Dried dates are one of the best ways to add sweetness to all kinds of sweets. This roundup of vegan date desserts and treats offers and abundance of easy recipes for cookies, bars, puddings, believable no-sugar “caramel,” and more.
Of course, we can’t forget energy balls and truffles, so you’ll find a link to an entire selection of those kinds of good-for-you bites in a separate post, linked to, below.
Date varieties
Medjool dates are large, with a soft, wrinkled skin and an exceptionally sugary flavor. Deglet Noor are smaller with a smoother skin. Less common are Zahidi dates, which fall in between the latter two in terms of size; these are less sweet and lighter in color.
There are others, but these three (especially the first two) are the ones most commonly found in Western markets. Though some may beg to differ, these dates may be used interchangeably in recipes. You’ll find dried dates in natural foods stores or well-stocked supermarkets, in bulk or in containers.
See lots more about this amazing fruit in this site’s Guide to Dried Dates.
Dates are a good source of minerals like iron, potassium, and magnesium. They contain moderate amounts of vitamins A, B, and C, and are fairly high in fiber.
Thanks to the talented bloggers who participated in this roundup for permission to use their photos and link to their delicious recipes.
You didn’t think we’d forget date energy balls and truffles, did you? You’ll find a generous selection …
Delectable Vegan Date Energy Balls & Truffles
Cookies, squares, & other pastries
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies: From Haute and Healthy Living, satisfy your sweet tooth with these zucchini chocolate chip cookies! They contain no added sugar since they’re naturally sweetened with dates and bananas!
Delicious Date Oat Squares: These soft and chewy vegan date-oat squares are like a cross between a shortbread and a fruit crumble.
No-Bake Date Nut Cookies: No flour. No sugar. Yes to tasty treats! With just a few choice ingredients, these no-bake date nut cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth, guilt-free.
Paleo Pecan Pie Bars: From Allergy-Free Alaska, decadent maple syrup and sweet dates combine to make a smooth and creamy filling for these Paleo Pecan Pie Bars. Add some nutty chopped pecans, and a delicious almond flour shortbread crust – it’s a match made in heaven!
Best Chocolate Fudge Recipe: From Happy Kitchen Rocks, a wonderfully sweet, delightfully gooey, chocolate fudge recipe made without condensed milk (or sugar). Feel free to indulge yourself with this date-sweetened fudge without any guilt or second guessing.
Vegan Lemon Almond Cookies: From Frugal Nutrition, these date-based cookies are super simple to pull together and are rich with delicious lemon flavor.
Date and Coconut Cake: From Livity Gardens, a soft cake that dates make rich and flavorful. After cooking the cake, we add a decadent topping of coconut and brown sugar, and put it to broil until it’s nice and bubbly.
Gluten-Free Date Shortbread Slices: From Kind Earth, melt-in-the-mouth, a gluten-free vegan pastry, naturally sweetened with dates.
Sticky Toffee Pudding: From How to Bake Vegan, this sticky toffee pudding is a dairy-free, egg-free version of a classic British treat. This delicate sponge cake is filled with dates for a moist texture and sweet flavor.
Raw Vegan Brownies: From Rainbow Nourishments, fudgy, date-sweetened vegan brownies that are perfect for when you want an indulgent but good-for-you treat. Only 5 ingredients!
Date “Caramel” Treats
Vegan Date Caramels: From Occasionally Eggs, these luscious treats are made with dates, nut butter, and dark chocolate. Refined sugar free and a bit like a rolo candies.
Date Caramel Stuffed Dark Chocolate Figs with Sea Salt: From Rachel Hartley Nutrition, these date caramel stuffed figs are dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt for a chewy, chocolatey bite of dessert.
Caramel Chewies (Nut Butter-Stuffed Dates): Andrea Hannemann’s nut butter-stuffed dates with chocolate drizzle taste like mini candy bars, yet they take minutes to make, need only 5 ingredients, and are actually good for you!
Easy Caramel Apples: From Eat Plant-Based,With only a few simple ingredients, you can have delicious and good for you “caramel” apples in a matter of minutes!
2-Ingredient Date Caramel Sauce: An amazing topping that could easily be mistaken for real caramel, vegan date caramel sauce is delicious with fresh fruit, baked goods, and vegan ice cream.
More treats and sweets
Dreamy Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles: From Occasionally Eggs, these banana popsicles are sugar free, made with peanut butter and dates, and dipped in a little dark chocolate for crunch. Super creamy even though there’s no dairy, and only five ingredients.
Easiest Vegan Ice Cream: The easiest, most delicious vegan ice cream that you’ll ever make has only two ingredients — one of which is dates.
Easy No-Bake Cake Pops: From Aubrey’s Kitchen, these cake pops are healthy, easy, no-bake and taste amazing! In the mood for a Starbucks cake pop? Make your own better version!
Best Fluffy Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse: This 4-ingredient silken tofu chocolate mousse is super chocolatey, fluffy and sweetened with dates! Made from vegan ingredients in just 15 minutes, it’s a delicious dessert idea for the whole family.
Triple Layer Chia Pudding Cups: From the Forked Spoon, Why pick one flavor when you could have three — raspberry, strawberry, and a date-sweetened base with the hint of vanilla.
Chocolate Chia Pudding: From Tin and Thyme, how about a chocolate chia pudding that tastes indulgent, but has no dairy or eggs and is sweetened with dates?
Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates: From Nutriciously, these delicious peanut butter stuffed dates are so easy to make and taste almost like snickers! Undetectably good for you, crowd-pleasing and great to make with kids.
Date-Almond Candy: From Kitchen at Hoskins, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, no-cook, no-bake and most importantly totally guilt-free date and almond candy is sweet and chewy with a bit of crunch.
Uncle David’s Hearty Vegan Granola: From The Good-Hearted Woman, a date-sweetened granola that’s easy-to-make, gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally vegan! Slow-baked for a deeply satisfying crunch, it’s a delicious for breakfast or for snacking any time of day!
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