5 Minute Healthy Date Caramel (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 0 minutesTotal: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 large jarCategories: Desserts, Recipe
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This easy but delicious Healthy Date Caramel recipe uses just three ingredients and can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.

It is really versatile and works in so many different recipes including my Caramel Brownie Bars, my Healthy Twix recipe, my No Bake Caramel Cups and my Healthy Snickers recipe. You could essentially use this in any no bake recipe that calls for caramel.

I really like this version made with peanut butter, however, you could substitute this ingredient for another type of nut butter if you wanted. This is lovely made with almond butter or cashew butter but you could experiment and even try with tahini or seed butter if you are unable to have nuts.

This recipe works best with either Medjool or Deglet Noor dates, the latter being my favourite, but in all honesty any kind of dates should work. You will need to ensure the dates have been pitted. If you have not bought them already pitted then you will need to remove the stones yourself prior to weighing them out to make this caramel.

Before adding the dates to the blender it is best to soak them. Simply place them in a jug or bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to soak for around an hour to help soften them before blending. Drain the dates and pat dry to remove any excess water prior to placing in your food processor or blender.

If you are in a rush you can just soak these for ten minutes or even completely skip this step if needed, however, soaking the dates will result in a smoother caramel as the dates will be softer and blend more easily. If you are using a blender or a food processor that doesn’t have a very powerful blade you will probably want to soak them beforehand.

I have noted that the sea salt is optional as this depends on personal preference. I really like this caramel with the salt included, however, sometimes if I am using a peanut butter that already has salt in I will skip it. I use vanilla extract in this caramel but you could use essence if thats all you have in. You could actually omit this ingredient completely if needed and just treat this as a quick and easy two ingredient date caramel.

I like this as a really thick and gooey caramel but if you would prefer a runnier consistency then keep adding and blending one tablespoon of water or plant milk at a time until you have reached your desired consistency. If you were hoping for a more traditional caramel recipe you might prefer my Healthy Two Ingredient Caramel recipe which you can find here. Alternatively for a healthier version made with dates that is thicker in consistency you could use the caramel in my Chocolate Caramels.

This recipe makes enough for one large jar which you will be able to use in a couple of different recipes. This keeps really well and I will usually just make up a batch and store it in a glass jar in the fridge to use as and when over the next week.

If you like this recipe and want to show some support please leave a comment below or visit my Ko-Fi account to donate! x

Ingredients

metric
imperial
  • 340g 1 + 1/3 cup pitted soaked dates
  • 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
  • splash vanilla extract
  • pinch sea salt (optional)

Method

  1. Soak the dates before use by placing them in a jug or bowl and covering them with boiling water for one hour
  2. Once the dates have finished soaking, drain and pat dry to remove some of the excess liquid
  3. Place the dates in a blender along with the other ingredients
  4. Blitz on a high speed until smooth and no pieces of date remain. You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times during the blending process

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