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Home » Recipes » Sweet Snacks

Batheeth | Emirati Sweet Date Balls

Modified: Mar 5, 2024 · Published: Mar 9, 2016 by Famidha Ashraf · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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Batheeth, a traditional Emirati cuisine no-bake sweet snack, consists of toasted flour and dates flavoured with warm spices such as ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. Served best with nuts and Arabic coffee or tea. Batheeth represents the cultural heritage of the region and showcases the importance of dates in Emirati cuisine, offering a blend of sweetness and aromatic spices.

batheetha with tea

If you have access to date paste, then please do not hesitate to pick it up. There are so many Middle Eastern sweet recipes that you can make easily with premade date paste. You can start with this batheetha recipe or try my Algerian diamond cookies.

Jump to:
  • What is Batheeth?
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Which dates to use?
  • How to store date paste?
  • Storage
  • FAQ
  • Related
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments

What is Batheeth?

Batheeth, also known as Batheetha, originates from the UAE and consists of dates, ginger, and cardamom. People serve it with Arabic coffee. What makes Batheeth special is its delicious taste from dates and spices, and its chewy texture. People often enjoy it alone or with Arabic coffee, which is important for hospitality in the UAE and other Gulf countries.

Ingredients

  • dates: I have used store-bought date paste. Refer the notes section to make your own date paste.
  • flour: whole wheat flour. You may replace it with any other flour like spelt or buckwheat.
  • butter: unsalted melted. I have not tried with salted butter.
  • ground spices: a mix of cardamom, ginger powder and cinnamon. You can use just one or two of these.
  • rose water: optional but recommended
  • nuts or sesame seeds: optional but recommended

Instructions

Here is how I prefer to make batheeth at home:

toasted flour

Wheat flour toasted in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown. Approximately 10 minutes.

date paste weighed and ready to use

Store-bought date paste portioned and weighed.

melted butter

Melting butter. You may add cardamom pods here to infuse the flavour if you do not have cardamom powder.

date paste and flour mixture with melted butter and spices

Toasted flour, ground spices, date paste and melted butter. Mixed thoroughly.

heating through the batheeth mixture

Back to the pan to warm up the entire mixture until evenly mixed and aromatic.

mould used to shape these batheeth

I received this mammoul mold as a gift, so I'm excited to use it. Use any mould to make different shapes. Shape while the mixture is still warm. You can leave them as crumbs too.

Which dates to use?

Mabroom or sukkary dates or any dates that are soft and sweet are best to make Batheeth. Getting a packet of date paste makes the process almost effortless!

How to store date paste?

As per the pack instructions. Ideally they can stay in your pantry until you open. Once opened, it is best to keep it in an airtight container or refrigerate.

date paste cookies with tea

Storage

Batheeth stays good for days in an airtight box at room temperature. I had mine last up to 4 days. If you live in a humid weather or have added a lot of nuts then it is always better to keep these refrigerated.

batheetha cookies

FAQ

How to make date paste?

Soak pitted dates in warm water for 15-30 minutes, then drain, reserving some water. Blend dates with reserved water until smooth. Transfer to a container for refrigeration (up to a week) or freeze for longer storage.

How to remove date paste from the pack without making a mess?

Refrigerate the date paste pack so that it hardens. Take out and use a knife to cut portions. Weigh and use in the recipe. Thank me later. 🙂

What to serve with batheeth?

You can serve batheeth with a platter or nuts and Arabic coffee called gahwa.

Related

Looking for recipes using date paste? Try these:

  • kaak el eid cookies
    Ka'ak el Eid | Date Paste Cookies
  • a plate of chocolate date balls
    Chocolate Date Balls
  • Date energy bars
  • algerian cookies
    Algerian Brâdj | Diamond Cookies

📖 Recipe Card

batheeth recipe

Batheeth | Emirati Date Cookies

Batheeth is a traditional Emirati sweet snack made with flour and dates flavoured with ginger and cardamom. Served best with nuts and Arabic coffee.
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Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 52kcal
Author: Famidha Ashraf
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Ingredients
 

For the dates mix

  • 350 grams date paste, see notes
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour, atta
  • 50 grams butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 teaspoon rose water
  • 1 pinch salt
  • chopped nuts, optional
  • sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

  • Add the wheat flour to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and toast over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown. Approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
    ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • Stir the ground spices into the toasted flour.
    ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
    ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • Add the date paste, melted butter and rose water. Using your clean hands, thoroughly mix without any traces of flour.
    350 grams date paste
    50 grams butter
    1 teaspoon rose water
    1 pinch salt
  • Add back to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften the mixture to warm. Use a wooden spatula to keep breaking the lumps.
  • Remove from heat and add the chopped nuts, if using. Start shaping it while still warm to the touch.
    chopped nuts
    sesame seeds
  • Serve with black Arabic coffee and store the remaining in an airtight box for two days and refrigerate for longer.

Notes

Shaping: You can either make balls or leave them as crumbs. Use any mould to make shapes. You may roll the balls in sesame seeds to coat or flatten them and press in an almond.
DIY Date paste: Use at least 20 to 30 large dates. Place the pitted dates in a bowl and cover them with warm water. Allow them to soak for about 15-30 minutes. After soaking, drain the dates, reserving a bit of the soaking water. Begin blending the dates, adding small amounts of the reserved water. Continue blending until the dates are fully pureed and no large chunks remain. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender or food processor occasionally to ensure even blending. Transfer it to a clean, airtight container for storage. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for longer storage.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.26g | Protein: 0.57g | Fat: 0.45g
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: arabic, Emirati, middle eastern
Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!

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Mr.F and Famidha

Hey, I'm Famidha

An Indian chai lover in the UAE. As a passionate food blogger, I share a diverse collection of recipes spanning the Middle East and South Asia. With each dish, I aim to spark your culinary curiosity and encourage you to try new flavours and cooking methods.

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