A healthier treat to enjoy over the festive period. These Ferrero Rocher stuffed dates are so easy to make and only call for a handful of ingredients!

I’ve been making stuffed Medjool dates for years, ever since I embarked on my healthy eating journey. It’s such an easy dessert and tastes absolutely divine! A great way to satisfy my sweet tooth, but with better-for-me ingredients.

I know they don’t taste exactly like a Ferrero Rocher, but I’d say they’re not far off. The fudge like sweetness of the dates along with the hazelnut butter and dark chocolate coating make the perfect healthier substitute. To make them a little more indulgent, I dipped them in dark chocolate with chopped hazelnuts to give them that classic Ferrero Rocher look that we all love!

You can skip the coating part if you want, but I would strongly recommend you don’t! I used 72% dark chocolate – the bitterness of it balances out the sweetness of the dates so well.

Now I’m not saying you can’t treat yourself during the holidays, but let’s face it, most of us do overindulge. Not only on Christmas day, but the weeks before all the way up to the New Year. I like having healthier options to balance out the more indulgent treats. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

All you need is a handful of ingredients – dates, hazelnut butter, cocoa and a but of milk to make the mixture more spreadable.

As well as a treat for yourself, these Ferrero Rocher stuffed dates make an excellent edible gift for loved ones. They keep well at room temperature, especially in cold weather. Place them in a jar/container/box and wrap them up to gift to someone special.

What you need to make these Ferrero Rocher stuffed dates:

Medjool dates – I find these work best because of their size, but also because they’re soft making them easy to work with. They’re super fudgy & sweet – you can find them in most supermarkets around this time of year on the lead up to Christmas.

Hazelnut butter – the hazelnut taste is what gives these dates that Ferrero Rocher feel. You can use other nut butters like almond or cashew butter if you can’t get hold of hazelnut butter. They’ll still taste freakin’ amazing!

Cocoa powder – since Ferrero Rocher has such an intense chocolate flavour, I decided to add cocoa powder to the hazelnut butter. Chocolate + hazelnut is always a winning flavour combo.

Chopped hazelnuts – to intensify the hazelnut flavour, but also to add a lovely bit of crunch.

Maple syrup – I didn’t use any because for me the dates add enough sweetness. However, I know that different people have different tastes and they may want to add a little extra sweetness to make it taste more like a dessert.

Why you need to try these Ferrero Rocher stuffed dates:

They’re better for you
Make a great lighter dessert
Has some nutritional benefits
A source of healthy fats and fibre
Super quick and easy to put together
Kid friendly
Vegan
Dairy-free
Gluten-free