What are dates—and why should you give a fig about these natural treats? Eaten on its own, a date is a nutritious nibble that sates sweet tooths. Used in cooking and baking, it’s a shapeshifter with transformative powers, effortlessly lending richness and depth to sweet and savory recipes. We connected with date experts to learn more about how to eat this sensational fruit.
What Are Dates?
Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree (botanical name, Phoenix dactylifera), which thrives in semi-arid desert climates. First cultivated in Mesopotamia, date palms reach back to antiquity, Today, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco are among the world’s largest producers. In the U.S., dates are cultivated in parts of California and Arizona. While there are hundreds of varieties, Medjool and Deglet Noor dates are the most popular.
Dried vs. Fresh
Dried: Stateside, dates are mostly sold sun-dried, with pits, or pitted. These bite-sized brown morsels have a soft, fibrous texture, wrinkled skin, and concentrated flavor.
Fresh: Plump and smooth, fresh dates have a delicate sweetness. They can be chewy, or crunchy, while partially ripened dates in the “rutab” stage have a custard-like flesh.
Nutritional Benefits
Rich in antioxidants and fiber, dates are a superfood packed with nutrients, including magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron, plus vitamins B6 and K.
How to Eat Dates
Dates are more multifaceted than many home cooks may realize. “Dates can be a pre-workout power food, a quick snack, used in endless desserts to add lots of natural sweetness, or used in sweet- and savory-inspired dishes,” says Joan Smith, founder and date farmer of Rancho Meladuco Date Farm, in California’s Coachella Valley.
They’re so versatile that cook, artist, and writer Rawaan Alkhatib, made them the springboard for her date-centric cookbook, HOT DATE! “I grew up in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where dates are a totally ubiquitous part of culinary culture,” she explains. Her cookbook showcases umpteen ways to devour them.
“Many people think of dates as just being sweet, but they have their own flavor—caramel and salt and sometimes a little tang,” Alkhatib says. Here, Alkhatib and Smith share ideas for enjoying this complex fruit.
Appetizers
Rachel Marek
Pimento cheese: Regionally- or culturally inspired dishes are a fount of date inspiration for Smith. A trip to South Carolina sparked the mashup of pimento cheese dip-stuffed dates topped with Ritz crackers.
Classic bites: Dates with nut butter, bacon, or blue cheese are iconic pairings for good reason, Smith says. Sample our Devils on Horseback, a runaway party favorite.
Pork dumplings: Smith works with recipe developer Julia Heffelfinger to devise novel preparations, like “totally out of the box” dates with a pork wonton filling and chili crisp. Trade dates for wontons in our Inside-Out Pork Dumplings.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast sandwiches: Smith tops sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches with smashed dates, bridging sweet and savory flavors.
Grilled cheese: Smashed dates, prosciutto, and cheddar sandwiches make lunchtime special. Another cheesy twist: Dates scattered over our Prosciutto Mozzarella Pizza.
Bulgar: Chopped dates add pops of sweetness to Alkhatib’s bulgar mujaddara, a comfort food dish of lentils, caramelized onions, and cumin-scented bulgar.
Roast chicken: Smith makes roast chicken with lemon, olive oil, rosemary, and, surprise, sliced dates. Add them to our Roast Chicken With Herbs.
Sauces: Alkhatib enriches her barbecue sauce with dates—and uses them as a flavor hack in tomato-based sauces. “It adds some of the caramelized sweetness you expect from a long-cooked sauce that’s had time to reduce on the stove,” Alkhatib explains. Give it a go with our Simple Tomato Sauce.
Sweets
Milkshake: Blending ice cream, milk, and Medjool dates, Alkhatib’s Palm Springs date shake celebrates a Coachella Valley classic. Smith turns the signature sip into no-churn ice cream.
Chocolate desserts: Dates and chocolate is a sublime pairing that takes center stage in Alkhatib’s silky chocolate date truffles. But they’re equally intriguing as a flavor booster. “I love to use dates in chocolate dishes because they disappear into the background to do mysterious and delicious things,” she says. Our Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar illustrates the point perfectly.
“Cinnamon, lime, peach, and ginger all make for great flavor marriages with dates in baking and sweets,” Smith says.
Baked fruit: Another magic trick of Alkhatib’s is to add dates to baked fruit desserts, amping up out-of-season, or frozen fruit. “Think of it as the sweet version of adding anchovies to a sauce or stew—imperceptible, but vitally flavor-enhancing,”
Date Sugar
Date sugar, made from dehydrated, ground dates, lends caramel overtones, body, and texture to baked goods, Alkhatib says. In dry rubs, it tenderizes and flavors meat, like her rib-eye steak with a salt and date sugar rub. She also combines it with salt, red pepper flakes, whole cumin, and fennel seeds, then rubs it on lamb chops. “Let them rest overnight then grill or sear on the stovetop. And thank me later!”
Date Syrup
Date syrup (aka date molasses) is central to Alkhatib’s repertoire, too.
Tahini combos: In dibs wa tahini, a Middle Eastern breakfast dish, tahini, and date molasses are swirled together and eaten with pita bread. “It has the same salty-sweet, nostalgic appeal as a PB&J,” she says.
Marinades: Alkhatib leans on date molasses for marinades. Together, garlic, lemon zest, herbs, and date molasses become a “marvelously glossy lacquer” for roast chicken, pan-seared halloumi, or mushrooms.
Glazes: Thinned with orange juice or rosewater, it can be used to soak a cake or as the foundation for royal icing.
How Long Dates Last
Naturally anti-microbial, dates keep for months at room temperature and about a year in the fridge’s crisper drawer—though Smith says they can be eaten long after that. Frozen, they last for around three years. “Dates are a naturally dry fruit and because of their high sugar and low moisture, considered naturally preserving,” Smith says.
Revival: If a date’s less smooshy than you’d like, Smith suggests a quick zap in the microwave or par-boiling them for 15 to 45 seconds.
