I am pretty behind the times with most TikTok trends, but there are a few I have tried almost immediately. I make the breakfast egg wraps with my beloved buckwheat wraps EVERY morning, for example. Today’s recipe is for these low FODMAP date bark bites which I tried immediately after seeing date bark on TikTok. With a few little twists, this is a low FODMAP, vegan and gluten free treat that everyone can enjoy.
Low FODMAP date bark bites
The original date bark recipe uses Medjool dates for a delicious, caramel like base. Medjool dates are low FODMAP in 1 date serves, which doesn’t make for much of a bark. In fact, it’s essentially a peanut butter stuffed date. So, what to do? Use regular dates!
Although regular dates are not quite as soft and luxurious, they still make a great date bark bite. Monash says that regular dates are low FODMAP in 30g serves, which is approximately 5 dates. Regular dates become moderate for sorbitol and fructans in 46g serves.
I’ve designed these bites so that you can use 3-5 dates, depending on how well you tolerate dates. Of course, you can always use more than this if you know that dates work for you.
In terms of the nut and nut butter, I have chosen peanuts and peanut butter. The combination of caramel like dates, peanut and chocolate is candy bar adjacent, for starters. Peanuts are also one of the lower FODMAP nuts, so they’re an easy option. We will go into some substitution options below.
Are dates low FODMAP?
Regular dates, which we are using in this recipe, have a low FODMAP threshold of 30g or approximately 5 dates. Medjool dates have a low FODMAP threshold of 20g, which is around 1 date.
Because we need to be able to create a little circle, it’s easier to use regular dates here. A single Medjool date is quite hard to flatten into a nice circle, I imagine. If you’d prefer Medjool, why not make a stuffed date instead? They are low FODMAP in 1 date servings.
Are peanuts and peanut butter low FODMAP?
Peanuts have a low FODMAP threshold of 28g or 32 nuts per serve. The Monash FODMAP app used to say that peanuts only contain trace amounts of FODMAPS and can be eaten according to appetite, but they seem to have removed that recently. I reached out to Monash who confirmed they are in the midst of updating the thresholds to make them more user friendly, so I will update this post if the FODMAP threshold changes.
Substitution options for your low FODMAP date bark
Firstly, you can play around with the nut butter and nuts that you are using. I have written a post of low FODMAP thresholds for nuts and seeds here.
I like using dark chocolate for these low FODMAP date bark bites. It is low lactose, delicious, and complements the other flavours perfectly. You can use a variety of chocolate that works for you – milk, white, whatever. Note that dark chocolate is the lowest FODMAP option if you have lactose issues. Monash have an entry for dark chocolate with 85% cocoa solids, but don’t give it an upper threshold.
Personally, I find the sea salt flakes integral to the flavour of these date bark bites. It adds a complexity and nuance that you don’t get without salt. If you don’t have sea salt flakes, you could use a small pinch of regular salt, evenly distributed across the date base.
More low FODMAP snack and dessert recipes
- Low FODMAP stuffed Medjool dates
- A roundup of my low FODMAP snack recipes
- Gluten free tahini cookies
- Gluten free vegan blueberry muffins
- Vegan protein powder mug cake
Low FODMAP date bark bites
Ingredients
- 20 regular dates see notes
- Approximately 5 teaspoons natural peanut butter
- 25-30 g roasted peanuts chopped
- 50-75 g dark chocolate melted
- 1 teaspoon cacao butter or coconut oil
- Sea salt or fine salt to finish
Instructions
- Slice each date half way through lengthways so that is opens up like a book. Arrange the dates into groups of 5, and squish them together into a vaguely circular shape. Use pressure to flatten them down and secure them together.
- Place the dates on a small piece of baking paper (this makes them easy to pick up once set if the chocolate spills over the edges of the date).
- Spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over the top of each group of dates, then top it with the chopped peanuts.
- Top the peanuts with the melted chocolate, then place the dates in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set. Just before the chocolate sets (but not too soon, otherwise the salt will dissolve) sprinkle over the sea salt flakes and return to the fridge to set completely. I find they taste best eaten the next day. Leftovers keep well in the fridge and can easily be frozen.
Notes
- Regular dates, which we are using in this recipe, have a low FODMAP threshold of 30g or approximately 5 dates. Medjool dates have a low FODMAP threshold of 20g, which is around 1 date.
- If you want to be precise, you can weigh each group of dates. You can use less or more dates depending on what works for you.
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