Date Paste

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Dates are a natural whole food sweetener. You can use dates to replace sugar in baked goods, smoothies, coffee, energy balls, marinades, sauces, and more!

I was first introduced to dates when I did the Whole30 diet. On the Whole30 diet, you aren’t allowed to have sugar. Not having sugar was by far the hardest part of the Whole 30 diet for me. I love sweets so I had to get creative on ways to satisfy my sweet tooth and sweeten my morning coffee. That’s when I discovered dates as a sugar substitute. I don’t do the diet anymore, but I still like to swap out dates for sugar in my cooking and baked goods often to cut down on my refined sugar consumption.

Dates make a great substitute for sugars, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, and coconut syrup.

Health Benefits

These sweet little things contain antioxidants, fiber, vitamin B, magnesium, potassium, iron, and other nutrients. Some of the most common dates found in the grocery store are Deglet Noor dates and Medjool dates. They can be found near the produce aisle. Medjool dates are generally larger and sweeter than Deglet Noor. Medjool has about 66 calories per date while the smaller Deglet Noor has around 20 calories per date. If you’re using the date paste to replace sugar, I would recommend Medjool dates since they are sweeter. However, either one will work.

Why Date Paste?

Generally, when cooking and baking with dates, they need to be broken down into a more fine constancy. Having date paste on hand makes it super easy to use in your cooking and baked goods. You won’t have to get out your food processor or blender every time you want to swap dates for sugar. Also, the dates are super sticky. They can be hard to blend by themselves. I like to blend mine with a little water, applesauce or banana.

Ingredients in Date Paste

Only two ingredients:

• Pitted Medjool dates- Pitted dates are easier, but if you have dates with pits just make sure you take pits out by cutting through the date and removing the pit.
• Boiling water- bring one cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan.

How to Make Date Paste

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This quick and easy date paste only requires two ingredients and a blender.

1. Start by soaking the pitted dates in 1 cup of boiling water. This helps soften the dates so they blend into a smoother consistency. Make sure you give the dates a stir in the water. Let soak for about 5 minutes.
2. Pour dates and water into a blender.
3. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender. Blend until smooth.
4. Transfer to an airtight container such as a mason jar. Refrigerate.

How to Store Date Paste

Store date paste in an airtight container such as a mason jar. It will last at least 3 months in the refrigerator.

To freeze, place the paste in silicone ice cube trays or a freezer Ziploc bag. It will last 6 months to a year in the freezer.

Tips

• It is easiest to get pitted dates, but if you have dates with pits make sure you remove the pits before blending.

• If you have older dates that become more dried out, you may need to increase the soaking time.

Products Used

Other Recipes to Try Using Date Paste

• Healthy Pumpkin Bars
• Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Cookies
• Pear Oat Bars