I still can't believe that this product isn't sold in every single Supermarket. Homemade date paste, a natural healthy sweetener, is the latest craze in my home kitchen. Get ready for baking magic when you use this homemade date puree in a recipe.

What Is Date Paste?

Ever heard of date paste? If you want a natural sweetener, I urge you to try this date paste.

Date paste is a brilliant Vegan alternative to most sweeteners in baking recipes. It can be used as a sugar substitute in loaves, muffins, bars and biscuits.

I'm looking at remaking my Banana Bread Recipe this week using Date Paste to replace the Maple Syrup. I'll add the link as soon as this is done.

I've recreated my Chocolate Chia Pudding using date paste instead of honey and I must admit, the result was actually surprising.

The Pureed date resulted in a smoother, velvety pudding texture that tasted more like a decadent pudding than a 'healthy food'. Even my fussy kid loved it - which is a very big deal.

These Ginger Ninjas are always a big hit and the pureed date makes for a smoother textured biscuit which appeals to kids who don't like the 'lumpy bits' in food :)

Date Puree For Baking

Using date paste for baking allows you to add a sweetness that's full of flavor (and also fibre, vitamins and minerals).

Medjool are the one's that are the cream of the crop for me. They're bigger than usual dates, they're more caramel flavored and are sweeter. But they're also more expensive so I don't buy them often.

All dates tend to have really beneficial nutrition, but Medjool dates have a slightly higher fiber content and also contain Calcium.

If you see these on offer I snap them up, otherwise I usually buy the regular pitted soft dates.

There are so many things you can use date paste for. I really like using it with Oatmeal to make breakfast bars, I use it to make smoothies, brownies, cookies, you can swirl it through yogurt or add it to cakes or cupcakes. Oh, and it also goes amazingly well with cinnamon.

You could also add a pinch of sea salt for a naturally sweet salted caramel sauce. Combine a touch of vanilla extract with it or add a dollop to some spice apples or mix some through granola. Hell, even use it as a dip or on a piece of toast.

Yeah...we're big fans :)

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How Long Will Date Paste Keep?

Date paste, being high in natural sugars will keep for a few weeks.

The sugars, natural as they are, preserve the recipe and so you can make a batch of this and use it for a few weeks in baking recipes. In fact, this isn't just reserved for baking and you can use this homemade date paste in your cooking recipes as well.

Should You Keep Date Paste In The Fridge?

I keep this recipe in the refrigerator.

In all honesty I'm not sure if it needs it but when in doubt, keep it in the fridge. In my mind I'm thinking along the lines of jamming and having the hot sterilised jars where you seal the jam.

I keep mine in an airtight container, usually a clean jam jar so something I can seal.

This isn't that and so I stay on the side of caution and fridge it!

Are Dates Healthy?

Dates get a lot of criticism as they are high in natural sugars, which makes anti-sugar campaigners a little jittery. Now if you follow my blog you may know that we still eat sugar in our home, but we see it as a treat food rather than something to avoid altogether.

For me, Dates fall into this category - their high sugar content means they get treated as sometimes ingredient rather than an everyday kind of food. But the reason I don't exclude them from our diet is that they contain a significant amount of nutrients, fibre and antioxidants which I feel is too good to ignore.

The health benefits associated with dates include promoting muscle development, brain health, bowel regularity, and more. 15% of the daily requirement of essential minerals such as copper, potassium, magnesium, and selenium can be obtained by eating 100 grams, or about 4 pitted dates per day.

Can Dates Be Frozen?

Dates can be frozen. Yay! If you want to freeze date paste I'd recommend freezing it in workable portions so you only need the defrost what you're going to use. To defrost the paste leave it out for 24 hours to fully thaw and then give it a really good stir to get the texture back.

You can freeze dates for several months. Check the guidance on the package though.

Date Paste Making

This is seriously one if the easiest recipes to make.

You only need two ingredients and a food processor or high speed blender:

SOAK: Start by soaking 2 cups of dried and pitted dates in 1 and a half cups of boiling water. Cover and set aside for about 20 minutes.
BLEND: Pop the soaked dates AND the water you soaked them in into your blender and puree until smooth. This should take less than a minute.
STORE: Spoon the date paste into a jar.

You will need these kitchen appliances and equipment:

A good Blender. If your blender is a little under powered, chop the dates into pieces before soaking. This means your blender won't have to work that hard to puree them to a smooth paste.
Mason Jar. This recipe fills a 16 oz jar (I use a these regular Mason Jars)
Scraping Spatula. If you've ever tried to scrape a thick mixture out of your blender then you will understand how necessary this kitchen tool is. It makes the job of getting every last bit of date paste out of the blender and into the jar a whole lot easier.

Recipes Using Dates

How to Make Homemade Date Paste

Ingredients

2 cups Dried dates Stoned
1 ½ cups Boiling water

Instructions

Add dates and boiling water to a large bowl. Cover and leave to soak for 20 minutes
Process or blend the soaked dates AND water mixture (don't drain the dates) until smooth
Pour into a jar and store in the fridge

Date Paste Recipe

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