Chocolate Dates: What's Inside, Gift Boxes and How to Make Them

Chocolate dates are dates coated in chocolate, usually with a nut such as an almond or walnut tucked inside where the stone was, so each bite brings together a soft, chewy date, a crunchy centre and a chocolate shell. They are a popular gift at Christmas and Eid, and simple to make at home. This guide explains what's inside, how to choose a pack, how to serve and store them, and how to make your own.

What are chocolate dates?

Some chocolate-covered dates are simply dipped, with no filling. Stuffed chocolate dates are stoned, filled and then coated: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios are classic fillings, and nut butter gives a softer centre. The coating may be dark, milk or white chocolate, sometimes finished with a drizzle, chopped nuts or coconut. Most of the Madina chocolate dates we sell are filled with nuts and coated in chocolate, in the formats compared below.

Chocolate dates or stuffed dates?

Stuffed dates are filled the same way but left uncoated, so there is no chocolate to soften in a warm room, and you can choose the nut: our Madina almond, walnut and cashew stuffed dates gift boxes come in 250g or 400g. Pick chocolate dates when you want something that feels like dessert, and stuffed dates for someone who loves the taste of the date itself.

Our chocolate dates compared

The pouches, tub and gift box hold dates filled with nuts and coated in chocolate; the formats differ in size and presentation.

The pouches, tub, gift box and Elite box contain nuts, so they are not suitable for anyone with a nut allergy. Before buying any pack, the bamboo basket included, check the allergen details on the product page and pack, including whether the chocolate contains milk or soya.

Chocolate dates for Christmas and Eid

Christmas

A chocolate dates gift box is an easy present to take when you're invited for Christmas dinner, and a 400g tub is handy to pass round with coffee afterwards. The bamboo basket comes ready to give, so it suits Secret Santa or a stocking. For wider ideas, see our Christmas dates gift guide. If you're sending gifts, order early: we deliver within the UK only, and our shipping policy has delivery times.

Eid

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are times for visiting family and friends, so it helps to have something to offer guests and something to take with you. When buying chocolate dates for Eid, a gift box or the Elite box makes a generous present for relatives, and 400g tubs in packs of 2 or 4 keep the table stocked through a day of visitors. Browse our Ramadan and Eid gifts, and see our Ramadan 2027 guide for when Eid al-Fitr is expected.

How to serve chocolate dates

• At room temperature: the date is softer and the chocolate's flavour comes through better than straight from the fridge. If they've been chilled, let them warm up in a closed container, so condensation forms on the container rather than the chocolate.
• Halved: cut a few in half to show the nut inside, and use petit four cases so they don't stick together.
• With coffee or tea: Arabic coffee, mint tea or an espresso balances the sweetness.
• As a dessert: with clementine segments and pomegranate seeds, or chopped over vanilla ice cream.

How to make chocolate covered dates at home

This takes about 20 minutes, plus time in the fridge, and makes about 12. Medjool are especially easy to use: they are large, with room for a nut, and soft enough for the stone to slip out. Our Delight-grade Al-Quds Palestinian Medjool Dates are plump, very soft and moist.

What you need

• About 12 Medjool dates
• 12 whole almonds or walnut halves, a few shelled pistachios per date, or about 2 tablespoons of smooth nut butter
• 100g dark or milk chocolate
• Optional toppings: sea salt flakes, chopped pistachios or desiccated coconut
• A small knife, a dry heatproof bowl (microwave-safe if you're using the microwave), a fork, baking paper and a tray that fits in your fridge

Method

1. Stone the dates. Slit each date along one side and ease out the stone, keeping the date in one piece. Skip this if they're already pitted.
2. Fill them. Press a nut (or two or three pistachios) into each date, or spoon in about half a teaspoon of nut butter, and pinch closed. Chill them on the tray, lined with baking paper, while you melt the chocolate.
3. Melt the chocolate gently. Break it into small pieces in the bowl and set it over a pan of barely simmering water, without letting the bowl touch the water, and stir until smooth. Or microwave it in short bursts of about 20 seconds, stirring after each. Keep water and steam out: even a few drops can make melted chocolate thick and grainy.
4. Dip. Turn each date in the chocolate with the fork, lift it out, tap off the excess and slide it back onto the paper.
5. Top. Add any toppings while the chocolate is still wet.
6. Set. Chill for about 30 minutes, until firm.

