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This homemade date paste recipe uses just 2 simple ingredients and takes 15 minutes (5 if you have a really powerful blender!). This healthy sweetener is a great substitute for sugar and syrups, and works well in drinks, desserts and baking.
Date paste is pretty special and the best natural sweetener I know.
Not only is it a quick and relatively cheap sweetener to make, but it's also a healthy alternative to sugar and packed with nutrients.
It's comparatively low in sugar compared with many other sweeteners like maple syrup and cane sugar so it won't spike your blood sugar, and it also provides a lot of fibre which you don't find in most sugars.
I love its versatility, and regularly use it in hot drinks (like my Rose Latte and Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte) or baking (try my Vegan Pecan Pie) for a rich, caramel-like natural sweetness.
Once you try this delicious sugar substitute, you'll never go back!
What is date paste used for?
Use it in any recipes you'd use regular sugar, coconut sugar or syrup in!
In addition to using it in drinks as a liquid sweetener, some of my favorite ways to use it are in cakes, cookie recipes and other sweet treats.
Be aware however that you can't just replace sugar with date paste 1:1.
- For drinks: you typically need to add more date paste as it isn't as sweet as sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar etc. Try substituting 1.5 or even 2x the amount of date paste!
- For baked goods: You'll likely need to add 1.5 or 2x the ratio of date paste in place of sugar. It's also important to note that moisture from the date paste can affect baking results. It's best therefore to use a recipe that already uses liquid sweeteners or specifically recommends date paste.
(And if you don't love dates, don't worry. Once you mix the paste with other ingredients the flavour is pretty indistinct.)
Favorite dessert recipes to use date paste in
Why is date paste good for you?
Because, in addition to being a great natural sugar substitute and better for you than refined sugars, dates have many health benefits including:
- Being high in fiber, which is incredibly important for digestion.
- Being a source of potassium, copper, magnesium, manganese and B vitamins.
- Being high in antioxidants, which protect your cells from free radicals.
Learn more about the health benefits of dates.
Ingredients
Whole dates - Any type of date will work. Personally, I choose small, cheaper dates as it seems like a waste of money to use deglet noor or medjool dates. Whichever you use, just make sure you're using pitted dates!
Water - Regular boiled water is what we use in this recipe (boiled so it's hot and will soften the dates).
How to make date paste
Add dates to a medium bowl. Cover with ¾ cup hot water and soak for 10 minutes until softened.
Transfer soaked dates AND soaking water to high-speed blender.
(NOTE: If your blender's instructions say not to blend hot liquids, wait until hot water has cooled before transferring contents.)
Blend for about one minute (turn power up to high ASAP - dates will break down faster and get less stuck in the blender jug). Stop and scrape down sides of the jug as needed.
Stop blending when you have a smooth puree. Pour into a glass jar or airtight container and refrigerate until needed.
Check out my step-by-step guide on how to make date paste.
Expert Tips
ALWAYS check dates for pits before you soak/blend them. Even if the packaging says they're pitted, occasionally you'll find a stone. Date pits are really hard and the last thing you want are fragments in your otherwise-smooth paste!
If you have a Vitamix (or similar really powerful blender), you can get away with not soaking your dates! Just skip this step and blend dates and hot water together and you'll get a smooth paste.
It's a good idea to turn your blender up to high power ASAP. It helps break the dates down faster and means they get stuck in the bottom of the blender less.
How to store homemade date paste
If you're wondering how long you can keep date paste, it will store for up to 3 months in the fridge in an airtight container.
FAQs
Dates are relatively high in calories, yes, but they also contain many vitamins and nutrients, making them overall a healthy food.
Date syrup is typically a little thinner than date paste and has a texture similar to that of molasses.
In my experience, a food processor doesn't get the date paste as smooth as a high speed blender. You can try using one, but you might need to be patient and keep scraping the sides down.
Date paste is a healthy sugar replacement that contains more nutrients than regular sugar. It's low on the glycemic index, high in fibre, and contains nutrients you won't find in most other sweeteners.
Drinks to use date paste in
How to Make Date Paste (Healthy Sugar Substitute)
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tightly packed cup dates, pitted (about 5oz or 150g)
- ¾ cup hot, recently boiled water
Instructions
- Add dates to a bowl. Cover with hot water and soak for 10 minutes.
- Place dates AND soaking water in high speed blender. (NOTE: If your blender's instructions say not to blend hot liquids, wait until hot water has cooled before transferring contents.)
- Blend for about one minute (turn power to high as soon as possible - dates will break down faster and get less stuck in blender). Scrape down sides of jug as needed.
- Stop blending when you have a smooth paste. Pour into glass jar and refrigerate until needed.
Notes
- Any kind of pitted dates work. I choose small dried dates rather than medjool dates to save money.
- Store date paste in airtight container in fridge up to 3 months.
- ALWAYS check for pits before blending. Even if the packaging says dates are pitted, occasionally you'll find a stone.
- If you have a powerful blender, you can get away with not soaking your dates! Just skip this step and blend dates and hot water together.
Nutritional information per serving
If you’ve tried this easy date paste recipe, please leave a comment or tip for others below!
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sheenam @ thetwincookingproject
Never knew it was that simple! Looks amazing.
Elizabeth
I didn't either until recently! Was convinced it involved complicated cooking and various ingredients. 🙂
JumpinJack
Great recipe. Just be aware that if increasing the quantity of dates , the hot water increases under the ingredient list BUT NOT on the directions as written. Use ALL the hot water per ingredients, not just the 3/4 Cup that is used for a single serving; ie: 4.5 times = 3 C dates & 2.25 C hot water.
Elizabeth
Thank you - that was immensely helpful feedback. I've updated the recipe instructions accordingly so that it no longer reflects a specified amount in the actual instructions. Thank you for pointing this out! And glad you loved the recipe. 🙂
Monica Carten
I accidentally bought date paste instead of syrup. How can I make syrup from date paste?
Elizabeth
I don't know if you can. I'd be inclined to just use the paste as it is, but you could try gently simmering it to see if it turns more syrup-like. You will likely still be left with fibre though!
Jim Petrarca
If you're using a Nutribullet blender, the safety instructions are very clear. DO NOT blend hot ingredients! So your instructions should be modified. Soak dates in hot water, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before blending.
The alternative is to use room temperature water to start with and blend immediately.
Otherwise, I like the simplicity of your recipe, and appreciate the shelf-life notes (store for up to two months). Now I know I can make a decent size batch and store most of it.
Elizabeth
Thanks for the feedback! All blenders have different instructions (mine for example is fine to blend hot liquid in) so I would always say refer to manufacturer's instructions. I'll amend this in the recipe. (I wouldn't recommend blending dates with room temp water as they may not soften enough.) Really glad you liked the recipe otherwise!