Khajur burfi is an Indian date and nut roll that has no added sugars but is naturally sweetened by dried fruit. It has crunchy nuts like pistachios, slivered almonds, and walnuts, which makes it the perfect snack for a long hike or a great sugar-free dessert.
Sugar-Free Date Snacks
Khajur burfi is one of the simplest Indian desserts to make. It's as simple as warming up dates until they become slightly warm and jammy, tossing in toasted nuts of your choice, and flavoring with some cardamom powder.
But wait, the best part of these snacks is that they are sugar-free! They have no added sugar as the sweetness of this dessert comes from the natural sweetness of the dates when they caramelize in the heat. It's a great dessert option to curb that sweet tooth that isn't packed with tons of added sugar.
Versatile snack for all occasions
This date and nut snack is such a versatile snack and can be presented at so many occasions like breaking Iftar during Ramadan or for Deepavali. It is a great transportable snack for a hike that has protein from the mixed nuts and it's an awesome sugar-free dessert that has natural sweetness from the dates which help curb that late-night sweet tooth. It's a dessert that lasts in room temperature for up to a week, in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, and in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you are looking for other snacks and desserts that are versatile for your holiday boxes checkout this article.
Customize this dried fruit and nut dessert
This dessert is endlessly customizable, from its ingredients to the shape that you form it into. Here are some ways you can customize this dish:
- Add the nuts you love - In this recipe, I add a trio of nuts: pistachios, walnuts, and slivered almonds. I love the saltiness from the pistachios, the crunch from the walnuts, and the earthiness from the almonds. However, you can substitute more of one nut for the other or introduce a type that you like instead! Just remember to toast your nuts as that brings an additional richness and nuttiness to this dessert.
- Swap out dates for figs - Dried figs, also known as anjeer, also have a sweet and jammy consistency like dates provide. This makes them a great substitute for dates in this recipe.
- Date Balls - In this recipe, the dates and nuts are rolled into logs and then cut into slices. However, you can easily roll these into date balls for another creative shape.
Medjool Dates vs. Deglet Noor Dates
When deciding which dates to buy for khajur burfi you have the option of medjool dates or deglet noor dates. Medjool dates are my go-to for this dish because they are softer, sweeter, and jammy, which makes them easy to form into various shapes and a caramel-y burfi. You can usually find the dates pitted or non-pitted and you can go for whichever option suits you best. Just make sure that if you buy the non-pitted dates, to take the step of removing the pits from the seeds which is a fairly simple process.
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Khajur burfi (Indian Date and Nut Roll)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Khajur burfi is an Indian date and nut roll that has no added sugars but is naturally sweetened by dried fruit. It has crunchy nuts like pistachios, slivered almonds, and walnuts, which makes it the perfect snack for a long hike or a great sugar-free dessert.
Ingredients
- 15 medjool dates (290 grams), pitted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted ghee
- ¼ cup (32 grams) slivered almonds
- ¼ cup (32 grams) walnuts, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup (36 grams) roasted and salted pistachios, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds, or finely ground pistachios
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the pitted dates into a coarse paste.
- In a medium pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of ghee along with the slivered almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. Toast the nuts with the ghee until they become golden brown. Make sure to constantly stir to prevent burning. Remove the nuts from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the remaining ghee and cardamom powder and mix until combined. Add the blitzed dates and stir the date and ghee mixture until the dates soften from the heat. Once softened, add the nuts and fold them into the date mixture.
- Transfer the date mixture onto a piece of parchment paper. Allow the date mixture to cool enough to touch, and roll it with the help of the parchment paper into a 6 inch long log. Unwrap the parchment paper and spread poppy seeds along the length of the log. Roll the log over the poppy seeds until they adhere to the outside of the khajur burfi.
- Cover and chill the khajur burfi in the fridge for 20-30 minutes so it will cut cleanly. Using a serrated knife, cut ¼ inch discs across the log with sawing motions resulting in approximately 24 discs. Khajur burfi can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or tightly covered in the freezer for months.
Notes
- Instead of shaping the burfis into discs, you can shape them into date balls instead!
- Khajur burfis can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or tightly covered in the freezer for months.
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Khajur Burfi (Indian Date and Nut Roll)
Shri Repp says
★★★★★
Je Merritt says
LOOKS YUMMY AND I LOVE THE NO ADDED SUGAR.
★★★★★