This whipped date paste is SO EASY to make and is a versatile staple in my kitchen. As a spread I use it on cheese boards, on morning toast with cinnamon and peanut butter, or layered between pancakes. As a natural and low GI sweetener, it can be used in smoothies, baked goods, curries.. the uses are endless. You can simply replace your usual sweetener with date paste at a 1:1 ratio.
Why use date paste over processed sugar or other natural sweeteners? Dates have a gooey molasses flavor remarkably similar in taste to brown sugar, but their list of health benefits is impressively long!
- They are high in fiber
- Contain a small amount of protein
- Low on the glycemic index (won’t spike your blood sugar)
- Loaded with vitamins and minerals including Potassium, Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Iron, and Vitamin B6
- A good source of antioxidant Flavonoids, Carotenoids, and Phenolic Acid
They are still a sugary carb, so I’m not recommending eating a jar of date paste a day haha. But in a side by side comparison with plain old sugar.. I’ll take the extra health benefits of dates! I also buy my dates at the farmer’s market or in bulk at my grocery store, so I’m avoiding plastic packaging too 🙂
Serving suggestion: Spread some date paste on a cracker topped with herbed goat cheese, and fresh peach. Yum.
Whipped Date Paste
INGREDIENTS
- 8-10 whole dates, rinsed. The Medjool variety works best, but any kind will do.
- Water
Tools
- Food Processor or blender
- Large glass jar or lidded bowl
Instructions
- If your dates contain pits, you need to slice them open and pull out the hard pit. If you use Medjool dates, they’re really soft fleshed so you can just pull them apart with your fingers and remove the pit. If you bought pitted dates… good for you smarty pants!
- Place the pitted dates in a glass container and fill with water until all the dates are covered.
- Cover the jar and place in the fridge or on the counter top to soak. SOAK TIME: You can play with this, but I usually just prep my dates before bed and let them soak on the counter overnight. If using really soft dates like Medjools, a long soak will yield a very creamy smooth paste. If you want a more thick chewy texture to your paste, just soak for an hour. If you use firmer drier varieties or dates, they will need more time to soften up.
- After soaking, drain the water from the jar, and place the dates in a food processor. Whip em until you get the desired texture you want. It will typically take 30 seconds to get a smooth uniform whip.
- Transfer the date paste to an airtight glass container. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 months. Date paste lasts a VERY long time in the fridge, so it will probably last much longer than the recommended 3 months… but I wouldn’t know, mine always disappears quickly 😉
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