Date Caramel
Have you guys heard of date caramel? It's a healthy caramel of sorts. It's caramel made from dates and coconut nectar instead of processed sugar. And it's bomb. Dare I say, I like this vegan date caramel better than the original. Because this recipe is considered low-glycemic, I was worried it wouldn't be sweet enough. But boy was I wrong! This date caramel recipe is sweet, rich, and creamy ... everything you could ever ask for in a caramel sauce!
For the date caramel ingredients, we are talking all whole and natural ingredients. The base is dates of course. And then you add in some coconut milk, coconut nectar, salt, vanilla, water, and voila you have a delicious but healthy caramel substitute. You can put a spoonful in coffee to make a date caramel latte or on top of nice cream ... the possibilities of these little jars of heaven are endless. I like the coconut nectar, but you could substitute maple or agave syrup. This recipe is dairy-free, refined sugar free, processed sugar free, low-glycemic, vegan, etc.
This vegan date caramel turned out really well. I was worried it would be grainy, but it's not at all. It's smooth and delicious. I do have a great KitchenAid blender. I used my Pro Line® Series Blender, so I definitely recommend using a great blender and/or blending it on high speed until the caramel is smooth. You can use this vegan date caramel to make all kinds of other vegan desserts, drinks, etc.
The consistency of this healthy caramel is very similar to traditional caramel. Do you see the layers that are created when you pour it into the jars? If your caramel turns out too runny, add dates or coconut nectar, and if it's too thick add more coconut milk or water. If salted caramel is your thing, you can always add more salt. Salted caramel is definitely my thing. Have you ever tried the salted caramel hot chocolate at Starbucks during the holiday season? It is so good.
Date Caramel Recipe
See below for the date caramel recipe. It will take you all of five minutes to make. There is no heating involved. It's a matter of throwing all of the ingredients into the blender and blending. You might have seen on Instastories that my new go-to healthy dessert is greek yogurt with date caramel. It's so flippin' good, and you can feel good about eating whole nutritious ingredients. It's the best thing to satisfy your sweet tooth late at night when you don't want to slap on a bunch of calories right before you go to sleep. And in case you're interested, here is my date caramel latte recipe.
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- 1 package (16 ounces) dates
- 1 can (16 ounces) full fat coconut milk
- 1 bottle (11 ounces) coconut nectar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
