No-Added-Sugar Khajur Roll (Date and Nut Roll) with Pistachios, Almonds and Sesame
A Diwali khajur roll sweetened only with dates: toasted pistachios, almonds and cashews bound in cardamom date paste, rolled in sesame and sliced into rounds.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Rest
- 2 h
- Serves
- 10
No-Added-Sugar Khajur Roll (Date and Nut Roll) with Pistachios, Almonds and Sesame is a vegan dessert recipe made with soft pitted dates (such as Medjool), raw almonds, raw shelled unsalted pistachios. It takes 27 minutes of hands-on time, plus 2 hours resting, serves 10, and each serving has 177 calories, 4 g of protein and 3 g of fiber.
This khajur roll gets all of its sweetness from soft dates, cooked briefly in coconut oil until they collapse into a glossy paste that holds the nuts together without syrup or ghee. Toasting the nuts first keeps them crisp inside the roll, and a pinch of salt stops the dates from tasting flat. A firm chill is what gives clean slices, so plan for at least two hours in the fridge before cutting.
Ingredients
Date and nut roll
- 1½ cups267 gsoft pitted dates (such as Medjool), roughly chopped, about 14 Medjool; if your dates are dry, soak in hot water for 10 minutes and drain well
- ⅓ cup47 graw almonds, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup41 graw shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup45 graw cashews, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp7.5 gunsweetened shredded or desiccated coconut
- 1 tbsp14 gcoconut oil
- ½ tsp1 gground cardamom
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
Coating
- 2 tbsp18 gwhite sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp7.7 gpistachios, finely chopped, for pressing onto the cut faces (optional)
Kit: food processor, nonstick or heavy skillet, parchment paper, sharp knife
Tips
- Shape the log while the mixture is still warm; once it cools the date paste stiffens and cracks instead of rolling smoothly.
- Keep the nuts in rough pea-sized pieces rather than grinding them, so each slice shows a mosaic of green, cream and brown.
- If the mixture feels too sticky to shape, chill it for 10 minutes; if it is crumbly, knead in 1 teaspoon of warm water or a little more coconut oil.
- The sweetness here comes entirely from dates, which are still naturally high in sugar, so serve small slices.
Swap ideas
- Use white poppy seeds (khus khus) instead of sesame for the coating
- The traditional finish: a finer, paler crust with a milder, nuttier flavor.
- Replace the cashews with walnuts
- A slightly more bitter, earthy note that offsets the sweetness of the dates.
- Swap up to 1/3 cup of the dates for chopped dried figs
- Gives an anjeer-khajur roll with crunchy fig seeds and a less caramel-like sweetness.
- Use sunflower and pumpkin seeds in place of all the nuts, and a neutral oil if avoiding coconut
- A nut-free version with a similar crunch; the roll will be a little softer, so chill it longer.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
177kcal per serving
Everything else · 10 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 2.4 g 12%
- Sugars
- 18.6 g
- Sodium
- 17 mg 1%
- Potassium
- 306 mg 7%
- Calcium
- 54 mg 4%
- Iron
- 1.2 mg 7%
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg 0%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Dates, medjool, Nuts, almonds, Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw, Nuts, cashew nuts, raw, Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), not sweetened, Oil, coconut, Spices, cardamom, Salt, table, Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried
Method
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry nonstick or heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until pale golden and starting to pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Tip onto a sheet of parchment paper about 12 inches long and spread into a rough rectangle.
In the same skillet, toast the chopped almonds, pistachios and cashews over medium-low heat, stirring often, until fragrant and the cashews are lightly golden in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the coconut for the last 30 seconds, just until it smells toasty, then transfer everything to a bowl.
Pulse the dates in a food processor until they form a coarse, sticky paste, 10 to 15 short pulses. (No processor? Chop them as finely as you can with an oiled knife.)
Melt the coconut oil in the skillet over low heat. Add the date paste and cook, pressing and stirring with a spatula, until the dates soften, turn glossy and gather into a single mass that pulls away from the pan, 3 to 5 minutes. Keep the heat low; overcooked dates set hard and chewy.
Turn off the heat and stir in the toasted nuts and coconut, cardamom and salt, folding and pressing until the nuts are evenly distributed and no dry pockets remain. Let the mixture cool until comfortable to handle but still warm, about 5 minutes.
With lightly oiled hands, shape the warm mixture into a tight log about 9 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick, squeezing firmly to close any gaps. Roll the log over the sesame seeds on the parchment, pressing so they coat the outside evenly.
Wrap the log snugly in the parchment, twist the ends like a candy wrapper, and roll it once or twice on the counter to even out the shape. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours (or freeze for 45 minutes).
Unwrap and cut into rounds a scant 1/2 inch thick with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts, to get about 20 slices. If you like, press a little finely chopped pistachio onto the cut faces before serving.
Storage: Store slices in an airtight container, layered with parchment, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or at cool room temperature for 3 to 4 days. The unsliced log freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge for an hour before slicing.
Questions
- How much protein is in no-added-sugar khajur roll (date and nut roll) with pistachios, almonds and sesame?
- Each of the 10 servings has 4 g of protein, 3 g of fiber and 177 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is no-added-sugar khajur roll (date and nut roll) with pistachios, almonds and sesame vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does no-added-sugar khajur roll (date and nut roll) with pistachios, almonds and sesame take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 12 minutes of cooking, so 27 minutes of hands-on time, plus 2 hours of unattended resting.
- Can you make no-added-sugar khajur roll (date and nut roll) with pistachios, almonds and sesame ahead?
- Store slices in an airtight container, layered with parchment, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or at cool room temperature for 3 to 4 days. The unsliced log freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge for an hour before slicing.
- What can I substitute in no-added-sugar khajur roll (date and nut roll) with pistachios, almonds and sesame?
- Use white poppy seeds (khus khus) instead of sesame for the coating — the traditional finish: a finer, paler crust with a milder, nuttier flavor.. Replace the cashews with walnuts — a slightly more bitter, earthy note that offsets the sweetness of the dates.. Swap up to 1/3 cup of the dates for chopped dried figs — gives an anjeer-khajur roll with crunchy fig seeds and a less caramel-like sweetness.. Use sunflower and pumpkin seeds in place of all the nuts, and a neutral oil if avoiding coconut — a nut-free version with a similar crunch; the roll will be a little softer, so chill it longer..
- Does no-added-sugar khajur roll (date and nut roll) with pistachios, almonds and sesame contain tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 22, 2026 ·Indian