Name: 5-Minute Dates Paan (Khajur Paan) – 100% Natural
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 10 pitted Medjool dates; 4 large betel leaves; 1½ tablespoon gulkand ((rose jam)); 2 teaspoon Fennel Seeds; 1 tablespoon mukhwas ((natural mouth freshner)); 2 tablesoon dried paan mix ((mix of dried dates and rose)); ½ teaspoon cardamom powder; 1 cup chilled water; 2 teaspoon white vinegar

Dates Paan (Khajur Paan) is an all-natural, refreshing after-meal treat combining sweet and aromatic flavors. This bite-sized treat is a modern twist on a classic "meetha paan", and is made by stuffing dates with gulkand (rose jam), fresh betel leaves, fennel, and mukhwas. It's a festive favorite often served as a digestive or a palate cleanser after a big meal.

Hand holding a single stuffed date paan against a background of a brass plate with dates paan and dried rose buds

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My love for paan goes way back. It was actually my dad who introduced me to the classics-Meetha and Banarasi paan, and it quickly became our "thing." On weekends, we'd head out for a drive after dinner to our favorite paan shop and grab one. It was the perfect finale to our evening.

My desire to recreate that magical finale inspired these khajur paan bites. I love to make these ahead for a cozy dinner party with family or friends, and serve them while everyone is still lingering at the table after the meal and talking. It's the perfect tiny hit of something sweet to cleanse the palate.

This dates paan recipe is my modern take on a traditional meetha pan in which I use Medjool dates as the vessel to pack all those flavors! It's a literal 'flavor bomb' that hits every taste bud-sweet, floral, cooling, and earthy-without any of the artificial colors, refined sugar, or tobacco often found in street-style paan.

Jump to:

What is Paan?
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
How To Make Dates Paan
Serving Suggestions
Tried & Tested Variations
Recipe Tips For The Best Dates Paan
📖 Recipe

What is Paan?

Paan is a traditional Indian after-meal mouth freshener and digestive consisting of a betel leaf stuffed with various peppery and cooling ingredients. While some versions contain tobacco or lime paste, the "Meetha paan" offers a sweet, dessert-like taste with rose petals, fennel, cloves, and cardamom.

What is Dates Paan?

Dates Paan is my all-natural twist on the classic Meetha Paan. Instead of stuffing and folding the betel leaf into a tiny triangle, I mince and stuff all the ingredients, including the betel leaf, into pitted Medjool dates.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

Here are the ingredients you'll need to make these Meetha Paan Medjool Dates:

A colorful display of Indian ingredients on metal tray including dates, dried paan, gulkand, cardamom, fennel, and betel leaves for making dates paan.

Dates: Medjool works best for their soft, caramel-like texture.
Fresh Paan Leaves (Betel): Look for bright green, firm, and unblemished leaves in the refrigerated produce section of Indian grocery stores.
Gulkand: This rose petal jam is one of the key ingredients. I use organic, sugar-free gulkand that's made with just rose petals.
Mukhwas: This traditional Indian digestive seed mix comes in a wide variety of flavors. Pick your favorite. I use "Kashmiri Mukhwas".
Dried Paan Mix: A blend of dried rose, dates, and fennel. I use any organic mix that I can find at my local Indian store or online.
Fennel Seeds: For that extra cooling crunch.
Cardamom Powder: For a floral aroma. Alternatively, deseed 2 green cardamoms and use the seeds.
White Vinegar & water: For cleaning the betel leaves.

Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

Partial view of A brass plate with stuffed date paan with betel leaves, fennel, gulkand, fennel and mukhwas

How To Make Dates Paan

It takes just 5 minutes to assemble these paan dates. Here are the step-by-step photos and instructions:

Betel leaves (paan leaves) soaked in a bowl of water and white vinegar to clean them for making dates paan

Clean Betel Leaves

Dip the paan leaves in a bowl of cold water mixed with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. Soak them for a minute, rinse under fresh water, and pat them completely dry. Cut off the thick central stem.

A spoonful of paan mix and more in a food chopper containing betel leaves, fennel, mukhwas and cardamom

Prepare the Paan Filling

In a small food processor, add the hand-torn paan leaves, gulkand, mukhwas, dried paan mix, fennel, and cardamom powder. Pulse 5-7 times until the ingredients are well incorporated but still coarse.

Pro Tip: Do not over-process! You want a semi-fine consistency with some texture, not a smooth paste.

Using fingers to open up a date to create a cavity for filling it with paan mix

Prep The Dates

I use pitted dates for convenience. If using dates with pits, slice the dates lengthwise to create a pocket. Remove the pit and gently widen the cavity.

Using a spoon to stuff the date with paan mix including gulkand, fennel, betel leaves, mukhwas and cardamom

Stuff and Serve

Take about 1 teaspoon of the paan mixture and press it firmly into the center of each date. Bring the edges together to seal it. Your Dates paan is ready to enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

These Paan dates are best served immediately to enjoy the contrast between the cool filling and the soft dates. However, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I don't recommend freezing them.

A brass plate with stuffed date paan with betel leaves, fennel, gulkand, fennel and dried rose

Tried & Tested Variations

Chocolate Paan Dates: You can easily convert this treat into a chocolaty indulgence in minutes. Melt white or milk chocolate chips in a bowl, then mix until smooth and creamy. Using tongs, dip each paan date into the melted chocolate and coat it well. Place it on a parchment-lined plate and let it set for 20 minutes.
Coconut Paan dates: Add 1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut to the mix for a coconutty flavor. To compensate for the dryness, add another teaspoon of gulkand.

Recipe Tips For The Best Dates Paan

The Leaf Choice: If you can find "Banarasi" or "Maghai" paan leaves at your local Indian grocery store, use them! They are thinner and more delicate in flavor.
Texture Check: If the mix feels too wet, add a few more fennel seeds. If it's too dry, add some more gulkand.
Gulkand: If you can't find gulkand, no problem. Roughly chop 2-3 soft dates and add them to the blender along with the other ingredients.
Pulse, not blend: Don't blend or over-process the ingredients. We want a semi-fine consistency, not a smooth paste.

Tried this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a ⭐ star rating and a comment below to share your experience; it helps other readers too! Find more easy EVERYDAY recipes on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

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