Healthier Bahraini Rangeena (Vegan)

A traditional Bahraini rangeena is a naturally vegan dessert made up of essentially: dates, flour, oil, and nuts (usually walnuts). It’s one of my favourite traditional desserts, but there’s no denying it: there’s pretty much nothing about this that’s good for you.

I’ve been itching to take this dessert and make it healthier, but for a long while I was at a loss at how to do it. Here, I think I cracked it, and it’s been a hugely successful dish with everyone that has tried it! It’s nutty and still dense but feels more satisfying. Read on to learn how to make it.

Healthier Bahraini Rangeena

Save Print

Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Sand Kitchen

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

Approx. 1 cup dates*
¼ cup spelt flour*
½ cup oat flour
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp tahini
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup walnuts

Instructions

De-stone the dates and place them on a dish. Two layers would work best here.
In a dry pan, dry roast the flours for about 3-5 minutes. Make sure you don't overroast, as you don't want them to burn or get too golden. Once you see it pick up colour, it's ready.
Slowly add the oil and tahini and mix vigorously for 2-3 minutes on a low-medium heat
Add the cinnamon and take off the heat, continuing to stir to incorporate everything
Pour the mixture over the dates, flattening it down
Place the walnuts on top and wait for it to cool -- please be careful about this, as it's hot oil! Wait at least half an hour before eating.

Notes

* rutab, or fresh dates, work best here, but it works with dried dates too
** you can use whichever flour you'd prefer -- buckwheat flour works well here if you're gluten-free. Do not sub for more oat flour as the texture will be an issue.

There you have it! One of my absolute favourites turned on its head. The tahini works so well here, and I really like the edge of coconut in the recipe.

Please let me know if you make this!
Tag me on Instagram or Twitter @sandkitchen and #sandkitchen.

Share this: