Honey-Glazed Date and Olive Bites Recipe

Name: Honey-Glazed Date and Olive Bites Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Islamic
Ingredients: 16 Medjool dates; 16 large green olives; 3 tablespoons runny honey; ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (optional, for added gloss); Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish (optional but adds lovely herbal notes); Flaky sea salt, a small pinch (optional, to enhance the sweet-savoury contrast)

Discover how to make these quick and easy honey-glazed date and olive bites that balance sweet caramelised dates with savoury olives in perfect harmony. The sticky honey coating adds a gorgeous golden sheen whilst intensifying the natural sweetness, creating an absolutely delicious appetiser that's both elegant and effortless to prepare.

Prep10 mins

Cook0 mins

Serve4

Kcal145

Ingredients

16 Medjool dates, pitted (approximately 200g total weight, choose plump ones with glossy skin)
16 large green olives, pitted and drained (Nocellara or Castelvetrano work beautifully for their buttery texture and mild flavour)
3 tablespoons runny honey, plus extra for drizzling (ensure it's at room temperature for easy working)
½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (optional, for added gloss)
Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish (optional but adds lovely herbal notes)
Flaky sea salt, a small pinch (optional, to enhance the sweet-savoury contrast)

Directions

Step 1
Begin by preparing your dates and olives on a clean work surface, ensuring the dates are at room temperature so they're soft and pliable to work with. If your dates have been refrigerated, let them sit out for 15-20 minutes until they're easy to handle without tearing. Pat the olives completely dry with kitchen paper, as any excess moisture will prevent the honey from adhering properly later. This preparation step is crucial for achieving that beautiful glossy finish.
Step 2
Take each date and gently press it open lengthways where the pit was removed, creating a pocket without tearing the fruit completely in half. The dates should open like a book, with one side acting as a hinge. If any dates are particularly firm, you can warm them between your palms for a few seconds to make them more pliable. Work gently but confidently, as Medjool dates are quite forgiving and rarely tear if handled with care.
Step 3
Place one olive lengthways into the centre of each opened date, then gently press the date closed around it, ensuring the olive is snugly encased but still visible at the ends. The contrast between the sweet date and savoury olive should be apparent when you look at the ends. Don't worry if some dates don't close completely, this rustic look adds character and shows off the beautiful filling inside. Arrange all your stuffed dates on a serving platter as you work.
Step 4
Warm the honey gently if it's too thick to drizzle easily by placing the container in a bowl of warm water for 2-3 minutes, but don't heat it so much that it becomes runny like water. The consistency should be similar to golden syrup, flowing smoothly but maintaining some body. If using the olive oil, whisk it into the honey now, this creates an even more lustrous coating and prevents the honey from crystallising.
Step 5
Drizzle the honey generously over each stuffed date, using a spoon or honey dipper to create elegant trails that catch the light. Don't be shy with the honey, you want each date beautifully glazed with some honey pooling around the base for dipping. The honey should coat the dates completely, settling into any crevices and creating that irresistible sticky-sweet exterior that contrasts so wonderfully with the savoury olive centre.
Step 6
If using fresh thyme, strip the tiny leaves from their stems and scatter them artistically over the glazed dates, pressing them gently into the honey so they adhere. The herbal notes complement both the sweet dates and savoury olives beautifully. For an extra flavour dimension, add the tiniest pinch of flaky sea salt over the top, this might seem unusual but it truly elevates the entire flavour profile by intensifying both the sweetness and savouriness.
Step 7
Allow the dates to rest for 5 minutes at room temperature so the honey settles and becomes slightly tacky, creating that perfect texture when you bite into them. This resting time also allows the flavours to meld together beautifully. If you're making these ahead, they can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving, though they're absolutely at their best when freshly assembled.
Step 8
Serve these honey-glazed beauties on a beautiful platter with any extra honey on the side for those who want an additional drizzle, and perhaps some extra olives scattered around for visual appeal and variety. These bites are best enjoyed immediately whilst the honey is still slightly warm and flowing, creating that wonderful sticky-fingered experience that makes them so memorable. Encourage your guests to savour each bite slowly, letting the sweet and savoury flavours dance together on their palate.

Sunnah

Learn simple practices and etiquettes found in the tradition that transform every meal into an act of worship, increase you in beneficial knowledge and add barakah into every bite.

Sacred Guidance

Dates

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to break his fast before praying with some fresh dates; but if there were no fresh dates, he had a few dry dates, and if there were no dry dates, he took some mouthfuls of water.

— Sunan Abu Dawud 2356Hasan Sahih

Olives

As well as olive trees which grow at Mount Sinai, providing oil and a condiment to eat.

— Quran 23:20Divine

Olive Oil

Season your food with olive oil and anoint yourselves with it, for it comes from a blessed tree.

— Sunan Ibn Majah 3319Sahih

Honey

The Prophet ﷺ used to stay for a long while with Zainab bint Jahsh and drink honey at her house.

— Sahih al-Bukhari 5268Sahih

✦

Prophetic Etiquette

Wash your hands and say:

بِسْمِ اللهِ وَ عَلَى بَرَكَةِ اللٰهBismillahi wa 'ala barakatillahIn the name of Allah and with the blessings of Allah

If you forget to say it at the beginning, say:

بِسْمِ اللهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُBismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahuIn the name of Allah at its beginning and end

Sit down to eat, rather than eating while standing or walking.

Always eat with your right hand, as the Prophet ﷺ said:

Let every one of you eat with his right hand and drink with his right hand.

Eat in moderation, as the Prophet ﷺ advised:

One-third should be for food, one-third for drink, and one-third should be left empty for air.

Eat from what is nearest to you on the plate, and do not reach across for food that is distant.

Take small morsels of food, and chew your food well.

Do not blow on hot food or drinks; allow them to cool naturally.

Do not eat or drink from gold or silver utensils.

When finished, say:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مُسْلِمِينَAlhamdulillahil-ladhi at'amana wa saqana wa ja'alana MusliminPraise be to Allah who has fed us and given us drink and made us Muslims

Lick your fingers clean before wiping them, as there may be barakah in what remains on them. Then wash your hands.

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Honey-Glazed Date and Olive Bites Recipe

Prep10 mins

Cook0 mins

Serve4

Kcal145

Directions

Step 1

Begin by preparing your dates and olives on a clean work surface, ensuring the dates are at room temperature so they're soft and pliable to work with. If your dates have been refrigerated, let them sit out for 15-20 minutes until they're easy to handle without tearing. Pat the olives completely dry with kitchen paper, as any excess moisture will prevent the honey from adhering properly later. This preparation step is crucial for achieving that beautiful glossy finish.

Step 2

Take each date and gently press it open lengthways where the pit was removed, creating a pocket without tearing the fruit completely in half. The dates should open like a book, with one side acting as a hinge. If any dates are particularly firm, you can warm them between your palms for a few seconds to make them more pliable. Work gently but confidently, as Medjool dates are quite forgiving and rarely tear if handled with care.

Step 3

Place one olive lengthways into the centre of each opened date, then gently press the date closed around it, ensuring the olive is snugly encased but still visible at the ends. The contrast between the sweet date and savoury olive should be apparent when you look at the ends. Don't worry if some dates don't close completely, this rustic look adds character and shows off the beautiful filling inside. Arrange all your stuffed dates on a serving platter as you work.

Step 4

Warm the honey gently if it's too thick to drizzle easily by placing the container in a bowl of warm water for 2-3 minutes, but don't heat it so much that it becomes runny like water. The consistency should be similar to golden syrup, flowing smoothly but maintaining some body. If using the olive oil, whisk it into the honey now, this creates an even more lustrous coating and prevents the honey from crystallising.

Step 5

Drizzle the honey generously over each stuffed date, using a spoon or honey dipper to create elegant trails that catch the light. Don't be shy with the honey, you want each date beautifully glazed with some honey pooling around the base for dipping. The honey should coat the dates completely, settling into any crevices and creating that irresistible sticky-sweet exterior that contrasts so wonderfully with the savoury olive centre.

Step 6

If using fresh thyme, strip the tiny leaves from their stems and scatter them artistically over the glazed dates, pressing them gently into the honey so they adhere. The herbal notes complement both the sweet dates and savoury olives beautifully. For an extra flavour dimension, add the tiniest pinch of flaky sea salt over the top, this might seem unusual but it truly elevates the entire flavour profile by intensifying both the sweetness and savouriness.

Step 7

Allow the dates to rest for 5 minutes at room temperature so the honey settles and becomes slightly tacky, creating that perfect texture when you bite into them. This resting time also allows the flavours to meld together beautifully. If you're making these ahead, they can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving, though they're absolutely at their best when freshly assembled.

Step 8

Serve these honey-glazed beauties on a beautiful platter with any extra honey on the side for those who want an additional drizzle, and perhaps some extra olives scattered around for visual appeal and variety. These bites are best enjoyed immediately whilst the honey is still slightly warm and flowing, creating that wonderful sticky-fingered experience that makes them so memorable. Encourage your guests to savour each bite slowly, letting the sweet and savoury flavours dance together on their palate.

Sunnah

Learn simple practices and etiquettes found in the tradition that transform every meal into an act of worship, increase you in beneficial knowledge and add barakah into every bite.