Making the best date paste is easy with my recipe using only two ingredients in about 15 minutes! You'll want to put it on absolutely everything.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my date caramel snickers bars, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick and Easy - If you have 15 minutes, you can make this versatile and magical date puree. You only need two ingredients, a blender, and a bowl.
Natural Sweetness - Medjool date paste is naturally sweet and a great 1:1 ratio to sugar and works as a substitute for honey, maple syrup, and just about any other sweetener you would use in baked goods and cooking. You can even use it in tea!
Dates are an important part of many Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and North African diets, eaten plain and used in both sweet and savory dishes.
I first started using date paste, sometimes called date honey, during the Daniel Fast some years ago but it is also gluten-free and works works in a variety of diets, including Whole30, vegan, and vegetarian.
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Organic Medjool Dates are my favorite dates for making date honey because they're plump, sweet, and a great size so you don't need to use a large number of them. Grab pitted dates to save time.
Water helps soften the dates making them easier to work with. Carefully use freshly boiled water for quick results.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Dates - If you don't have access to Medjool Dates, Deglet Noor dates are a good substitute.
Spices - Add sweet warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or clove for a nice spiced date paste.
How to Make Date Paste from Dates and Water
Step One: Pour boiling water over dates and allow them to soak.
Step Two: Transfer dates and some water to a blender.
Pro Tip #1: Soaking dates softens them making them easier to blend, so don't skip this step!
Pro Tip #2: The less water you use, the stickier and thicker your end result will be with 100% date paste having more of a date caramel consistency! Start with just a small amount of water and add more, as needed, to help the dates blend smoothly.
Step Three: Pulse until mixture is smooth and uniform. It might be necessary to add more water.
Pro Tip #3: Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed to get all the bits of date blended smoothly.
Pro Tip #4: You can use a blender or a food processor for this step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store homemade date paste in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will keep for up to three months this way.
You can freeze date paste for up to one year in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Since this paste is blended with water, I recommend leaving space at the top of the container for expansion, just in case.
Use date paste just as you would use sugar, honey, or any other sweetener in a 1:1 ratio. Think baked goods, coffee and tea, smoothies, and sauces.
Date paste has a bit of fiber, which sugar does not. And since dates are considered a low GI food and date paste is made from just dates and water, it is the more blood sugar friendly option.
Date Paste Uses
I like to toss a whole medjool date or two into blended recipes like my meal replacing protein smoothie or this immune booster smoothie. But this spreadable paste or date puree recipe is much more convenient for baking, cooking, and even drink making where you can substitute it for honey and other sweeteners!
I like to stir this simple date paste into Greek yogurt or use in oatmeal. It's a must have sweetener for PCOS friendly recipes because it has less impact on blood sugar, compared to other sweeteners (Medical News Today).
Check out all my delicious PCOS recipe ideas.
More Favorite Simple Sauce Recipes
Now that you know how date paste is made at home, get to it and enjoy. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for date paste for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Best Date Paste Recipe
Equipment
- 1 bowl
- 1 Blender or food processor
- 1 silicone spatula optional
Ingredients
- 12 ounces medjool dates pitted
- 4 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Carefully pour boiling water over dates and let soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer soaked dates into a blender or food processor. Add a small amount of water and pulse to desired consistency, pausing to add more water, as needed, for a smooth blend and the scrape down the sides of the blender.
- Transfer date paste to an airtight container to store. It will be thick and sticky.
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