Healthy Date Paste Recipe

Name: Healthy Date Paste Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 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)

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This date paste recipe uses very few simple ingredients and is the perfect healthy sweetener. It can be used in so many ways and is so easy!

Date paste spilling out of the top of a glass jar with a spoon in it

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 much.

After some waffling on my part, I decided that sugar is not the atomic bomb it’s positioned to be. While it shouldn’t be your main source of nutrition, it’s still ok to eat.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

If you’re going to be adding the date paste to a recipe, all you need are dates and water.

However, if you’re enjoying it raw, like as a spread, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dates, water, milk, salt and vanilla on a wooden table

How to Make 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 do it:

Pit your dates if they’re not already seedless.
Dump everything into a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth.

If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can use a fork in a pinch.

Soak the pitted dates in hot water overnight.
Then 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.

Tips and tricks

Here are some helpful suggestions when making your own homemade date paste:

Medjool dates as they are soft, sweet, and easy to find. 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 ensure the dates are pitted.
If you are not using a high speed blender (and using a food processor or regular blender) then you may want to soak your dates in hot water for about 30 minutes to soften them before you make it.
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.
Store date paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one month. You can technically store it longer but it will begin to dry out.
You can also freeze date paste in a freezer safe airtight container.

Recipes with dates

A better option, is to just make a recipe that already uses date paste. I have some recipes already that use date paste (or have a date paste option) or just dates. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Natural Sweeteners

Ultimately, there are only two natural sweeteners: lactose (milk) and fructose (fruits, like these dates!). So when we talk about natural sugars, date paste can be called a natural sweetener without the truth being stretched. Everything else is an added sugar.

But added sugars don’t have to be evil. When looking at which ones are “better” than others, using the glycemic index (GI) value is the best bet. The lower the value, the less your blood sugar spikes, which is the goal.

Everyone has an opinion (we are online aren’t we?) but here is my personal list of fave sugars starting with the ones I use most:

Date paste– this recipe, duh. Dates are a fruit and legit pure nature. It has a GI index of 38-46 depending on the variety)
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. It’s GI index is 54.
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. GI index is 58.
Coconut sugar– this browner sugar has some of it’s nutrients still in it. While sugars are not a nutrient dense food, you will get trace amounts here. 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. The GI index is 54.
Cane sugar– This is basically sugar with very trace amounts 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. The GI index of this one is 65.

Common Questions

What do you use date paste for?

Use as a spread, or as a sweetener. Mix into coffee, yogurt, or any recipe as a sugar substitute.

Is Date Paste healthier than sugar?

Yes, although it does still contain sugar. The amount of sugar is less, and there are more nutrients and fiber, making it a healthier option.

Are dates healthier than honey?

While both are natural sweeteners, dates have less calories and sugar than honey, plus more nutrients.

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.

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.

More Vegan Alternatives

Having healthier substitutes is great, especially when they’re plant based! Not to mention, when you make homemade recipes, you know exactly what you’re eating!