peanut butter date bombs

HAPPY 2016 2017! For the record, I was definitely the kid that accidentally wrote last year’s date at the top of my papers all the way through mid February.

I know I started the first post of 2016 with some memories and blah blah blah but I decided I’m not going to bore you with that this time around. I’m not one for making resolutions – but like your classic type A engineer, I like to be more “goal oriented” and set “goals”.

Funny story, one time in college I printed like 25 resumes on nice fancy paper for the career fair that said I was a team “orientated” person. Luckily I caught it before I handed them out to people I thought would want to hire me. Never said I could spell, folks.

I would say my one “blog” goal for 2017 is to try and take better food photos for le blog in order to drive more web traffic to Dana’s Edible Affair. ‘Cause if no one sees it, then no ones reading it. Duh. Also I might try to actually mail my Christmas presents in time so they get to my friends like.. before Christmas (or at least in the same year). SORRY GUYS.

Enough about me, what were some of your resolutions? Maybe you resolved to eat a bit healthier in the new year? Maybe you told yourself you can’t have this and you can’t have that. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can have this and you can have that, just do so in moderation. Depriving yourself of things you want is never good in the long run, and can often lead to over indulgence that leaves you feeling crummy and bad about yourself.

And nobody needs that! I crave chocolate and sweets alllll the time, especially after dinner. Recently I’ve been munching on Larabar bites which are great because they are naturally sweet and although they do come in a package, I consider them minimally processed because I can make something similar in my food processor.

I’m running out of Larabar bites, so I made these peanut butter date bombs and they are AWESOME. For one, they were very easy to make. Second, they took me like 20 minutes to make. Third, they have peanut butter and chocolate in them so what more do you need? You can read more about my chocolate/nut butter obsession here if you’re curious.

I got the inspiration for these a while back when I saw dates filled with tahini on Minimalist Baker’s Instagram story. I know.. I sound like a mega millennial over here. They looked super simple and super tasty (AKA everything on Minimalist Baker’s blog).

Anyways – I used Trader Joe’s Delget Noor Dates, but you can use any pitted dates for this recipe. Just make sure you save yourself the chore of pitting them yourself because that sounds messy and like more work than it needs to be. If you buy dates that are not pitted then this will take you a lot longer to make and I can’t be blamed for that. Got it?

Next, grab your favorite peanut butter (or any nut butter). Using a knife, fill the date with about 1/2 tsp of nut butter.. or however much will fit. The reason I liked the Trader Joe’s dates is because all I had to do was smoosh them a little between my thumb and index finger and they spilt open making a PERFECT spot for peanut butter to fit. If that doesn’t work for you, take a sharp knife and cut a slit down one side of the date to help you fill them.

After that, you just pop these in the freezer for 5-10 minutes while you’re melting some chocolate. You dunk the peanut butter filled dates in the chocolate, pop ’em in the freezer for another 5 minutes to set and that’s it. Feel free to sprinkle them with a little bit of sea salt before placing them in the freezer. I like to store these in the fridge after they have set because sometimes frozen peanut butter doesn’t always work out. The best part is you can make a few for a quick treat or a dozen, and the prep is pretty much the same.

Hope you guys enjoy this recipe!

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peanut butter date bombs

Author: Dana Zychowski

Active Time:           Total Time: 

10 minutes                20 minutes

Servings: 18 date bites

Recipe Type: Dessert, Snack

Ingredients: 

• 18 pitted dates
• 3-4 TBSP peanut butter, or any nut butter of your choosing
• 2 oz quality dark chocolate chopped into pieces, or about 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions: 

Line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment or wax paper and set aside. Placing a date in between your thumb and index finger, apply slight pressure until it splits open from end to end. If this does not happen, you can use a paring knife to cut a slit lengthwise on the top half of your date. Try to find pitted dates at the store, else you will need to remove all the pits before filling them while also trying to keep some of the dates structural integrity (it’s not easy).

Use a knife to fill the date with about 1/2 tsp of peanut butter, or however much will fit. Close the date up and place on your baking sheet. You can remove some of the excess peanut butter that spills out with the side of your knife or your finger. If there is some left over on the outside, don’t worry about it as it will harden in the freezer before you coat it with chocolate. Once you’ve filled all your dates, place them in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 2 oz quality dark chocolate in the microwave or using a double boiler. I like to heat the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring to combine each time. Once the chocolate is about 75% melted, I will stir the mixture until it melts entirely. This technique helps to prevent the chocolate from overheating and potentially blooming or scorching.

Remove your dates from the freezer. At this point you can either dunk the dates about half way in the chocolate, or use a fork to coat them in the melted chocolate. I did both methods and enjoyed the bites that were entirely covered in chocolate. I did not find it to be overly sweet for either method. Let any excess chocolate drip for a moment from the date and then place back on the cookie sheet. If you would like, add a small sprinkle of sea salt before placing the dates in the freezer for an additional 5 minutes to help them set.

Store dates in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks or freezer for up to two months. Place a piece of parchment paper in between layers to keep the chocolate from sticking and allow to thaw slightly before eating if you store them in the freezer. Enjoy!