How to make date paste in a blender, a healthy sugar substitute that needs only 2 ingredients and makes a delicious fruit-based sweetener in 5 minutes.
Date paste is a creamy date caramel spread that is healthier than sugar, made of fruit, and can be used to sweetened desserts, smoothies and even be added to ice cream.
What is Date Paste?
Date paste is simply whole dates, pitted, and blended with water. It has the texture of applesauce, and is easy to use as a dip, add to smoothies, spread on desserts, and even stir into drinks, tea, coffee and cocoa. Seriously, the flavor of date paste makes this chocolate smoothie or even my iced coffee with instant coffee taste incredible. This delicious sugar alternative is also be used to sweeten my chocolate avocado mousse, my no bake brownies and even my chocolate caramel candy bars.
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Reasons to Love Date Paste
How does date paste taste? Date paste or date caramel has a mild sweet caramel flavor, like brown sugar, only more neutral.
Date paste can replace white or brown sugar using a 1:1 ratio and that will make your desserts and drinks refined sugar free.
Date paste is allergy & diet friendly. It is the perfect alternative sweetener that is dairy-free, vegan, gluten free and paleo. Dates don't spike blood sugar, and have a low glycemic index.
Ingredients
All you need to make date paste is:
Fresh Dates. The best type of dates for date paste are called Medjool. Second best are Deglet dates which are smaller. Find dates in packages typically in the produce section.
Water. The only other ingredient you need to make date paste is water. Also adding a teaspoon of lemon juice adds a brighter flavor and cuts through the sweetness but it not essential.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail on how to blend dates in a blender, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
1. Soak dates by adding them into a cup of just-boiled water for about 2 minutes.
2. How to pit dates. Once soaked, use your fingers to pry open a date, pull out pit and discard. Remove the stem if there is one.
3. How to grind dates. Add pitted dates to a high-speed blender, regular blender or a food processor. Soak your dates overnight if you don't have a strong blender. Do not use an immersion blender.
4. Add water to the dates in the blender, and lemon juice, if necessary, then blend everything until creamy, about 1-2 minutes depending on the speed of your machine.
Quick & Easy or Overnight Options
You have two options with date paste.
Quick & easy: Soak the dates in just-boiled water for 15 minutes, pit and blend.
Overnight: Soak the dates in water refrigerated overnight, pit and blend. This version might be creamier.
Variations & Optional Flavors
Add ½ cup canned coconut milk for a creamy texture
Add ½ tablespoon of cinnamon for a spicy flavor.
Add a pinch of salt to enhance all flavors.
How to Use Date Paste
Use date paste to replace sugar or maple syrup: In baking recipes, substitute date paste for dry sweeteners using a 1:1 ratio. That means for every ½ cup of cane sugar, you'll need ½ cup of date paste. (It might take about 7 dates to create ½ cup of date paste.)
If you are substituting maple syrup, use twice as much date paste to make up for the lack of liquid.
Use date paste in sauces and salad dressings: You can also stir date paste into sauces and salad dressings to add texture and sweetness.
Use date paste as a dessert sauce or dip: Swirl it into oatmeal, and ice cream. And use it as a dip for cookies.
Add date paste to drinks: Add 1-2 teaspoons to tea or coffee instead of sugar. Add 2-4 tablespoons to a smoothie to add iron, essential minerals and a sweet caramel flavor.
Storage
Store the date paste in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, then it can begin to dry out. Freeze it for up to three months, and in ice cube trays so you can thaw only what you need.
FAQS
Date syrup has the consistency of maple syrup, and is basically date paste without any date pulp strained out of it.
Date paste is used instead of white sugar in baking, drinks, pastries, cereals, even ice cream.
If you find a white coating on your dates, or black fuzz inside, you can eat either. The white coating is crystallizing sugar, and the black fuzz is a non-toxic fungus.
You can use it in place of brown sugar, but you might need to reduce some of the recipe's liquid requirements. Date paste is more often used in no bake desserts, and stirred into drinks.
You can use prunes, figs or even raisins to make date paste.
Yes, dates are a fruit so date paste is a refined sugar free sweetener.
Recipes That Use Date Paste
If you tried this date paste or date caramel recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
How to Make Date Paste (healthy sugar substitute)
Equipment
- measuring cup
- blender or food processor
- storage containers
Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool dates (6-8 ounces) (10-12 dates, pitted and soaked)
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Prep dates
- Prep dates by adding them into a cup of just boiled water for about 2 minutes.1 cup Medjool dates (6-8 ounces)
- Rinse dates after soaking, and pit them (unless you bought pre-pitted dates). Be sure to also remove the stem if there is one.
- Add pitted dates to a high speed blender or a food processor. A blender will probably make a creamier date paste.
Blend dates
- Add lemon juice and water and blend until creamy, about 1-2 minutes depending on the speed of your machine. Hold back half the water at first and see how little you can add and still get the date paste to blend. The less water added, the thicker your paste.1 cup Medjool dates (6-8 ounces), ⅓ cup water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Store
- Store date paste in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Freeze for three months and in ice cube trays so you can thaw only what you need.
Angelica
Hello, I'm looking for the best recipe for date paste and I came across yours. I have a question about the lemon juice. There are recipes with and without it; what is the purpose if it's included? Thank you
Dee Dine
I include lemon juice to reduce the ultra-sweet flavor of dates and allow for a fresher overall flavor.