How to use dates to create a healthy sugar substitute perfect for those times when you want to indulge without the refined sugar. This date paste recipe is super easy to make and can be used in so many ways!
This post was originally published on 2/1/2014
Sugar has been a topic of debate for a while now, with so many schools of thought it’s hard to keep track. Am I going to die if I eat it? Will my kids become monsters? Sometimes I feel like the scare monger tactics out there are a little too much.
After some waffling on my part, I decided that sugar is not the atomic bomb it’s positioned to be. I mean, you shouldn’t be pouring it straight up down your throat, but a little sugar here and there will not kill you.
Natural Sweeteners for every day use
While I have no problem in indulging in regular sugar from time to time, I do have a sweet tooth so I try to use more natural sweeteners for my daily dessert cravings.
What are the most common natural sweeteners?
Glad you asked! There are a ton of options, ranging from totally natural to still better than white sugar. Everyone has an opinion (we are online aren’t we?) but here is my personal list of faves starting with the most natural:
- Date paste– this recipe, duh. Dates are a fruit and legit pure nature.
- Maple syrup– this comes from the maple tree and goes through a small process before getting to your kitchen, but overall it’s amazing. Probably in my top few sweeteners I use on a daily basis.
- Honey– yeah I know, not vegan. But as you may have read in my about me page, we eat plant based for health reasons and have no problem with honey. I like the flavor of maple better, so I don’t use honey as often, but it does have a spot in my pantry for its healthy nature.
- Coconut sugar– it’s brown and ugly but that means it has it’s nutrients. When I need a dry sugar with a more brown sugar like flavor this is my go to. You can actually mix this with a bit of molasses and get a brown sugar texture too! Brandi from The Vegan 8 shows you how.
- Cane sugar– I use this when I want a dry sweetener that is close to regular sugar but still has a bit of it’s nutrients left. You’ll notice that it’s tan in color and not as dark as coconut sugar. I also love the look of this one so this is what I use when I need something sprinkled on top.
Date Paste: The Most Natural Sweetener Out There
You’re here for the date paste recipe so let’s get to it. It really is super easy, and I even have some ideas for you if you don’t have a blender or food processor.
How do you make homemade date paste?
Making date paste is really the only way to do it, do they even sell it? If they do, I can guarantee that it’s price marked disgustingly high because they can. All you need to make it at home are some good old dates and water (I have some other optional ingredients in the recipe below too).
- Pit your dates.
- Dump everything into a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth!
Is there a difference between Medjool dates and regular dates?
Medjool dates are the most widely used dates in recipes for a reason, they are easy to find, super soft and really sweet. But there are many other date varieties out there. The other two varieties that I see in stores are Deglet Noor and Barhi. See this link for some great info on all types of dates.
How long can you keep date paste?
Date paste is basically made of dates and dates last for about 6 months in the fridge. Even then they don’t necessarily go bad but they do dry out. For date paste, I tend to keep mine about a month max, stored in an air tight container in the fridge.
I also freeze it when I make a big batch and only take out a bit at a time to keep in the fridge.
How do you substitute date paste for sugar in baking?
There is a lot of info out there on this, but my humble opinion is that it really depends on the recipe. Baking is a science and when you alter one thing, you often have to play with others.
Date paste acts as both a sweetener and a thickener, so your baked goods can come out super dry if you don’t add more liquid. Also, the texture will change, especially when using it for dry sugar. Expect your baked goods to be softer.
So if you are good at experimenting, I’d start with a 1:1 ratio when subbing for a dry sugar. Make half a batch and adjust as needed. If you’re substituting for a wet sweetener like maple syrup or honey, you will probably need more date paste or an addition of water because the date paste is a thickener as well and will produce a drier result.
Go into it with the expectation that the end result won’t be as sweet or have the same texture and focus on the health benefit.
Recipes that already use date paste
A better option, is to just make a recipe that already uses date paste. I have some recipes already that use date paste or just dates. Give them a try and let me know what you think!
