Date Caramel is a delicious dip made without dairy or refined sugar. It can be whipped up in just minutes for a healthy snack all week long.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Medjool dates have a natural caramel flavor which makes them the perfect base for this vegan caramel sauce. They are nature’s candy!
When shopping for dates, look for ones that are plump and juicy for the best results. The squishier the date is, the easier it will blend.
Other varieties of dates, like deglet noor, can also be used, but they are smaller in size so be sure to go by the weight called for in this recipe, rather than the number of dates needed.
Using dairy-free milk, like almond milk or oat milk, will keep this recipe vegan-friendly. In fact, you could even use the date soaking water for blending, and add a spoonful of peanut butter for creaminess. (Almond butter or cashew butter could also be used if you prefer.)
How to Make Date Caramel
1. Soak the dates.
Because dates can be very difficult to blend, remove their pits and place them in a large bowl. Cover them with boiled water and soak for 10 minutes.
This will make your life easier for the next step, even if you already own a high-speed blender.
2. Blend.
Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the dates, then add them to a high-speed blender. Add in the milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt then secure the lid.
Blend until the dates are totally broken down, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula, if needed, until the dip looks smooth. For a smoother consistency, you can add an extra tablespoon of water and blend again.
If you’d like to adjust the flavor of your date caramel, add a tablespoon of maple syrup for extra sweetness, a pinch of salt to boost the flavor, or a tablespoon of peanut butter or any other nut butter for a richer flavor. It’s easy to taste and adjust as you go!
For nut-free creaminess, try adding a tablespoon of sunflower seed butter and a pinch of ground cinnamon.
3. Enjoy!
Serve this vegan date caramel sauce right away with sliced apples or salty pretzels. You can also use it as a filling in your favorite desserts, like Vegan Snickers, or as a layer in a gluten-free Chocolate Cake.
Drizzling it over sliced apples, like a plate of apple nachos, is also an easy after-school snack!
When chilled, the date caramel will thicken slightly. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
I tested this recipe with canned coconut milk and found that the full-fat version separated when making this recipe. (There were little white flecks throughout the dip.) I think refrigerated coconut milk would not have this issue, but it’s something to keep in mind. Using full-fat coconut milk would probably make the caramel thicker when chilled if that is your goal, but it will also have a hint of coconut flavor.
In my experience, food processors won’t give you quite the same smooth texture as a high-speed blender, but it will still make a delicious dip! In that case, start with less liquid so it won’t splash out of your machine, and add more as you go.
Looking for more date recipes? Try my Date Brownies, Healthy Birthday Cake (which is 100% date-sweetened!), Chocolate Date Smoothie, or Date-Sweetened Hot Chocolate for more ideas.
Date Caramel
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool dates (approx. 10 to 12 dates)
- ¾ cup milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Remove the pits from the dates, then place them in a heat-safe bowl. Cover them with boiling water and let them soak for 10 minutes. This will help them soften for blending. (Even if you're using a powerful blender; it helps!)
- Drain away the soaking water, then add the dates to a high-speed blender along with the milk, vanilla, and salt. Secure the lid and blend until the dates are totally broken down, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the machine, as needed.
- Taste the date caramel and adjust any flavoring, as needed. For a sweeter caramel, add a tablespoon of maple syrup, and for a richer flavor (that hides the date flavor) add a tablespoon of peanut butter and blend again. You can taste and adjust as you go.
- This caramel dip can be served right away with sliced apples or crunchy pretzels. Or transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken slightly when chilled.
Notes
- 3/4 cup dates
- 1 to 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (to help thicken when chilled)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water plus more as needed to blend
- 1 cup cashews (optional for creaminess; you’ll need more water in this case)
Nutrition
If you try this date caramel recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
dates are the best!!! love raw caramel!
I’ve never tried raw caramel. This looks way better then the super sugar stuff though!
