Date Bark

Craving a sweet treat but also something a bit more healthy? Try making date bark! It tastes exactly like a Snickers bar but without the refined sugar. These are also great for meal prep!

Preparing the Medjool Dates

The first layer and the most important ingredient of date bark is the dates itself! Medjool dates are the best dates to use for this recipe because they have a caramel-like taste and consistency. My favorite brand of dates to use Natural Delight or Cali Medjool!

Start by cutting them open down the middle to open in half but don’t cut all the way. Just enough to remove the pit. Lay the sticky side face down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the dates, making sure to stick the dates together very closely side by side. Try to make sure there are no cracks or crevices. It’s fine if there is but better if not so the peanut butter and chocolate have no room to escape!

You can make the tray of bark as small or as large as you’d like depending on how many dates you use. The best part about this recipe is you can truly wing it without ever using measurements and it will turn out perfect every time. Just three ingredients!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Now that the base is prepared, let’s spread on the peanut butter. Feel free to use your favorite peanut butter brand and it can be creamy or crunchy! I will say though the thicker the peanut butter the better but it’s ok if it’s not. It might just need more chilling time if the peanut butter is more thin.

If you’re using very thick peanut butter like I did, it’s easier to spread on if you first heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. Once it’s pourable, drizzle it over the dates and then use a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it in a thin layer. OR a thick layer if you can’t get enough peanut butter. If the peanut butter is super runny, pop in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes at this step. If it is pretty solid, you can skip right on to the chocolate.

For the chocolate, I used semi-sweet because it’s a bit sweet and a bit bitter but not too much of either. If you love milk or dark more, feel free to use that! You can use chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar. Add the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals on low power. Stir in between each interval until the chocolate is fully melted.

Drizzle the chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer. To make the date bark less rich and sweet, spread on a very thin layer of chocolate. If you love death by chocolate, add a thicker layer! Sprinkle on chopped peanuts for a nice crunch and flakey sea salt to balance the sweetness with a note of saltiness.

Now transfer to the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes or use the freezer if you’re impatient like me. Once the chocolate is firm to touch, you can chop into small sections and enjoy!

Store it in the fridge in an air-tight container to enjoy whenever the sweet tooth hits!

Variations to Try

There are so many ways to switch this recipe up! That’s the best part about a simple recipe, you don’t have to worry that if you change an ingredient, all will go wrong.

First, let’s talk about the peanut butter. If you don’t like peanut butter for some odd reason or are allergic to peanuts, you can swap it out for almond butter. You could use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth/creamy peanut butter for even more texture! Another option is to add crushed peanuts on top of the peanut butter instead of on top of the chocolate. OR even better, do both if you love a good crunch.

Moving on to the chocolate! As always, feel free to use your favorite kind of chocolate. You can opt for milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate. If you want it to be less sweet and have a more bitter taste, use darker chocolate. Also, make sure to add a very thin layer of chocolate if you don’t want it as rich and sweet.

Now finally for the dates! There is no substitute for dates since this is date bark but you can turn this into an entirely different recipe. I’ve been seeing people swap the dates for sliced bananas on TikTok and call it banana bark. It looks and sounds absolutely delicious! If you do opt for this variation, it will require more chilling time in the freezer so the bananas can freeze!

Craving More Easy Desserts? Try These Recipes Out!

• Almond Bostock
• Twix Cookie Cups
• No-Bake Biscoff Truffles
• Snicker’s Stuffed Dates
• Birthday Cake Rice Krispies Treats

If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop by down below and let me know how you liked it with a rating and comment! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.

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