Healthy Date Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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 delectable single-serving tarts are gluten-free and sweetened with dates instead of refined added sugars. Top with a little unsweetened whipped cream to take this special--yet healthy--dessert to the next level.

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.

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.

Most cranberry sauce recipes add tons of sugar to mask the tart taste of the cranberries. In this simple cranberry sauce, we lighten things up by skipping the sugar and opting for a healthier combination of dates and apple cider which adds just enough sweetness without overpowering the cranberry flavor.

Sweet dates and salty prosciutto combine in a tasty bite.

This quick version of a traditional recipe can be made in about 30 minutes using a beloved kitchen hack: shredded rotisserie chicken! The shredded meat simmers briefly in a flavor-packed base that is rich with garlic and spices, sweetened with dates, and tangy from olives and preserved lemons. The addition of lentils and garbanzo beans makes this a hearty one-pot supper, though you can serve it with rice, couscous, or pita bread.

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

Show your love this Valentine's Day with this beautiful Valentine's Day party board. It's full of sweet and savory treats from nuts to prosciutto-wrapped dates. And, of course, it includes the classic combo of chocolate and strawberries. Just grab your favorite platter and fill it with these easy, beautiful bites. Your loved ones will thank you!

A blend of dates, sunflower seed butter, salt and vanilla make these bites surprisingly reminiscent of salted caramel--both in taste and texture. Unlike our ultra-easy mix-and-match basic energy ball recipe, you'll need a blender to make a paste for the base of these balls, but the extra effort is oh-so-worth it for the sweet and satisfying result.