I’ve been reading in many places about how eating dates in the last weeks of pregnancy can help at the time of labor, mostly in speeding up the dilation process, plus they boost your oxytocin!
Studies show that pregnant women who ate 6 dates a day for the 4 weeks before their due date had a shorter first stage of labor and their cervix was softer before delivery. Eating dates in late pregnancy has also been shown to lessen the need for synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin), the medication used to start or speed up labor.
Having read this (from different sources) I was convinced, and honestly excited to have the “excuse” to eat dates, because I absolutely LOVE dates. Even if it has no effect on my labor, I really lose nothing!
NOTE: Even if you are NOT pregnant, dates are packed with nutrition. They’re a great source of energy, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals (including calcium, magnesium, selenium and folate).
That being said, I like to be careful with my blood sugar and dates are high in (natural) sugar. So the perfect solution is using them to make healthy homemade desserts with added fiber, healthy fats and protein to keep blood sugar stable.
This has got me in the kitchen the past few weeks making delicious energy balls and trying different recipes, too, using dates. Thankfully I’ve had huge success making DELICIOUS, healthy snack/dessert date recipes - that won’t spike your blood sugar!
Here are my 3 of my favorite date recipes (that I’ve made these past weeks), all of which are super nutritious, vegan, gluten-free, no added sugar, and raw (no baking required!):
Carob brownie energy balls (these are like fudgy brownie bites!) *note: I used carob mostly to lower caffeine content (and I like its nutritional profile), but if you don’t have carob, just use cacao
Almond & peanut butter chocolate fudge (my new addiction, and only has 4 base ingredients + toppings)
Balance with Mariana’s basic energy balls (a staple recipe i’ve been making for years, that allows for many yummy variations)
RECIPES
Carob brownie protein energy balls (grain & peanut free / super fudgy)
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup dates, preferably medjool (note I also like to make these ¾ dates and ¼ prunes, ex using 10 Medjool dates + 5 prunes // ideally first soak in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain)
¼ cup almond butter + 2 tablespoons cashew butter or sunflower seed butter
2 tablespoons organic carob powder (if you don’t have carob, you can use cacao)
1-2 scoop(s) chocolate protein powder (I use ALOHA or SunWarrior – chocolate flavor) *optional, for added protein/nutrients
¼ cup hemp seeds
½ cup raw walnuts
tiny pinch of sea salt
¼ - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons cacao nibs to add at end for crunch
Optional for rolling: extra cacao or shredded coconut
Instructions:
1. Add pitted dates to a food processor and process a few seconds until you get a sticky dough. Add almond butter, cashew (or other nut/seed butter), carob (or cacao) powder, chocolate protein powder, hemp seeds, walnuts, sea salt, and vanilla.
2. Pulse until the mixture is well blended and starts to clump together (about 1 minute). Lastly, add 2 – 3 tablespoons cacao nibs and mix by hand (optional).
3. Scoop out 1 ½ Tbsp amounts and roll into balls with your hands. Should give approximately 14 balls. Leave them as is or roll in extra cacao or shredded coconut. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and place in the freezer for an hour. Store them in the fridge (or freezer) in a sealed (silicone or glass) tupperware.
Almond & Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge (grain free & addictive!)
Ingredients:
¾ cup dates, pitted (use Medjool dates if possible as I prefer the texture and caramel like flavor)
1 cup almond and/or peanut butter (I do ½ cup almond butter + ½ cup peanut butter)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
3-4 tablespoons organic coconut oil
To decorate: sea salt (I like maldon sea salt flakes), cacao nibs and finely chopped peanuts and/or almonds
Instructions:
1. To a food processor add pitted dates and process a few seconds until you get a sticky dough. Add almond and peanut butter and process a bit more. Lastly add cacao powder and 3 tablespoons coconut oil. If it’s too crumbly add another tablespoon of coconut oil. If you’d like a more intense chocolate flavor, add another tablespoon of cacao. If its still a bit crumbly, add another tablespoon of peanut or almond butter.
2. Place fudge mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, spread out evenly with a spatula, then decorate on top with the sea salt, cacao nibs and peanut/almond bits. Place in the freezer for an hour, then cut into bite size rectangles and store in the fridge or freezer in a silicone or glass tupperware.
Balance with Mariana’s classic energy balls (perfect, balanced snack!)
Ingredients (makes about 12-14 balls):
1 cup pitted dates, ideally pre-soaked to soften (use Medjool dates if possible)
¾ cup organic rolled oats (preferably marked gluten-free)
1 cup almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts or mix of these (I love to combine, usually ½ cup cashews & ¼ cup walnuts)
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons almond butter + 2 tablespoons other nut/seed butter (ex. sunflower seed butter, peanut or cashew butter)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt (max ¼ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
*For chocolate version, add 2 tablespoons cacao to mixture while processing (and you may need ½ tablespoon maple syrup or honey to balance out texture and flavor). You can also add chocolate chips at the end when rolling the balls for an extra-chocolatey version!
*For chocolate chip version, add 2-3 tablespoons at the end, I usually add 4-5 chips to each ball after rolling
*For rolling: 1-2 tablespoons shredded coconut, cacao powder and/or chia seeds
Instructions:
1. In a large food processor, add in the dates, process a few seconds, then add in oats, nuts of choice, coconut, coconut oil, almond butter (and other nut/seed butter), vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt and process again until a sticky, uniform batter is formed. If you see any large chunks of date, break the mixture up with a spatula, and pulse until they are broken up. Add a bit more nut butter if the mixture seems dry.
2. Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons, then roll between your hands to form balls (mine are usually 1 ½ tablespoons each). Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place in the freezer to set for at least an hour before serving. Store the balls in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for an even longer shelf life.
3. Options for variety: option 1) roll them in shredded coconut, cocoa powder and/or chia seeds before chilling (or roll 1/3 in coconut, 1/3 in cacao, 1/3 in chia); option 2) add in chocolate chips, 4-5 to each ball and press in firmly for the chocolate chip version; option 3) add in 2 tablespoons cacao to mixture when processing for a chocolate ball version (and you can add in chocolate chips too at the end for a double chocolate version!)
Hope you give these recipes a try, and let me know how it goes! They’re all super easy, nutritious and delicious!