After-Dinner Dates with Butter & Sea Salt

These easy after-dinner dates are filled with butter, flaky sea salt, and cinnamon for a naturally sweet dessert that tastes like a cinnamon bun.

If you’re looking for a little something sweet after dinner that feels indulgent without making an entire dessert, try these after-dinner dates.

They’re incredibly simple: soft Medjool dates filled with a little butter and finished with flaky Maldon sea salt. Add a dusting of cinnamon and they taste surprisingly like a cinnamon bun.

I first learned about this simple combination from watching Kristin Cavallari, and it quickly became one of my favourite little after-dinner treats.

For this recipe, I used Khidri dates because that’s what I had on hand, but Medjool dates are my preference. They’re larger, soft, and naturally caramel-like, which makes them especially good for this recipe.

And the butter really does matter. If you have homemade butter on hand, this is the perfect place to use it. The flavour is noticeably better than standard store-bought butter.

Ingredients

Dates

I recommend large, soft Medjool dates. Their size makes them easy to fill and their naturally caramel-like flavour works beautifully with butter and sea salt.

I used Khidri dates when I made these, and they were delicious too.

Butter

Use your favourite good-quality butter. Homemade butter is especially delicious here because you can really taste it.

For reference, I use approximately ½ teaspoon of butter per date—but feel free to add a little more.

Maldon Sea Salt

A tiny pinch of flaky Maldon sea salt adds a wonderful contrast to the sweet dates and rich butter. You don't need much.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is optional, but I highly recommend trying it.

I didn't include it in my original photos, but after making these again with a light dusting of cinnamon, I was convinced. They genuinely taste like a cinnamon bun.

How to Make After-Dinner Dates

1. Prepare the dates. Using a small sharp knife, carefully cut a slit lengthwise down each date. Remove the pit and the small stem end.
2. Open the date. Gently pull the date open so there is enough room to add the butter.
3. Add the butter. Place approximately ½ teaspoon of butter inside each date. And if you want to add just a little more, I certainly won't stop you.
4. Finish with sea salt. Sprinkle each date with a small pinch of flaky Maldon sea salt.
5. Add cinnamon (optional). If using, finish with a very light dusting of cinnamon.
6. Enjoy. That's it! Serve immediately and enjoy your little after-dinner treat.

A Little More Butter? Yes, Please.

The beauty of this recipe is that you don't need much butter—but you also don't have to be overly precise.

Think of the ½ teaspoon as a starting point. If your dates are particularly large or you simply love butter, add a little more.

This is dessert, after all.

Try the Cinnamon

If you make these without cinnamon first, try them again with it.

The combination of the sweet, caramel-like date, rich butter, flaky salt, and warm cinnamon is what makes these taste almost like a bite-sized cinnamon bun.

It's such a simple addition, but it makes a surprisingly big difference.

The Perfect After-Dinner Dessert

These have become one of my favourite ways to finish dinner when I want something sweet but don't want to make an entire dessert.

They're rich enough to feel like a treat, naturally sweet from the dates, and take almost no time to put together.

Sometimes dessert really can be this easy.