Every week I fill hundreds of Medjool dates by hand — for the Saturday market in Almere and for the webshop. It's simple work, but the details make the difference: which date you choose, how you open it, and what you put in it. In this recipe I share how I do it, with three fillings to try at home.
Which dates do you use for filled dates?
Medjool dates — no doubt about it. They're bigger, softer and creamier than regular dates, and the pit comes out easily. Buy them fresh, not dried hard: a good Medjool gives slightly when you squeeze it. Cut the date open lengthwise on one side, take out the pit and gently push it open a little. That's all — the date is now a little bowl for your filling.
Variant 1: with nut filling (the way we make them)
This is the classic filling we sell at the market: a coarsely ground mix of pistachio, walnut, cashew and almond. Briefly toast the nuts in a dry pan until fragrant, grind or chop them coarsely and bind with a little tahini or a neutral nut paste. Fill each date generously and press half a pistachio onto the filling. Naturally sweet, without added sugar.
Variant 2: filled dates with cream cheese (plant-based)
The best-known combination is filled dates with cream cheese and walnut. We work 100% plant-based, so use a plant-based cream cheese (the almond or oat kind works best). Fill the date with a teaspoon of cream cheese, press half a walnut into it and grind some black pepper or sea salt over it — that contrast with the sweet date is exactly why this classic works so well. Also nice with a drop of maple syrup over it.
Variant 3: with peanut butter and dark chocolate
Fill the date with a teaspoon of 100% peanut butter, put them in the freezer for 15 minutes and then dip them halfway into melted dark chocolate. Let them set on baking paper — done. This is the variant that's gone fastest at our house.
Storing
Store filled dates covered in the fridge: the nut variant keeps for at least two weeks, the cream cheese variants for about four days. Serve them at room temperature — that's when the flavour comes out best.
Prefer ready-made?
No time to fill them yourself? We do it by hand every week, in small batches. Order a box of 10 freshly filled Medjool dates — Natural or With Dark Chocolate — and we ship them across the Netherlands.