Pumpkin Spice Date Bark Recipe

The basic recipe — dates, opened and pitted, covered with nut butter and chocolate — went viral. The recipe is deceptively easy and healthy, and, as many home cooks on social media will tell you, it's unbelievably good.

The basic concept of mixing dates, nut butter and chocolate together is something ICE LA Chef-Instructor Carrie Smith has been doing for a long time.

"Before it was viral, I’ve always liked to take a date, fill it with nut butter and top it with some toasted nuts," she says. "I've either dipped it in chocolate or sometimes I’ll just put pieces of chocolate on top of it and a little bit of salt."

Since 'tis the pumpkin spice season, of course Chef Carrie had to elevate her approach by creating two types of date bark:

• A traditional date bark, with a layer of soft dates, followed by cashew butter, chopped cashews and melted chocolate.
• A pumpkin-spiced creamy date bark with dates, zingy pumpkin yogurt spread, roasted pumpkin seeds and melted dark chocolate on top.

Both versions are easy to make, decadent and even healthier than you think.

“Only six percent of the population in the U.S. get enough fiber every day," Chef Carrie says. "This is a great way to get extra fiber from the nut butter, the dates and from any of the nuts or seeds that you put on top.”

One of the best parts of the base recipe is how flexible it is. If you have a tree nut allergy, switch the cashew butter for peanut butter or Chef Carrie's yogurt spread. You can sub the nuts for chia seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds — anything crunchy. Chef Carrie also says a seeded, chunky nut butter could work on its own in place of adding the extra nuts. The recipe's sweetness is also adjustable to taste.

“I didn't add any sweetener to these recipes because the dates are already super sweet," she says. "You could add extra sweetener if you wanted to, like maple syrup, honey or agave.”

Though the traditional date bark is the social media darling, Chef Carrie's elevated upgraded version is the perfect impressive dessert for your autumnal gatherings. The bright orange zest in the pumpkin yogurt spread adds a zingy edge to balance out the warm spices.

The date bark is the perfect dessert for sharing because everyone can choose the perfectly sized piece — uneven chunks are encouraged when breaking the bark apart.

The recipe is also great for families or people who just want to have a healthy, sweet treat ready in the freezer.

“These are pretty quick," Chef Carrie says. "You can just make them, throw them in your freezer and then you have them ready for when people are going to come by. It’s a delicious treat.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Institute of Culinary Education (@iceculinary)

Recipe

Classic Date Bark and Pumpkin Spice Yogurt Date Bark

Ingredients

For the Classic Date Bark:

• 2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew or any other nut butter of your choice)
• 1/2 cup toasted nuts, chopped
• 2 cups melted dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt

For the Pumpkin Spice Yogurt Bark:

• 2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
• 3/4 cup 5% Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 each orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 cups melted dark chocolate
• 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt

Directions

For the classic bark:

1. Pit and flatten dates close to each other onto a lined sheet tray.
2. Spread nut butter over dates with a spoon or offset spatula.
3. Sprinkle with toasted chopped nuts.
4. Spread melted chocolate and then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
5. Freeze for about 20 minutes or longer until set.
6. Cut or break into big pieces — it's okay if they are uneven.
7. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

For the pumpkin spice yogurt bark:

1. Pit and flatten dates close to each other onto a lined sheet tray.
2. Mix yogurt, pumpkin puree, zest and spices in a bowl and then spread over dates with a spoon or offset spatula.
3. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.
4. Spread melted chocolate and then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
5. Freeze for about 30 minutes or longer until set.
6. Cut or break into big pieces — it's okay if they are uneven.
7. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

More Fall Recipes:Apple & Pumpkin Butter