Healthy Date Recipes

The mix-ins in these homemade granola bars are inspired by ingredients commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking--dates, hazelnuts, pistachios, tahini and cardamom. But feel free to vary the dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or spices to your preference. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

Stir up a quick cake featuring dates, pecans, and apples for a sweet treat.

Cookie recipes usually require you to combine the liquid ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another, but for this gluten-free cookie recipe the dry ingredients are sprinkled right on top of the liquids so there's just one bowl to clean. Don't skip the step of refrigerating the dough. The oat flour needs time to hydrate or the cookies will be too dry and crumbly. Regular rolled oats work if you're not gluten-sensitive.

This easy snack recipe doubles down on the toasty flavor of the ancient grain amaranth by combining it with peanut butter and flaxseeds. Pitted dates hold it all together while adding extra fiber. Eat these as a snack, grab for a quick breakfast or serve as a healthier dessert.

Medjool dates are softer than their semi-dry Deglet Noor cousins and therefore, much easier to stuff with almonds. This healthy snack recipe can also be turned into an addictive appetizer by adding a little blue cheese to the stuffing.

Dates are naturally sweet so no extra sugar is needed in this quick-bread recipe. Toasted almonds add a nice crunch and the optional coarse sugar topping--while it isn't needed for sweetness--certainly adds to the presentation.

A tagine is a Moroccan stew that is named after the earthenware dish it is cooked in. We use a slow cooker in this version of Moroccan lamb stew, which features lamb, sweet potatoes, dates and olives.

These no-bake Apple Pie Energy Balls come together easily and will give your body the energy it needs to power through the afternoon.

Sweet dates and salty prosciutto combine in a tasty bite.

We love how using a purchased spice blend allows you to incorporate multiple flavors into a dish with just one ingredient. Here we season salmon with ras el hanout, which often features cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and ground black and red pepper. The spinach side is very versatile—try it with grilled tofu or steak another time.

Since experts recommend getting 450 to 500 extra calories per day when you're breastfeeding, it's a good time for one of these nutritious, citrus-glazed cookies. While eating a balanced healthy diet is most important when nursing a baby, some foods—including the oats, fennel, flax, brewer's yeast and barley malt syrup in these cookies—are believed to promote milk production.

Flank steak is the perfect candidate for cooking under the broiler. The high heat sears it on the outside while leaving the inside juicy.

We took all the cozy flavors of a pecan pie and transformed them into a delicious energy ball! These energy balls feature pecans, oats and dates for a tasty snack that's easy to make ahead.

Make your own chocolate-hazelnut spread with this healthy Nutella recipe. Dates provide a natural sweetness to help reduce the need for excess added sugars. Spread this homemade Nutella on toast, add it to smoothies or stir into oatmeal.

Dates provide all the sweetness you need for these no-bake energy bars. Each square serves up a hearty dose of protein—thanks to peanut butter and peanuts—as well as fiber from rolled oats. Kids will love the chewy bites with crunchy nuts.