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Cookies
- Chunky Monkey Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Raisin Macadamia Nut Oat Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
- Date Sweetened Brownies
- Apple Cinnamon Scuffins
- Yogurt Date Dip
- Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Pretzel Frosting
- Pumpkin Molasses Cupcakes
- Frothy Hot Chocolate with Pistachio Milk
- Raw Superfood Balls
- Raw Strawberry Margarita Cheesecake Cups
- Peanut Butter Cup Parfait
- Sriracha Tahini Fudge
How to use dates to create a healthy sugar substitute perfect for those times when you want to indulge without the refined sugar. This date paste recipe is super easy to make and can be used in so many ways!
- 24 pitted Medjool dates , about 2 cups packed (a little over a pound, see notes)
- ¾- 1 1/4 cup almond/cashew/etc milk , start with 3/4 and add more to get the consistency you want
- dash sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 24 pitted Medjool dates , about 2 cups packed (a little over a pound, see notes)
- ¾- 1 1/4 cup water , start with 3/4 and add more to get the consistency you want
If using a high speed blender, put all ingredients inside and blend on high until smooth. You may need to stop and shake a little to get things moving but they will if you keep going.
If using a regular blender, make sure to soak your dates in hot water for about 30 minutes before you make it so that they soften enough to get a smooth result.
Make sure your dates are soaked as mentioned above in order to get the smoothest results, then add everything into the food processor and blend until smooth. It will take longer with this method, but keep stopping and scraping down the sides.
If you don't have either a blender or a food processor, soak your dates in hot water overnight. This will ensure they are as soft as possible.
Add the soaked dates with the other ingredients into a bowl and use a fork to mash and mix. Continue to do this until you get a smoothish consistency. It won't be as creamy and smooth as using a blender but you will eventually get some date paste you can use.
- I usually use Medjool dates as they are soft and sweet and I can find them easily. Another good soft and sweet variety are the Barhi dates.
- If you use something other than Medjool in this recipe you may make a different amount of date paste depending on date size. It may also turn out less sweet depending on the kind you use.
- Make sure to take the pits out before using them.
- If you are not using a high speed blender, then you may want to soak your dates in hot water for about 30 minutes to soften them before you make it.
- Check out this great resource on the different types of dates. I use water in the paste I make for recipes but milk in the kind I use raw. I like the creaminess the milk adds when I eat it raw but prefer the water for my recipes as it is more neutral.
- This recipe makes just under 2 cups, serving size for the nutrition facts is 1/4 cup.
- Nutrition facts include the water option.
vegenista (@vegenista) says
Yuuuuuuuum! I want to eat this with a spoon! Have you tried soaking the dates first? Sometimes I see that people soak dates to soften them a bit before adding them to smoothies, etc?
veggiesdontbite says
Yes! I have but the result was not that different. It just takes a little less time to smooth out. I always forget to soak stuff so I figured cut the step out and make it something you can whip up last minute! But if you remember or have the time then by all means soak!
Laura says
Date paste is definitely my go-to sweetener! I use it in everything!
veggiesdontbite says
Awesome! Isn’t it amazing?!
Eric says
I’m excited to make the switch over! Is it a 1:1 substitute for sugar? 1 cup of refined sugar to 1 cup of date paste? And does it change the end product of baked goods? It seems like this would add more liquid which may need to change cooking time or amount of other ingredients. Thanks for the reply!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Eric! It’s not exactly a 1:1 sub, it really just depends on the recipe. It does add more liquid so using date paste would result in some other changes. Many of my desserts use it so take a look and see how I’ve done it. But feel free to ask any questions! I love it as a sweetener!
Natalie Tamara says
Ooooh this just looks heavenly! I keep finding so many recipes calling for date paste in place of sugar, it really is about time I made some. This really does sound so simple too 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you! It is so simple! I make it weekly and keep it in the refrigerator for daily use. I love it!
Abbie says
I love date paste! I have yet to use it in any baked goods, but I’m sure it’s an awesome replacement for refined sugar. (I love it to dip apple or pear slices in. so good.)
