Coconut-Pistachio Stuffed Dates

One of the old standby pieces of advice when starting a wellness journey is to not wait until Monday or the beginning of the month or January 1st to start changing your life. Start right this second. Because if you don’t, you just keep putting it off and putting it off until the next Monday. Part of me thinks this is good advice. I get it. There is no reason to wait for the change. But the other part of me (the part that likes things in neat little boxes) loves the idea of a freshly minted week to start change. It’s like every seven days, the slate gets wiped clean and I can go forward with whatever new journey I want to complete without reliving the wrongs of last week.

It’s hard to deny its appeal.

So that’s why, whenever I want to start something new, I do a hybrid. I give myself a start dateโ€”usually a Mondayโ€”but I use the days leading up to it to mentally, emotionally, and physically prepare for the change.

Sometimes I think that preparation time is just as important as the actual actions of the change. Getting yourself in the right mental and emotional state is key to being successful.

Anywho, that was an incredible long lead up to saying how I discovered this recipe. A lot of my preparation time is spent Googling, and in one of my expeditions into the expanse of the internet, I discovered this recipe in Whole Living magazine (one of my favorites!).

To me, Medjool dates are so decadent and sweet that they could pass for candy, and when they are stuffed with salty, earthy pistachios and sweet, tropical coconut, you get a sweet treat snack.

I was so impressed with many of the recipes in Whole Living that you’ll see them as my inspiration for a lot of the next few weeks.

Coconut-Pistachio Stuffed Dates

Coconut-Pistachio Stuffed Dates

Yield: 16 dates
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Medjool dates are so decadent and sweet that they could pass for candy, and when they are stuffed with salty, earthy pistachios and sweet, tropical coconut, you get a sweet treat snack that is completely cleanse-friendly.

Adapted from: Whole Living

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup shelled, salted pistachios
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened, flake coconut
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 16 Medjool dates, pitted

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, add pistachios, coconut, water and cinnamon. Pulse until it forms a thick paste (about 2-3 minutes), scraping down the sides when necessary.
  2. Divide the mixture and stuff into the dates, using about 1 teaspoon per date.
  3. Serve immediately or store in airtight container in fridge for about a week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 dates Serving Size: 1 date
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 73Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 0g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

Do you wait until Monday to start something new?

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11 Comments

  1. 9 months later, but in case anyone else was wondering… I get unsweetened coconut in the bulk section at whole foods, and the only other place ive seen it has been the local health food store. Good luck!

  2. Where did you find your unsweetened, flake coconut? Every where I look I can find sweetened but not unsweetened. I cannot WAIT to try these!

    1. COSTCO used to carry unsweetened coconut; not sure if they still do. Also, I have seen unsweetened coconut in our “No Frills” stores in Canada.

      1. I believe Trader Joe’s carries it, and usually has it in the same section as their nuts and dried fruit. Otherwise, I’ve seen it in the bulk bins section of natural food stores/co-ops/bigger grocery stores. And if all else fails, the internet has everything! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Yummm-o. I will have to try this. I LOVE those dates stuffed with laughing cow… Delish.

    I also went to a tapas restaurant recently and they served these dates two ways:

    1. Bacon wrapped. OMG. To die for.

    2. Filled with hazelnut. Again…DELISH!

    I feel like there are endless possibilities…

  4. mmmm I love pistachios! I have everything else in the cupboards except those, and I want to make these ๐Ÿ˜€ they look delicious!

  5. I don’t start something on specific day of the week, usually. I typically start on a date that works for me. I look at my calendar for upcoming events that might interfere and plan accordingly. I, too, STRONGLY agree that the mental work, the preparation is so important. Good for you for recognizing it. Can’t wait to hear how your current eating plan goes for you.

  6. Nope. The day of the week doesn’t mean much to me. Your post did help motivate me to go running today, though!
    What a great snack Idea! I’m looking for dessert recipes to help me kick my ice cream habit and this looks like a good one to add to me repertoire.

  7. I love anything with dates. They’re so good! You could process the dates a bit too and form these into little homemade larabars.

  8. I agree – there are points to both sides. For the longest time I needed to make some major changes but I kept putting them off and that held me back. But something like this it’s so nice to prepare yourself ๐Ÿ™‚ I love the idea of these. Medjools are so sweet so I love that they’re stuffed with salty pistachios ๐Ÿ˜€