this recipe when I was in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dates are from high importance there. Until the 1970´s they were the staple food for the inhabitants. While they are fasting, they only eat 2 dates a day. I did not know that and was blown away when I heared that. We visited a local date market, which was something I had never heard of before but it was real impressive. You could see how this food is super important in this part of the world. In the shop we went there were 18 (!!) different date sorts. I did not even know that there was more than one existing. We tried lots of them and then bought 2 different ones, Madjool and Ajwa. Madjool dates are larger, sweeter, and richer while Ajwa dates contain less sugar and are smaller. I really liked them both but for this recipe I used Ajwa dates because they are smaller, which I think is better as a snack.
Choloate covered dates are no rarity in Arabia. You can find them everywhere and with almost everything; white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, matcha chocolate, camel milk chocolate (which I think is the most fancy hehe), soo many different types. Since we already had packed so much and bough 2kg of dates before, I decided not to buy any more but recreate them (as a healthier version) myself at home.
So now I am back home and recreated them. I used the Ajwa dates, which are dried or course, dark vegan chocolate. The one I use is from HuKitchen, and is with all natural and healthy ingredients, and it is soooo good! Other than that I only use raw almonds and shredded coconut. This is as simple as it is. I love simple snacks because who likes to spend an hour in the kitchen with 100 ingredients when you are hungry or hangry RIGHT NOW. I can tell you, no one!
Dates actually are a super healthy food, which made is possible for emirates to mainly eat those for hundreds of years. Dates contain 7 grams of fiber per 100g. This helps your digestion. There are lots of studies that show that eating dates increases your digestion. Moreover it helps you regulating your blood sugar levels. Plus dates are really high in antioxidants which protect your cells and reduce the risks of several deseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer or cancer (certain types). These are just some benefits of dates, but other than their health benefits, they are really delicious! Really!
I love pre-making this snack and just grab a few dates when I am hungry or pack some for work or school. I really like them when they are chilled and straight out of the fridge, because the chocolate is extra crunchy then, but they are delicious any way. I hope that you will like this recipe and enjoy it! If you do recreate it be sure to tag me on insta with @uneptcuisiniere or #uneptcuisiniere .
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisiniere
Chocolate Coconut Almond Dates
A really delicious & healthy snack or dessert! Super simple and super good.
What you will need
- 16 small Dates I like to use Ajwar dates (this equals about 150g)
- 16 Almonds
- 25 g chocolate
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
How to
That is how it works:
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Cut the dates in on one side (do not cut them in half totally!). Take out the seed and put an almond in it instead. Do the same with all of the dates.
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Stick/ squeez the size where the date had been cut in, together with your fingers, so it sticks together and it is closed.
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Melt the chocolate in a water bath or the microwave. Dip the dates in the molten chocolate as you like. You can completely dip them, you can dip the half horizontally or vertically, or whatever you wish. Then dip it in the coconut flakes. Place them on a plate and store in the fridge.
Notes
If you do not like coconut, do not use it. You can leave it out or substitute is with chia seeds or crushed nuts. The same accounts for the chocolate. You can also go for white chocolate, whole milk chocolate, or whatever you want.