This looks amazing! Definitely making with my gluten/dairy/sugar intolerant little sister this weekend to make her feel better about all of her friends getting Halloween treats and her getting stuck with suckers. Toughest life for a nine-year-old I’ve ever heard of.
I love your site, lady.
I feel like I would eat this entire thing in one serving it looks so delicious 🙂 Is it hard to scrape it all out of the vitamix around the blade, like is it sticky?
Nah, it’s not any harder than scraping out something like homemade cashew butter… I actually used my finger to (carefully) scrape out the very last drops! 😉
This looks incredible! I can’t wait to make it.
This looks delicious! I love salted caramel everything. Glad I found you on Pinterest 🙂
I love BOTH of you!!!
oh my goodness! i just made this; it was amazing. I didn’t have any almond milk on hand at all so I just used water and it was excellent. I’m sure the milk would improve upon the flavor, but as it stands it’s still out of this world good. So excited to have this in the fridge for the next few days. 😀
That sure looks sinful, in a good way of course!
now I know what I will be using the dates I got in my pantry for.
I made the raw almond butter yesterday… oh, my!! those were the longest 20 min of my life… I finally added a bit of the peanut oil that had separated from my raw peanut butter to get to the almond butter state. I think I will roast the almonds next time!!
I just made this. You are an answer to my prayers! I have been asking God for recipes and a way that I can give my kids better food that they will eat and enjoy!!
they are now drinking green smoothies everyday for over 3 weeks now. And I made this and it was a success!!
Loved it! now I am passing the recipe to my mom who has a sweet tooth!
thank you thank you 🙂
PS I added the raw almond butter that I had just made a couple of days ago to this. Yumm-O
I made this tonight and it was great! I added a little cinnamon…yum!
I love caramel apples! I’ve been craving them so bad this fall and I’ve been looking everywhere for healthier version that tastes good! I can’t wait to try this!
I tried it and it’s amazing! My husband said he liked it better than regular caramel apples! thank you for the awesome recipe!
This is brilliant! I was thinking about how I could have a candied apple this fall, because I love apples so much. This is perfect. Thank you!
I made this last night. Soooooo good. Especially with Granny Smiths.
Love this! I’ve made the sucanat version of caramel dip before but this sounds even better. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us. 🙂
OMG! Just made this “healthy caramel” with my daughter. It is SO good! 🙂
just made it with soaked cashews. extra delicious!
This is just awesome… one of my new favourites!! I am eating it right now. Fantastical.
Behold, the power of the date!
I just tried making this and was bummed as itoesn’t look as much like caramel like it does in your picture. I used a food processor and cashews. I soaked the cashews and dates for a couple hours too. Could I be doing something wrong? It tastes great though, I feel like it was better right away than after chilling.
I agree with you, Abbra. I made this tonight, and while it tastes okay, it doesn’t look or taste like caramel at all. I followed the instructions precisely. I’ll eat it, but I won’t make it again.
Love it!! It tastes just like caramel!!! Looking forward to trying other recipes on ur website! Thank you!! 😉
It does not taste like dates. It tastes like caramel (which really shocked me) but LOVE it!! I’m thinking about adding this to the cheesecake recipe she has (which is delicious, too)..
Thank you so much! I’m very excited to make this now!
Wow!! I just whipped this up in my food processor. I used raw almonds (unsoaked) I just ran them for awhile till rhey were very sooth then added the rest and tried it in an organic Honeycrisp apple~ Incredibly delicious!! I thank you & my immune system thanks you!! (My mouth is pretty grateful, too! <3
I just made this with the cashews and it is so yummy!
This is sooooooooooo good!!!! my spoon won’t stop feeding me !!! 😀
Thank you SO much for this super delicious recipe!
Sif (Denmark)
I am officially obsessed with dates and this recipe! Sooo good! It may not taste exactly like the regular sugar filled caramel, but it still tastes amazing! I’ve been eating this with apples almost every day now. Something I’ve also learned from my last batch is that if you add extra lemon juice, it tastes just like the inside of a lemon bar! So good!
