Date Caramel

Dates transformed to caramel. That’s right, just dates. With your food processor and just a little warm water it’ll turn your dates into a caramel-like dip. Great for eating with an apple or using as a dip for your next get together, add this date caramel to your list to make!

Halloween is just around the corner. As a dietitian I’m definitely of the mindset to let holidays be holidays and let the kids eat candy. However, truth be told, sometimes the holidays, gatherings, and festivities do start to add up. It’s important to allow a normalcy around food and not let kids think that certain foods are off limits. A couple of years ago I made a Halloween Snack Board that had great snacks that included candy on the board! All that said, it can go a little overboard. Enter this date caramel to use on Halloween or any other day for a sweet treat!

Dates grow on date palms, which are a flowering palm tree. They can be found in arid climates like the Middle East, Northern Africa, India, and California. Their flavor is naturally sweet and they do have a caramel flavor that seems almost candy-like. I continue to buy dates online from a date farm in California. They are seriously the best dates I’ve ever eaten. It’s hard to go back to the ones in the store. For a quick snack most times I’ll just add some peanut butter. You have your carbohydrate and protein/healthy fat combination. I also dipped them into chocolate for a nice dessert.  

Ingredients for Date Caramel

• Dates – May sound silly, but all you need are dates. Medjool dates specifically. There are recipes online that use sugar and/or syrup to make more of a caramel like consistency. This is not that recipe. This is literally just dates ground up that tastes like caramel and is thick, more-so like a dip.
• Hot Water – I added a tablespoon of hot water at a time to help mix/blend the dates up. Depending on the size of your food processor bowl and how strong your food processor is will be the difference as to how much water you may need to add. However, add 1 tablespoon at a time and not all at once. Another thing I saw online was people pouring hot water over the dates prior to blending them. If your dates are super dry you may need to do that. Many dates in the store are more on the dry side versus the moist side, so use your discretion. What I will say is that the time I did add the hot water prior it ended up with a dip that was more watery than caramel like in flavor. My method might be the better way!

How To Make Date Caramel

1. Add pitted dates (no seed) to a food processor. I tried the high-speed blender route and the food processor works better to get the creamy texture with the least amount of water added in.
2. Pulse on low until small bits/pieces remain.
3. Stream in hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, while the blender is on until a paste is made. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula to help the process. As mentioned, if the food processor bowl is large it is harder to have the dates mix together. Not suggesting you add more dates, but just something to keep in mind for the success of the recipe. And that’s why I didn’t prefer using the blender!
4. Watch the amount of hot water you’re adding. 1 tablespoon at a time. I ended up using just 3 1/2 tablespoons. You’re looking to form a paste and don’t want it too loose. Key point – the amount will depend on your machine and size/moistness of your dates.
5. Refrigerate covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze whatever you think you might not eat to have for later!

Other Sweet Bites/Snacks

• Chocolate Covered Dates with Peanut Butter
• Peanut Butter Bites
• Cashew Sweet Cream
• Almond Butter Energy Bites

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