You have all probably seen the viral date bark recipes going around social media. We LOVE them and have shared our own spin on them on social media, as they are so easy to adapt. Well, this is an individual bite sized date bark. Great for portion control as they are just 113 calories each and they look amazing!
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The combination of a few simple ingredients like dates with nut butter and dark chocolate layered on top is SUCH a good dessert or snack and it takes just 5 minutes to make. It satisfies that chocolate craving with some added fiber and healthy fats too. These kind of taste like a healthy Snickers bar and our kids absolutely love them.
A base of Medjool dates (very important - they are the BEST dates) topped with some almond butter, melted 80% dark chocolate and then some crushed pistachios. Then in the fridge to set. You can also keep them in the freezer for a nice frozen treat. A gluten-free, dairy-free, no bake, healthy sweet treat that is easy to customize.
Looking for more date recipes? Why not try our simple Banana Date Smoothie, gooey Healthy Millionaire Shortbread, delicious Chocolate Covered Raw Brownies, easy No Bake Protein Bars or our fudgy No Bake Brownies?
We also love these Chocolate Covered Dates and our amazing Chocolate Covered Date Caramels.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Dates - You need Medjool dates for this, as they are so sweet and soft, with a caramel-like flavor. Make sure the dates aren't old, otherwise they will be quite dry.
- Nut butter - We used almond butter, but any nut butter will work here. Just make sure that it is the runny kind, so that it is spreadable.
- Chocolate - We used 80% organic dark chocolate. If you wanted to keep this refined sugar free, then we recommend these Refined Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Chips.
- Nuts - Some extra nuts sprinkled on top for texture. We used pistachios as we love the color contrast, but you can use any nuts like chopped peanuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts or even seeds. Coconut is great on top too.
Variations
Nut free - You can make a nut-free version of these by swapping the nut butter for tahini and leaving the nuts from the top or swapping them for seeds. The tahini would make it more bitter, so you might want to mix some liquid sweetener into it. You can use a seed butter too.
Banana - This obviously doesn't make it date bark any more, but you could swap the dates for banana slices which is also a viral recipe on social media. Or, you could add banana to the dates. If you do use banana, then freeze it as slightly frozen banana slices are SO good.
Large date bark - If you didn't want to make bite sized versions of this, then you could just put all the dates next to each other and spread the nut butter and chocolate over all of them, leave it to set and then cut it into chunks.
Quinoa - You can add a layer of puffed quinoa for added protein as well. We buy our Puffed Quinoa from Amazon.
How To Make Individual Date Bark Bites
Prep: Melt the chocolate in a pan or microwave. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 1: De-stone the dates and use a flat-bottomed glass to flatted them on a lined baking tray.
- Step 2: Put a teaspoon of almond butter on to each date and carefully spread it out.
- Step 3: Divide the melted chocolate on top of the almond butter - about 1 teaspoon per date. Add the crushed nuts on top of the date.
- Step 4: Put into the fridge until the chocolate has set.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Why not sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top at the same time as the pistachios? The saltiness really brings out the sweetness of the chocolate and dates.
- Make sure to use a glass or a rolling pin to smash the dates down. This makes them thinner and feels like you are having a bigger treat.
- We just sprinkled some nuts on top of the melted chocolate, but you can put some on top of the nut butter, before the chocolate goes on, to add some extra texture.
- If you are using a thick peanut butter, then you can heat it a little first to soften it before adding on to the dates.
- If your chocolate it not melting very well, then you can add a little coconut oil to it and this will make the chocolate glossier too.
- If you find your dates are quite dry, then you can soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before using. Just make sure to drain and blot the dates before using.
- If you are melting the chocolate in the microwave, then do it for 30 seconds at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
This can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and it keeps well for a week or two. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months, but make sure to let the dates soften a little when you take them out of the freezer, as they will be hard to bite into. You will need to put some baking paper/parchment paper in between each layer to stop it all sticking together.
More Chocolate Snack Recipes
If you've tried this date bark recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Individual Date Bark
Ingredients
- 20 Medjool dates
- 75 g (0.33 cups) Almond butter
- 60 g (2 oz) Dark chocolate - melted
- 25 g (0.25 cups) Pistachios - crushed
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate in a pan or microwave. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- De-stone 20 Medjool dates and use a flat-bottomed glass to flatted them onto the baking sheet.
- Divide 75 g Almond butter between all of the dates - about 1 teaspoon per date. Spread it out over the date.
- Divide 60 g Dark chocolate (melted) on top of the almond butter - about 1 teaspoon per date.
- Divide the 25 g Pistachios between the chocolate topped dates.
- Put into the fridge until the chocolate has set.
Recipe Tips
- Why not sprinkle a little sea salt on top at the same time as the pistachios? The saltiness really brings out the sweetness of the chocolate and dates.
- Make sure to use a glass or a rolling pin to smash the dates down. This makes them thinner and feels like you are having a bigger treat.
- We just sprinkled some nuts on top of the melted chocolate, but you can put some on top of the nut butter, before the chocolate goes on, to add some extra texture.
- If you are using a thick peanut butter, then you can heat it a little first to soften it before adding on to the dates.
- If your chocolate it not melting very well, then you can add a little coconut oil to it and this will make the chocolate glossier too.
- If you find your dates are quite dry, then you can soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before using. Just make sure to drain and blot the dates before using.
- If you are melting the chocolate in the microwave, then do it for 30 seconds at a time.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
DD says
I absolutely love these! I didn't have almond butter, but used regular smooth peanut butter, which I mixed a little maple syrup into as well. In between the peanut butter and melted chocolate I put 2 pretzels and this added crunch is so yummy! I haven't been a massive fan of date based treats previously, but the flattening of these makes them feel more like caramel. Top pudding!