I also wanted to make my own almond paste because the types sold at the store are made with glucose syrup and we can’t have that! You can start with blanched almonds and grind them in the food processor, or you can do what I do and use superfine almond meal. Either way would work!
In this recipe, I do use honey and I know that honey is not vegan. Therefore these dates are not technically vegan, but you could easily sub agave nectar or maple syrup and then they would be. At this time, I still use honey, but I know there is much debate on how honey harvesting practices may actually be harming bees. I really do not know the answer on this topic as I have not read enough about it. With that being said, if you would like to share information with me on this topic, I would be interesting in learning more about it.
Back to the dates – I like to fill mine with a sprinkle of cacao nibs along with the almond paste. Then, pinch the sides of the dates together so they seal up (it’s like magic how they seal up like nothing happened!). Roll them around in a nice chocolate bath and place on parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle your decorations on the date before the chocolate starts to set. When they are all set, store your chocolate covered dates in an airtight container. I don’t really know how long they will last, probably about a week, but they never make it that long at my house! You can store them in a cool dry place or if it’s summer, I would put them in the fridge.