peanut butter cookie date bites
These little unassuming bites might be my absolute favorite recipe I've ever posted. And that's saying a lot considering there are 240+ recipes on the pages of Wholefully. There are so many things I love about these little bites. I love that they are only three ingredients-dates, peanuts and salt. I love that they are sweet and salty. I love that they are packable and transportable. I love that they come together in about 6.3 minutes. I love that they are packed with healthy fats, protein and fiber. Oh, and I love that they are stupidly delicious.
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Like, they are so delicious that I couldn't stop dipping my hand into the cookie date bite jar. To me, these suckers taste exactly like a peanut butter cookie. Except without any added sugar or the hassle of baking. There are the perfect snack for a little late-afternoon pick-me-up. They also have just the right amount of carbs, fat, protein and calories to be a good pre-workout snack.
It's still fascinates me that some of the simplest recipes are the most amazing. It's amazing what simple, high-quality ingredients can do when pulled together. Yum!
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Cookie Date Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates about 10 dates
- ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
- Pinch Kosher salt
Instructions
- Add dates to the basin of a food processor. Pulse until dates form a paste. Add in peanuts and salt. Pulse until peanuts are chopped finely.
- Using damp hands, form mixture into 1" balls. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition
Mine turned out quite a bit darker than yours, maybe the dates?? Can't wait to try them in the morning 🙂
Hi, this recipe looks great, thanks, i am going to give it a go 🙂
Can you use Deglet Noor dates instead (semi-dry ones)?
Thanks
Sure, just soak the dates in some hot water before you put them in the food processor. 🙂
Thanks Cassie, i will definitely be trying this 🙂
How long will these stay fresh?
If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, indefinitely. I'd say 2+ weeks. Nothing really in them that'll go bad.
In one of your post for healthy lunches for adults you show a chocolate drink. What is it?
Do you think I can use almonds instead of peanuts? We have a peanut allergy but can eat almonds. Thanks!
I don't see why not!
Do you think a Ninja Ultima Blender would work for this recipe?
Thanks!
Yes, it should!
I made these the other day and added the semisweet chocolate and they are DELISH! My entire family loves them- especially my 3 year old! I doubled the recipe and they still only lasted a day and a half! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
I just made these, and they are soooo good! It's a keeper! The dates make them super sweet, but the nuts give it just the right peanut butter flavor that I love. Although I made these with salted roasted peanuts, they turned out perfectly. Thanks for the recipe! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go eat another one... 🙂
So I don't know what I did wrong... but I doubled the recipe and only ended up with 16 teeny balls - is it possible that I am so strong that I smushed them too small? Does one need to have a gentle hand in the smushing?
Any recommendations for a less expensive food processor?
I've had this one for three years and it's still going (even though I torture it with banana soft serve and homemade almond butter all the time).
I've been reading your blog for a few months, but haven't commented until now; I just had to let you know how amazing these are. So simple, and nearly the perfect sweet snack. I am not a date fan (they creep me out) but I just made these and am having a hard time not eating ALL of them. I know LaraBar makes a similar version, but these taste different and in my opinion - better.
Great recipe!
Great blog!
Keep up the awesome work, I appreciate it.
easy, innovative and healthy! wow, love it!
Wow, sounds yum and tempting!!Gonna try soon 🙂
I make something similar to these, Rosemary Gladstar's Zoom Balls. They're tahini/pb/honey based and a medium for tons of beneficial herbs! I always add some cinnamon, cayenne, maca, astragalus, spirulina, bee pollen...etc. and some cocoa powder, they always end up tasting like chocolate 🙂
I'm sure you were doing it to control salt intake, but is there another reason why you didn't use salted peanuts? Is it too salty if you don't or does it perhaps not work right? And I know I can get them at trader joe's or whole foods, but do regular markets or stores like Meijer carry those dates?
I've never tried it with salted peanuts, but I definitely think it'd be too salty. And yes! Regular stores carry unsalted peanuts. I get them at both Kroger and Meijer right next to the salted ones in the snack section. 🙂
Salted peanuts work great!! That's all I had ...
Which nuts do you think could substitute? I actually have the dates, but I've got only walnuts, sliced almonds, roasted sunflower seeds, and a handful of pecans 🙁 Maybe I could use one of these and add a dollop of natural peanut butter? I am super excited to make these!! I actually grab a date before heading out to work every morning. They're almost like candy all by themselves 🙂
I figure you could substitute any of those and it would work. Of course, it will drastically change the taste (since these are very peanutty).
Hi Cassie! Poor college student here. 🙂 I don't know if my wallet and lack of kitchen space would allow for a food processor, not to mention the food I eat normally doesn't require one. I did shell out the money recently for a pretty nice blender though, for protein smoothies (godsend for quick breakfasts in the midst of half-marathon training and school). Could I potentially use a blender to make this recipe? It looks fantastic!
Hmmmmmmmm. I'm not quite sure a blender can handle the dates. They are so sticky and goopy that I'm afraid if I tell you to try it, you might just blow your blender motor. Maybe you could chop them super fine and then mush 'em with something in a zip top bag? Then mix them together with finely chopped peanuts?
what about a coffee grinder? I don't have a food processor but we do have a coffee grinder for grinding whole coffee beans. It might even give it a nice mocha flavor!
Hmmm, the dates get SO sticky that I'm worried it might gunk up the grinder and burn out your motor. And that would be sad. 🙁
I just made these with my blender and they worked great! I added a few more dates to peanut ratio just to give them extra stick because my blender wouldn't get them as mushy as a food processor, but that worked!
I used a mix of nuts and rolled in powdered sugar to make Sugar Plums at Christmas last year. They went over well. I think I may add a little bourbon this year...
I made Sugar Plums last year, too! I even think the recipe is on the blog somewhere. We gave them out in our cookie trays. 🙂
These deserve no less than 1,670 comments.
They're so simple and so friggin' amazing and delicious. I'm surprised I HAVEN'T taken a minute to sit and eat all of them. I must have some serious self control going on these days. Actually, I HAVE to with those Coffee Crisp sitting in the drawer.
Yum! I have been on a date ball kick the last few weeks...they are the perfect snack! I made your zucchini lasagna last night, HUGE hit, and these are next on my list! Thanks for sharing such yummy recipes! 🙂
Awesome! So glad you liked the lasagna. 🙂
What is the recommend serving size to eat as a snack? For me I will eat the entire batch, LOL, so I'm wondering what a healthy serving looks like?