This quick date caramel recipe is quite possibly the easiest caramel sauce you'll ever make. It comes together with pantry staple ingredients in a few easy steps.
It's a healthier snack or caramel dipping sauce made using slightly more wholesome ingredients than regular vegan caramel sauce. You can also use it as a sweetener for porridge, smoothies, and shakes.
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🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make 4 ingredient date caramel:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Medjool Dates: Make sure your dates are fresh, plump, and juicy for the best results. While you can use dried dates, they won't taste as good and will make a tougher job for your blender! You can find Medjool dates in the produce section of supermarkets or Arabic specialty stores.
- Plant-Based Milk: Any dairy-free milk is good, just make sure it's unsweetened. Use soy milk, coconut milk, or oat milk if you want to keep the recipe nut-free. Otherwise, almond milk or cashew milk are also good.
- Vanilla Extract: This enhances the flavor and natural sweetness of the dates. You can skip it if you want to simplify the recipe even further, but I do recommend using a dash!
- Sea Salt: Add more or less salt depending on whether you want a regular or salted date caramel. Don't forget we'll be adding additional sea salt flakes for garnish as well!
Tip: If you have leftover dates, might also enjoy this vegan sticky toffee pudding, date brownies, or date and walnut cake!
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🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make date caramel sauce. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for the full recipe measurements and written instructions:
Start by soaking the whole dates to get them nice and soft. This step makes it easier for your blender to create a smooth date paste. Place the dates in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 30 minutes, then drain off the water. Remove the pits from the dates by slicing down the middle with a small knife and taking out the seed.
Add the softened dates, non-dairy milk, sea salt, and vanilla extract to a high speed blender and blitz until smooth caramel-like consistency. You can also use a food processor if you don't have a blender.
Make sure you scrape down the sides of the blender jug every so often to blend the ingredients evenly. This entire process will take up to 10 minutes, depending on how powerful your blender is!
Lastly, transfer the caramel mixture into a serving bowl and sprinkle with some more flaky sea salt before digging in!
💭 Recipe Tips
Use good quality dates. The type of date you use is important as different varieties of dates taste totally different. I recommend medjool, sukkary, or fresh barhi dates. I don't find deglet noor dates the best for caramel as they tend to be less sweet. Make sure you use plump and juicy dates, rather than dried dates for the best caramel flavor and texture. Find out more on how to select the best quality dates in my stuffed dates recipe.
Pit your dates. Only ever blend pitted dates, as leaving the pits on can do damage to your high-speed blender.
Store dates in the fridge, not at room temperature. Although dates are usually sold from the ambient section of the supermarket, they hold their freshness much better in the fridge. Store them chilled in an airtight container for maximum freshness.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Caramel Dip: A great healthier alternative to traditional caramel dip, serve it with apple slices or your favorite fresh fruit!
- Desserts: Add it to no-bake desserts such as caramel brownies, or as a dip for vegan cookies. It's also great with ice cream or nice cream - which consists of blended frozen bananas!
- Breakfast: As a topping for vegan pancakes, waffles, and crêpes, smothered on toast or swirled into yogurt bowls.
- Natural Sweetener: Keep it in the fridge and add to smoothies, shakes, or porridge for a hint of natural sweetness.
💬 FAQs
Medjool dates naturally have a deep caramel flavor that is perfect for homemade healthy caramel sauce. You can even use them to make naturally sweetened date caramels!
Dalia Sukkary dates are soft, fresh, and taste just like toffee. According to The Kitchn, Barhi dates taste just like butterscotch toffee! Both are also great for making caramel as long as they are fresh and not dried.
It's a good idea to soak dates before blending as this makes the process much easier on your blender. If your dates are on the drier side, you'll need to add more liquid to the recipe during the blending process.
Yes, due to its high water content, it needs to be stored in the fridge in an airtight container (a sealed glass jar is great). It will last for up to 2 weeks when stored properly.
Yes! You can freeze it for up to a couple of months in an airtight container or in an ice cube tray for individual servings. Defrost it in the fridge overnight and give it a good whisk before serving.
🍯 More Date Caramel Recipes
📖 Recipe
Easy Date Caramel
Equipment
- High-speed blender
Ingredients
- 20 medjool dates
- 200 ml (⅘ cup) non-dairy milk soy, oat, or almond milk work well
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place all of the dates in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow them to soak for 30 minutes.
- Once the water is cool enough, remove the pits and place the dates into a high-speed blender. You can also use a food processor.
- Add the non-dairy milk, sea salt, and vanilla and blend until smooth and creamy. Every minute or so, turn off the blender and scrape down the sides of the jug using a spatula. It can take up to 10 minutes to get the perfect consistency depending on the quality of your blender.
Storage and serving
- Once completely smooth, transfer the date caramel to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- You can freeze it for up to a couple of months in an airtight container or in an ice cube tray for individual servings. Defrost it in the fridge overnight and give it a good whisk before serving.
- Serve as a healthy caramel dip for apples or cookies, use it in vegan desserts, or as a refined sugar-free sweetener for porridge, smoothies, shakes, or pancakes.
Notes
- Use good quality dates. They're the main ingredient and flavor of the date caramel sauce and the taste really will shine through. Make sure you use plump and juicy dates, rather than dried dates for the best caramel flavor and texture.
- Store dates in the fridge, not at room temperature. Although dates are usually sold from the ambient section of the supermarket, they actually hold their freshness much better in the fridge.
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