Peanut Butter and Jelly Stuffed Dates
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Slit 12 soft Medjool dates, remove the pits, fill each with about 2 teaspoons of peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of jam, then chill for 30 minutes until set. The batch carries about 16 g of protein from label values, roughly 1.5 g per date, and estimates vary by brand.
Peanut butter and jelly stuffed dates are the sandwich you grew up with, rebuilt as a no bake snack. Soft Medjool dates taste like caramel on their own, and filled with creamy peanut butter and a ribbon of jam, they turn into a two bite treat that needs no oven and no mixer.
Why you’ll love it
- Tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich crossed with a candy bar.
- About 1.5 g of protein per date from label values, all from real ingredients.
- 15 minutes of hands on work, then the fridge does the rest.
- Naturally gluten free and made with five simple ingredients.
- A lunchbox friendly snack that travels well in a small container.
Ingredient notes
Medjool dates: the whole recipe. Buy them soft and plump, since dry dates crack when you slit them. Their caramel flavor is what makes this taste like dessert without any added sugar.
Peanut butter: creamy fills and closes the neatest. One half cup adds about 16 g of protein to the batch on standard labels, but check your jar, since brands vary. Stir natural styles well before filling.
Jam: strawberry or grape keeps it classic. Use a jam you would happily eat by the spoonful, since its flavor comes through clearly against the mild peanut butter.
Peanuts and sea salt: the optional crunch and finish. Chopped roasted peanuts echo the sandwich texture, and a tiny pinch of flaky salt makes the whole bite taste more like itself.
How to pit Medjool dates without tearing them
The only real skill in this recipe is opening the date cleanly, and it comes down to the slit. Cut along the long side of the date, not the top, and go just deep enough to reach the pit. Then open the date with your fingers like a book instead of pulling it apart. The pit lifts out with a fingernail, leaving a neat little boat for the filling. If you do tear one, pinch it closed around the peanut butter and no one will ever know. The filling is the glue, and the chill sets it, which is why filled dates look tidy even when the pitting went a little rough.
Variations
- Chocolate dipped: chill the filled dates, then dip the bottoms in melted dark chocolate and chill again until the chocolate sets.
- Trail mix style: swap the jam for a spoonful of honey and press chopped almonds and mini chocolate chips into the peanut butter.
- Banana cream: use a thin slice of banana in place of the jam for a peanut butter banana bite that tastes like the classic sandwich with banana.
- Spiced: add a pinch of ground cinnamon to the peanut butter before filling for a warm, cozy finish.
What we learned testing it
- Creamy peanut butter beat chunky in the batch test. Chunky tasted great, but the nut pieces made the dates harder to close neatly.
- Strawberry jam won the flavor vote over grape by a small margin. Grape tasted more like the classic sandwich, while strawberry tasted fresher against the date.
- The 30 minute chill is not optional. Warm filled dates slid apart in the batch test, while chilled ones held together in clean two bite pieces.
Read how we test recipes.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Stuffed Dates
Makes 12 stuffed dates · 45 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Paring knife · Small spoon · Parchment lined serving plate
Instructions
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Pit the dates
Use a small paring knife to make a slit along one side of each date, just deep enough to reach the pit. Open the date gently with your fingers and lift the pit out, keeping the date in one piece like a little boat. If a date tears a bit, pinch it back together, since the filling hides small tears.
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Fill each date with peanut butter
Spoon about 2 teaspoons of peanut butter into each pitted date, mounding it slightly over the slit. Creamy peanut butter goes in easiest, but chunky works too if that is what you love. Do not overfill, since the jam still needs to fit.
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Add the jelly spoonful
Top the peanut butter in each date with about 1 teaspoon of jam, letting it sit in a little ribbon over the peanut butter. Strawberry and grape are the classic pairings, but raspberry jam is excellent too. Press the date closed around the filling so it holds its shape.
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Chill until set
Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt over the filled dates if you like, then set the plate in the fridge for 30 minutes. The chill firms the peanut butter so each date holds together in two clean bites. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.
Notes
- Start with soft Medjool dates. Dry or firm dates crack when you slit them, while soft ones open cleanly and taste like caramel.
- Taste your peanut butter first. Natural styles vary a lot in salt and sweetness, so the finished snack follows whatever jar you use.
- Warm the jam for 10 seconds in the microwave if it is too stiff to spoon. Cold jam tears the dates when you spread it.
- Serve these well chilled on a warm day. The peanut butter softens fast at room temperature, and the chill keeps each bite neat.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Peanut butter
- Use almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead. Almond butter keeps the flavor close to classic, while sunflower seed butter makes the snack nut free for school lunchboxes.
- Medjool dates
- Use Deglet Noor dates instead. They are smaller and less soft, so fill them with half the peanut butter and expect a chewier bite.
- Strawberry or grape jam
- Use raspberry preserves or orange marmalade instead. Raspberry adds a tart edge, while marmalade gives a bright citrus finish.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the stuffed dates in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The peanut butter firms up in the cold, so let the plate sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving for the best texture. These do not freeze well, since the dates turn watery when thawed.
Frequently asked questions
Are peanut butter and jelly stuffed dates healthy?
They are a better for you sweet snack made from whole foods: dates, peanut butter and jam, with no refined sugar added. Each date has natural sugars from the fruit, so enjoy them as a treat, not as an unlimited snack.
Can I make these peanut butter and jelly stuffed dates ahead of time?
Yes, they are a great make ahead snack. Fill the dates up to 3 days in advance and keep them chilled in an airtight container. Add the chopped peanut topping on the day you serve them so it stays crunchy.
What kind of dates work best?
Large, soft Medjool dates. They are sweet, plump and easy to pit without tearing. Avoid dates that feel dry or hard, since they crack when you slit them open.
How much protein is in these stuffed dates?
These are label based estimates, not lab tested numbers, and they vary by brand. The batch carries about 16 g of protein in total, roughly 1.5 g per stuffed date. Check your peanut butter label for your exact numbers.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
You can, and the flavor is great, but the pieces make the dates harder to close neatly. If you love crunch, use creamy peanut butter for the filling and add chopped roasted peanuts on top instead.