I made this today and it’s amazing. I used Silk Vanilla Coconut milk. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.
Oh, wow! I made this last night using unsoaked dates and a small handful of soaked almonds in my Vitamix. I used coconut milk instead of almond milk. It is so good! Everyone in my house loves it. It really has the texture of buttery caramel. I will be writing this one down on a card to use regularly. Thank you!
This was easy and amazing!! It was a hit at the party I took it to! Thank you!!
Just made this, and oh my!! Sooo tasty, I almost ate it all!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I love the versatility of dates! This would go great as a drizzle over my inside out baked caramel apple a la mode that I just made. YUMMY!
love love love. this is phenomanal
has anyone tried this in coffee? Like to make caramel iced coffee?
This recipe looks great! I came up with a date caramel recipe myself, in which I mushed dried dates and then melted them like they were plain sugar. Then I added milk and butter like for reg. caramel (it tasted divine but was sooo unhealthy). I wanted to see if there was an alternative to the butter, which is how I ended up here. happy I found this and hope it comes out good!
This was so delicious! Made it for a work party and it was an instant hit! Everyone wanted to know the recipe! Thanks!
I tried this and it’s great! I think it would make a great topping for a German chocolate cake if you stir some nuts into it. I’ll have to try that the next time I make a chocolate cake.
I totally agree, and was thinking the same thing! I will have to try soon! ?
I love this recipe! I make it all the time and it’s a huge family hit!
Will this harden if you roll it into a rectangle, to then cut into caramel squares? Does it have to be refrigerated or can it be room stable?
This caramel was out of this world amazing! I used Deglet Noor dates rather than Medjool, and I did not add any nuts. And I love it. My husband loves it. Our son wouldn’t love it, but I’m hiding it for now! ? I cannot wait to try with apples or with banana ice cream, but by the spoonful = awesome! Thank you so much for this absolute winner of a recipe!
*our son WOULD love it… Oops!
(And he DID once I shared it!)
I hacked this a bit with whatever dates I had in the pantry and organic soy milk. I didn’t even use my blender, just used my handheld immersion model. Worked great and It was divine tasting. This with apple slices killed my sweet craving and didn’t leave me with “sugar guilt”. This would be awesome on toast with almond butter. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
We LOVE this recipe, really good. My husband is allergic to most nuts so I substituted coconut milk for the nut milk. He LOVED it !!! Thank you once again, you really have saved my bacon for cooking with both of your cook books and this blog !!! Thanks !!!
Really good! My blender didn’t do very well with the small amount, so next time I’ll use an immersion blender. I also used Deglet Noor dates, plain water for blending, and about 3/4 cup of unsoaked pecans for the nuts.
This is INSANE! Tasted so good! I used normal dates and did not add additional nuts – amazing!
I used organic canned coconut milk for a nut-free version. Had to use quite a bit to get it to blend smooth, but it’s delicious with apple slices.
So good! I added the optional cashews. With half of the recipe, I added a bunch of cinnamon and tastes like the cinnamon spread you can buy, but this is way healthier.
Could I just use date syrup and omit the water? (or most of the water?)
Yes, if you’re using date syrup instead of dates, you probably don’t even need the blender. I’d just stir in peanut butter and maple syrup, to your taste.
Awesome, thanks!!
Thank you for this great update. I omitted the water, blended in my Vitamix and used a spatula to cover whole apples for caramel apples. I stuck popsicle sticks in them, dipped them in crushed peanuts and set them in the fridge overnight. They were a huge hit with even the die hard caramel apple lovers loved them. They made our Halloween party for our homeschool pod feel extra festive.
Thanks Megan! This looks delicious and I’m so happy to see it’s made with dates! Thanks for creating these healthy recipes for us to enjoy! xx❤️
This is fabulous, sweet, creamy and a great substitute for what I used to make with cream cheese and brown sugar.