Allergen note: almonds, walnuts and pistachios are tree nuts, one of the 14 allergens identified in food law, and peanut butter contains peanuts, a separate allergen. Chocolate can contain milk and soya too. On prepacked food, the 14 allergens must be clearly labelled in the ingredients list, for example in bold, so check the labels on your chocolate and nut butter, including any “may contain” warning. When cooking for someone with an allergy, the Food Standards Agency advises asking what they can and can't eat, keeping allergens separate, cleaning surfaces and equipment, washing your hands and keeping the ingredient packets to answer questions. If you give them as a gift, say what's inside.

Storing home-made chocolate dates: keep them airtight in the fridge, layered with baking paper, so the chocolate stays firm, and as a general guide eat them within about a week.

How to store chocolate dates

For shop-bought chocolate dates, the pack comes first: GOV.UK's food labelling guidance notes that the label tells you how to store food properly, so follow its storage instructions and best-before date. Beyond that, as general guidance:

• Cool and dry: a cupboard away from the cooker and heating suits them better than a sunny worktop.
• Once opened: reseal the pack or use an airtight container, so they don't dry out or pick up smells.
• In warm weather: if your home is warm enough to soften chocolate, keep them airtight in the fridge.
• Steady temperatures: Britannica explains that widely fluctuating temperatures cause fat bloom, when cocoa butter rises to the surface and turns chocolate grey or white.

Frequently asked questions

What are chocolate dates?

Chocolate dates are dates coated in chocolate, usually after the stone has been replaced with a filling. Almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios are classic fillings, nut butter gives a softer centre, and some dates are simply dipped. The chocolate may be dark, milk or white. Most of ours, from Madina, have a nut filling and a chocolate coating.

How long do chocolate covered dates last?

Go by the best-before date and storage instructions on the pack; GOV.UK's labelling guidance explains that best-before dates are about quality, while use-by dates are about safety. Once opened, keep them airtight. Home-made chocolate dates have no date to go by, so keep them in the fridge and, as a general guide, eat them within about a week.

Do chocolate dates need to be refrigerated?

Not always, so follow the instructions on the pack. As general guidance, a cool, dry cupboard is fine, with the pack resealed once opened. In warm weather or a heated room, keep them airtight in the fridge so the chocolate doesn't soften, then allow them to warm up before serving. Keep home-made ones in the fridge.

What nuts go in stuffed chocolate dates?

Almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios all work, and nut butter makes a softer filling. A whole almond fits a Medjool date neatly, walnut halves have a slightly bitter edge that suits dark chocolate, and pistachios add colour. These nuts are all tree nuts, one of the 14 allergens identified in food law, and peanut butter contains peanuts, so always say what's inside.

Are chocolate dates suitable for Eid gifts?

Yes. Dates are part of Eid for many Muslim families, and chocolate dates make a box feel like a celebration. A gift box or the Elite box suits visits to relatives, and 400g tubs in packs of 2 or 4 keep plenty on the table for guests. These all contain nuts, so ask about allergies before you give them.

Where can I buy chocolate dates in the UK?

We sell Madina chocolate dates with nuts in 100g pouches, 200g pouches and 400g tubs, each sold singly or in packs of 2 or 4, and in a 250g or 400g gift box, plus a 175g bamboo basket and the Elite 400g gift box. We deliver to UK addresses only. Standard delivery usually takes 3–5 working days and Express 1–2 working days from dispatch (Monday to Saturday, excluding UK bank holidays), and delivery is free on orders over £45.