Pinning!
veggiesdontbite says
Yes!! It’s awesome as a fruit dip! It works very well as a sweetener in almost anything. We put it in oatmeal and even smoothies! Thank you!
Amy says
My kids could not get enough of the apples and “caramel” sauce tonight! Great recipe that takes out the added sugar for a sweet treat!
veggiesdontbite says
Awesome Amy!! Yes, it’s so nice to have a sweet treat for your kids thats actually not bad for them. I love the stuff and so do the boys. So glad it was a hit!
jillian says
opened pinterest and this was right at the top…and since i just bought a new vitamix yesterday we will take it for a spin with this recipe. i have not seen date paste before used in this way…how would i use it to sub in baking? thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
Awesome! I actually am working on a cookie recipe with it right now. Almost ready to post. I just sub it for the sugar, I used this whole date paste recipe for 36 cookies. Let me know how it works out!
Katie says
This sounds awesome, and I definitely want to try it in your cookie recipe! I was just wondering—how long does it keep for?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Katie, I usually make a big batch, put some in the fridge to use throughout the week, and put the rest in the freezer. Ours is always gone by the end of the week, but I would say that’s about the max. I generally don’t keep most stuff past a week. In the freezer it actually does well. I froze a batch last time and when I took it out and defrosted it, it held up great! Needed a bit of mixing again, but other than that it worked well. I put it in so many things: oatmeal, smoothies, baked goods…this summer when I pull out my ice cream maker again I am going to try it in ice cream! Hope you enjoy it!
Holly says
What’s the significance of the Himalayan salt? I have everything else on hand but that. Wondering if I can use regular table salt or sea salt?? Also, do you substitute for sugar with the same amount of date paste?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi there! Himalayan pink salt is unrefined and has retained its minerals. My husband’s cardiologist recommended we use it back when my husband had high blood pressure and we have used it ever since. You can substitute any salt that you have! As for the sugar substitution, I substitute the same amount. But remember that date paste is a wet sweetener and sugar is dry so you may have to adjust the amount of other ingredients depending on the recipe. It’s best to trial and error and see what you come up with. Let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks for visiting!
Emily Kemp says
I so need to try this I love dates and I’m all up for healthy sugars!
David says
The link you provide for Global Gourmet doesn’t work.
Could you provide an accurate link.
Thanks
veggiesdontbite says
Hi David! This is an old post and often links out to other sites that were active at the time, get deleted/changed/altered. Not much I can do about it, and since I don’t have the manpower to constantly check every outbound link, it just is what it is. I linked another site after doing a quick search about date varieties but if you find a better one let me know! Thank so much!
P J says
I love, love, love dates!!! One of the weird kids who actually liked dates… just learning how good they are for you. I will definitely try the date paste!!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi PJ! So happy you love it! It’s such a good way to get in sweetness without refined sugar.
Susan Parker says
Sophia. I’m making an apple pie and I’m wanting cinnamon in the filling. How much cinnamon would I add to the date paste to get that perfect taste
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Susan! Sounds delicious! I haven’t tried adding cinnamon to this date paste but based on the other sauces I have with cinnamon, I’d say maybe 1 1/2 teaspoons? But I LOVE cinnamon flavor so you may want to start with 1 teaspoon and see? Let me know how it goes!
Mare says
Do the dates need to soak overnight in the fridge? Or countertop?
veggiesdontbite says
Nope, on the counter is just fine!
Olwyn says
So happy to see this information in my inbox! Have been wanting to know about date paste and how to use it for some time. Thank you Sophia! Happy New Year!
The vegan 8 says
Best recipe for date paste I’ve seen! Looks creamy and I love that you added milk! I’m going to link this to my sweet potato pudding recipe for people to swap out the syrup if wanting too. Since it’s not baked it would be an easy swap. Thanks so much girl for linking to my homemade coconut Brown sugar recipe!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Brandi! Yes, I like it with milk for certain things because it does make it creamier. Love your brown sugar!