Turn Dates Into Your Favorite Candy Bar Stat!

There was a point in my life when I ate a candy bar just about every day. I begrudgingly worked the cash register at my family’s hardware store and the one bright spot was the candy benefits. Whenever I got bored, hungry, or both, I’d grab a candy bar from the stand next to the register and chow down.

Now that I’m an “adult” I rarely indulge in a candy bar—my tastes have shifted to dark chocolate and away from super sweet confections. And while I’m fine with eating a few squares of chocolate as a treat, I find myself wishing there were more affordable candy bars available that would please my grown-up palate. 

Then I discovered Snickers dates on Tiktok. Talk about a game changer.

What Are Snickers Dates?

Snickers dates are a trendy snack that have been floating around Tiktok and social media for the last year or two. It’s hard to say where they began, but they keep popping up—and for good reason. The peanut butter-filled, chocolate dipped dates are simply winners.

Beyond Snickers Dates: Endless Variations

I made my own version of Snickers dates and then started to expand the scope. Why stop at Snickers when you can emulate any number of popular candy bars? I made countless versions of candy bar dates, trying out different combos to emulate brand-name candy bars. Think Almond Joy, Twix, Milky Way, and more.

To make candy bar dates, remove the pits from soft, chewy dates and add a filling in the now-hollow center. Nut butter, a whole toasted nut, coconut, caramel—these are just a few options. Seal the sticky date shut and dip it in melted chocolate. Sprinkle with a topping, like chopped nuts or flaky salt, then stick them in the fridge to firm up before serving.

Think of these as grown-up, less sickly sweet versions of the classics. The date stands in for caramel or nougat in each of the variations and adds rich sweetness.

Don’t stop at my suggestions in the recipes below. Try your own combinations to make your very on candy bar date. Caramel, chopped almonds, and flaky salt is a delicious combo, or fill your dates with Nutella and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Experimentation is half the fun.

Lots of Options

Nut butters: Natural nut butters like peanut butter, almond butter, and sunflower butter all work well in this recipe, as does no-stir nut butters like Jif or Skippy.

Nuts: While peanuts are traditional for Snickers and Baby Ruth, and almonds are traditional for Almond Joy, any nuts will do. Toasted hazelnuts or pecans are especially good.

Chocolate: I prefer to use dark chocolate since that’s what kind of chocolate I enjoy these days, but use what you like best, whether that’s semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate. Use vegan chocolate for a fully vegan treat.

Get Your Chocolate Fix

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• Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
• Spicy Chocolate Bark with Pumpkin Seeds
• Easy Marshmallow Fudge

Prepare the dates:

Pull the stem off each date and pull open to remove the pit, leaving the date still in one piece. It’s okay if you end up tearing the date—they’re easy to seal back together—but try to avoid tearing it into separate pieces.

Add the filling:

If you’re using natural nut butter, give it a good stir. 

For Snickers dates: Add about 1/2 teaspoon crunchy or creamy peanut butter to the center where the pit used to be. 

For Milky Way dates: Add about 1/2 teaspoon caramel sauce to the center where the pit used to be. 

For Baby Ruth dates: Add about 1/2 teaspoon caramel sauce and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts to the center where the pit used to be. 

For Twix dates: Add about 1/2 teaspoon caramel sauce to the center where the pit used to be. Snap the Pocky sticks into pieces that are shorter than the date and press 1 or 2 pieces into the caramel.

For Almond Joy dates: Stuff the center with shredded, sweetened coconut and chopped almonds.

Seal the date:

Form the date around the filling back into its original shape. Since dates are sticky, you should be able to seal it without much effort.

Melt the chocolate and dip the dates:

Top a sheet pan or platter with parchment or wax paper.

Place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, just until melted. Alternatively, place the bowl over a pot containing an inch of barely simmering water and stir until melted.

Add a date to the melted chocolate and turn to coat. Use a fork to lift it out of the chocolate, gently shaking it up and down a few times to encourage the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Scrape the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl a couple of times, then place the date on the prepared sheet pan or platter.

Repeat with the remaining dates, spacing them apart so they don't touch.

Sprinkle the tops:

For extra crunch or a bit of saltiness, top the dates while they’re still wet. 

Top the Snickers and Baby Ruth dates with chopped peanuts and the Almond Joy dates with chopped almonds and/or shredded coconut. Any or all of the candy bar dates are delicious topped with flaky salt, especially the Milky Way and Twix dates.

Chill:

Move the dates to the fridge and let chill until the chocolate is set, at least 30 minutes. Serve or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

You can also freeze candy bar dates for up to 2 months. Let defrost in the fridge or on the counter for a few minutes before enjoying.

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