Have you ever tried to peel dates?
Yea… me neither. Except I totally tried. It was hard. It was futile.
Did you know you’re not supposed to peel dates? You’re not. All it takes is one text to a friend.. and you’ll know for sure.
Texting with sticky fingers. It’s just real. No biggie.
I love this spread. It’s bold. It’s how I want to live my whole life: sweet, spicy, tart, and good on everything.
Yea… that’s exactly how I want to live my life. Most days. Most days are tart days.
This spread is flavored with lemon zest, fresh grated ginger, earthy cumin, and spicy chili flakes. There’s also a load of fresh lemon juice. Just lovely. It packs a punch.
You saw the closeup. This is a less close up.
I just can’t resist. He’s all fluff.
This spread gets cooked down and pureed.
This is the cooked down part of the process.
Maybe I ate a hearty amount of spread just like this? So what. Stop staring.
I served this spicy sweet spread on warm garlic naan. It was divine! It was piled on. It was double dipped. It was alluringly spicy and irresistibly sweet. This spread would also be incredible on a turkey sandwich, or as a thick sauce with roasted chicken or pork, and smashed potatoes.
Think big! Live big too!
Spicy Lemon Date Spread
adapted just slightly from Party Like A Culinista
makes about 2 cups of spread
2 1/2 cups pitted, chopped dates (dates don’t get peeled)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger (ginger gets peeled)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
scant 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
warm naan or pita bread
extra virgin olive oil for serving
Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped dates, lemon juice, water, zest, ginger, and spices to the pan. Simmer until almost all of the water is evaporated. The dates will begin to break down, and the simmering mixture will resemble a very thick stew., about 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor fit with a blade attachment. Puree mixture until smooth. That’s it! Serve it up.
Spread is delicious warm and at room temperature. Spread will last, covered in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
98 Responses
This is glorious… I love this with crackers and Brie. I would love to make a few bottles as gifts for my friends is there any way I can preserve this for longer?
Ive made gallons of this! Always a crowd pleaser.
Has anyone tried having peanut butter with this date spread? It’s a fantastic sub for jam/jelly!! SO GOOD. Also dates simply stuffed with peanut butter are delicious.
I made this last weekend for a party and received a lot of compliments! This week I’ve mixed the leftovers in oatmeal (yum!). But the best discovery has been spreading this on toasted whole grain bread with some tahini. It is like a delicious, grown up PB&J. I will definitely be making several more of these until this spread runs out. Great recipe – thanks for sharing!
Joy, thank you so much for this. I made this yesterday night for a potluck I was hosting and it’s perfect on warm naan. I’m so glad there are leftovers…! Very, very delicious with blue cheese.
This stuff is amazing! Made it as an appetizer tonight, followed by a Moroccan-style chicken dish and orange + black olive salad. We love the spicy kick!
Do you think this could work with a cheese plate. It looks wonderful.
TOTALLY!!
This looks totally awesome. I’m going to pick up dates on the way home and make this and pack it in my lunches for the week!
I made this and I am totally addicted to it! I have been eating it on baked chickpea pancakes (I can’t eat gluten) and it is fabulous. Thank you so much for the recipe!
This sounds so awesome, even though I can’t quite imagine how it must taste–I don’t have much experience with dates (always went for figs instead). I love all of the other ingredients so much that I obviously have to make this now.
Made this the other day and layered it with peanut butter on top of puffed kamut cakes for an ultra-healthy version of pb&j! So delicious!
I made this yesterday as a belated gift for a couple coworkers who gave me gifts for Christmas. I’m not sure it’s going to make it out of my refrigerator. I could down a cup of this in one go. I’m not saying my digestive tract would be happy about such quantities of dates, but my mouth sure would be.
Love the cat photo! :) I’ve never seen a date spread like this before, sounds yummy.
YUM!
that sounds fantastic!
i think i’ll use an immersion blender at the end though! less messy!
thanks again as ALWAYS for the great recipes!
happy new year!
xx
thinking i’ll try this with pakoras and papadums!
ohhhhh!
can’t wait!
Just made this recipe and it’s absolutely delicious! Thanks Joy and Orange Julius.
Good new/ bad news review.
Good news- almost no dishes to wash because I used the pot for the mixing bowl and used my immersion blender in place of food processor.
Bad news- don’t lick your immersion blender like you do your mixer paddle no matter how super awesome this spread is! Just don’t do it- you’ll be tempted.
Where did you get the super cute napkin or dish towel?
I love reading your blog! You always make me laugh! Great outlook on life:)
I’ve never thought of using dates for anything other than eating! We always get some locally this time of year from Sphinx Date Ranch in Phoenix. Might have to try this…
PS-I made your Honey Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread for edible Christmas gifts the second year in a row. It’s always a hit!
