Gluten-free · Nut-free

Date paste is a fantastic thing to make so that you can have something handy to sweeten your recipes with. It can be a great alternative to cane sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave. Plus, dates are packed with fiber and iron, which you get as an extra bonus with this sweetener!

All it is Medjool dates that have been blended up into a paste and in this recipe, I’ve also added some spices to give it a warming touch. But you can also leave out the spices if you want and keep it simple!

You can make it once and keep it in the fridge for months—minimal prep!

 

Substitutions:

• If you don’t have ginger, cardamom, or cinnamon, you can omit them entirely and make a basic date paste. If you just have one or two of the three, like cinnamon and ginger, just use those and omit the cardamom.

   

Great for:

Sweetening your oatmeal, homemade nut and seed milk, in baking, or even spreading on some toast or a piece of fruit for a sweet snack.

Spiced Date Paste

Yields 460g

440g (about 25) Medjool dates

1.3g ground ginger

2g ground cinnamon

1 cardamom pod or 0.3g ground cardamom

10ml vanilla extract

1. Soak dates in warm water for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Add all ingredients to the blender and blend on high until combined. You’re going to need to stop the blender and scrape the sides often to help it blend since the paste is quite thick. Be patient and scrape as many times as is necessary. You want the consistency to be spreadable, with no large chunks.

3. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 14 days.