Hi Joy,
I love dates soooo much! I am looking forward to making this recipe! I just discovered your blog and will follow you and see what great things you come up with in the kitchen. I am looking forward to your book! Hope you have a great Christmas! xoxo Kim
We should always be bold. Bold as this spread. Bold as life is.
That is going to go so well with the cold turkey on Boxing day. They have to be some of my favourite spices and flavours. A little tip if I may – if you can get hold of them use Medjool dates, they are in a league of their own. I put together a Moroccan Spiced Green Tomato Chutney earlier in the year ready for the cold Christmas turkey, but I think I might have to try this too – where do you come up with such exciting recipes, Joy!
The combination of this gorgeous spread with garlic naan sounds heavenly!
Soo funny that you thought to peel the dates! Sometimes we just think of making things so much harder than they need to be! Glad you didn’t have to peel all of them! :D
I think i’m gonna try this one…
when I read the title for this I thought it was a Spicy Lemon spread for a date…as in the perfect spread for a date. my mind is clearly not on the ball! lol.
Oh my goodness this sounds tasty! Seems I have dates on the brain these days, and this would be a perfect way to indulge in that…
I am thinking this may be a very unique addition to my homemade goodies basket this year! Thanks, Joy!
I totally want this in front of me right now, so I can stuff my face.
this spread sounds amazing! I love dates and I love all the spices you threw in there to jazz it up, sounds perfect! I will also be that person who would double dip that spread :)
You caught me by surprise right at the end! I thought for sure it would be strictly a sweet sauce. But dates + lemon + ginger + garlic naan … that’s an intriguing combination. I will have to try it out for sure!
I loved the bit about sticky texting!
I love how you put the “less close-up” pictures up too! It’s all so “real life” as you call it (I call it human!) I enjoy reading your posts and listening to your podcasts. Hope your book becomes a big success!
Thanks for featuring the recipe Joy joy!! Can we eat it now?
Yum! Making this tomorrow for Brie & Arugula sandwiches on multigrain! Totes excited!
Oh my goodness, that sounds divine. Kudos for your taste, my friend. Brie and arugula=the best things EVER.
Oooooh, this sounds amazing. My favorite flavor combos ever in the world. Hello Christmas day appetizer!
This spread looks like such a different and delicious combo of flavors. I’ll be making this for our next regular tapas night.
Oh this sounds perfect! It would be very good on a the fennel scented, sweet paratha that my sister posted a while back. Your cat is actually making me drool almost as much of the food. SO FLUFFY!
Looks seriously delicious! And to me, I don’t know why, this is so much in the spirit of Christmas.
I’m in love with this inspired spread. So much so that I want to run home and make it. right now!
Oh geez. Maybe one day this week I’ll check back and write down this awesome recipe, but right now all I can see is a big, orange ball of fluff that I want to squeeze and make seriously embarrassing squeak noises to.
Oh, how exciting! I’ve never cooked with dates before. I can’t wait to make this!
I have been looking for different types of spreads to serve as appetizers for Christmas. I MUST make this! Wonderful recipe Joy :)
good to know about dates getting peeled. you make me laugh :) i can’t wait to make this! also i love your cat.
This looks so yummy! I’m always interested I new ways to eat dates!!
Wow that looks really rich. This looks like one of those things that I’m alwyas afraid to make. Maybe I should make a resolution and do it, man!
I love garlic naan, but with this spread, I am sure it’s even better! you did such a great job with this, and I can’t wait to try it and put it on all those things you suggested–on a sandwich?! sublime :)
This looks fantastic! I actually can’t really imagine how it must taste, but I am so curious. Dates and lemon sound so good to me.
I’m a huge fan of dates, but have never cooked with them. This is the perfect idea for my intro. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Joy, I just want to say thanks. Thanks for sharing all of these recipes with us. After so many years of looking for the perfect red velvet, looking for someone to make me the perfect red velvet. You blessed me with a tried and true recipe. Icing and all. Trying a new recipe is like borrowing that gorgeous dress from you bff. It changes things up for a little while.
Happy Holidays
Charlene J.
I always text my mom to find out about what’s going on with foods. I’m totes glad we have people to text about foods that are all crazy.
This looks tasty and fun and your cat is a fluffball! Cute.
Dates are awesome. And they have more iron than spinach. Boo-ya.
Peeling dates? You are ambitious! I would have never given that a go….. One text to a friend can help out in a pinch!
In my opinion, anything served with garlic naan is almost undoubtedly delicious. But this spread sounds awesome! Dates are so sweet that they must taste great when paired with tart lemon flavor. Great idea! I wish I could pack this up and take some on the plane with my tonight.
This looks so good!! I actually have leftover dates from my devils on horseback post…I guess I’ll make this today!
I LOVE dates and lemon. I think I have a few packages of medjools in my pantry! Also, I can not believe how identical my fluffball looks to yours. The resemblance is quite uncanny.
This sounds amazing as a sauce over some garlicky roast chicken served with warm naan! I love posts like this that introduce me to new flavor combinations I would never have thought of. Yum!
This sounds so interesting! I’d love to try it! We’re big date people in my family.
That table you’re shooting on: is it right underneath a sky light?? You have the most amazing light right there!
Oh I laughed at the peeling dates part! I feel your pain, I didn’t realize I bought shelled edamame beans the other day and I had to shell an entire bag. Anyways this spread looks so good.
I don’t know why I think dates are intimidating. Maybe because I never knew if you were supposed to peel them or not. Now we know! Thank goodness for friends.
You crack me up. Peeling dates. It reminds me of peeling grapes. I hope you never have to peel grapes. Don’t. It’s not necessary. Ever. I’m so glad dates don’t have to be peeled or I wouldn’t make this. This looks delicious.
Okay, forget the recipe. I want your lemon juicer! :-) It’s so cute!!
Joy, did you make the naan? Can we be expecting a recipe soon?
I thought about peeling dates once … and realized it was not a fun idea. Glad you realized it too. I love tart stuff. This loves divine.
1– Have you ever eaten dates as a snack? I love them! (Though when I was in college, I had friends asking if I was eating cockroaches– eww!)
2) Do you make your naan??? I love naan and have wondered how to make it!
I kind of want to dip cookies into that spread, is that weird?
I adore dates, and the flavors in this spread sound fantastic!
Oh this looks delicious! I literally just bought fresh dates yesterday.. can’t wait to try this!
I’m so used to eating dates whole that I would never have thought to make them into a spread let alone combine them with such wonderful flavours. I love how it’s sweet and spicy and lemony all at the same time!
Joy, it looks great, but peeling dates? no, thanks
I love every ingredient in this recipe, but for the life of me cannot even begin to fathom what they must taste like combined. Is that weird? I want to try this!
Also….kitty! Squeee! I want to snuggle him.
I’m not going to lie, when I first read this I thought it was Spicy Lemon ‘Date’ Spread. Like something to eat on a date to kick it up a notch. Which actually, now that I think about it, hell yeah this is total date food.
In general I’ve really been into spreads a lot lately. Perhaps it’s the stress of everything and the fact that fingerfoods are the best things to eat all the time. But have you tried Nigella Lawson’s Red Kidney Bean Dip from Feast? It’s like this, but instead of dates, red kidney beans and instead of lemon – limes! It’s pretty glorious and feels healthy. Win-win!
Joy, where’d you get that amazing green chest that you sometimes take photos on? It’s beautiful. Have you had it for long? I struggle so with backdrops. Most of my Christmas list is like “a white shudder from an old house,” “a wheathered piece of wood, pink” and my family is like “come again?”
now i’m very curious what date “skin” tastes like
This is possibly the best condiment/dip ever created. I want some right now!!
I’m still kinda stunned that you got your cat a couple months after I got mine, and he’s SOOO much bigger than mine! Not that I’m calling Jules fat or anything… no, I swear I’m totally not. Maybe my cat is just oddly small, or less fluff? Who knows, cats rule.
OMG! Just in the knick of time…..I was trying to come up with a new idea for a dip or spread for the Holidays! This sounds so delicious! Wonder if it would work well coating a piece of Boursin or Brie? Any thoughts?
Thanks Joy, and you have my wishes for a joyeous & blessed Holiday to you and your Family!
Ooh – sounds like it would be terrific with Brie! Great idea!
Peeling dates? What?! Oh definitely not. ha They would totally be tossed into the pot as is. Love the spicy, zingy flavor notes with the sweet fruits.
This sounds so intriguing!
And I love the fluff ball!
i’m so glad you said you’re not supposed to peel them…Lord knows i would be trying!
Looks delish! I’m booking a date with that date bread. For reals.
It looks fabulous. And you know who would love love this? My four year old! She loves dates and also eats lemons out of my husband’s water like they are orange slices. And spicy things…she’d be all over this even more than me :) But I would be all over it too, of course!
Looks fan-tabulous!
Looks great…reminds me of Imli (tamarind) Ki Chutney. Can’t wait to make this and have with some samosas!
Ooh I can imagine this on Christmas ham! And even better – a Christmas ham sandwich!
Most days are tart days for me too. I like it that way ;)