• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Veganuary
  • FREE ebook
  • Shop

A Virtual Vegan

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Veganuary
  • FREE ebook
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Cookbook
    • Veganuary
    • FREE ebook
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Published: Feb 16, 2018 · Modified: Jul 15, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 33 Comments

    Date Caramel

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN WATCH VIDEO
    5 from 23 votes
    Date Caramel

    Thick, gooey and deliciously sweet Date Caramel. No cooking and ready in minutes! This easy raw caramel is healthy, refined sugar-free & you can customize the thickness to make it as thick or thin and sauce-like as you want! 

    a jar of date caramel with a spoon

    Date Caramel? Really? Who would have thought you could make caramel from dates? Well, you can with just four ingredients, and it is rich, thick and incredibly delicious.

    In fact it is so good that you might well find yourself standing in front of your blender with a spoon for an extended period of time. This caramel is not messing around!

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Date Caramel?
    • Storing Date Caramel
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQS
    • Recipe Video
    • Recipe
    • Comments & Reviews

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you need to make your own delicious, naturally dairy-free and gluten-free vegan date caramel sauce:

    date caramel ingredients

    You could technically make this raw date caramel with just one ingredient (that would be Medjool dates) and a drop of water, but I really like to add a little extra richness in the form of some nut (or seed) butter, coconut milk (or other creamy plant milk such as oat, cashew or almond milk), vanilla and sea salt. These additions not only make the caramel richer, they also make it taste incredible!

    Peanut butter is delicious in this, but if you prefer a less obviously "nutty" flavour, use almond butter or cashew butter. Sunflower seed butter or tahini are great alternatives if you need to keep the recipe nut-free.

    Success tip - Don't skip the pinch of salt. It enhances the caramel flavor and sweetness!

    How To Make Date Caramel?

    Making vegan Date Caramel is incredibly easy. Here's how:

    1. Add dates plus the nut/seed butter, vanilla and salt to a food processor or high powered blender.
    2. Blend whilst adding coconut milk gradually until you get the texture you want. The consistency is customizable. Adjust it to suit whatever you plan to do with it by adding more or less coconut milk.
    a jar of date caramel with no lid

    Success tip - If your dates are dry and hard or you have a less powerful blender or food processor that you think might struggle a bit, you can soak the dates in warm water for ten minutes prior to blending everything. That will make it easier and give you much smooth results.

    Storing Date Caramel

    Date Caramel will keep in the refrigerator for up to 14 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freezing in an ice cube tray makes it quick and easy to defrost a small portion.

    Serving Suggestions

    Use date caramel sauce just as you would regular caramel sauce. It's great for drizzling on just about anything. Some ideas include:

    • Healthy Caramel Cookie Cups
    • Caramel Chia Seed Puddings
    • Vegan Caramel Eggs
    • On pancakes or waffles
    • Drizzled over oatmeal or on toast
    • With ice-cream
    • Used as a dip for fresh fruit like apple slices, banana or strawberries, or even some salty pretzels.
    • In brownies or cakes
    • Swirled through Dessert Chocolate Hummus - Remember Rolos? That's what this combo tastes like!
    a jar of date caramel

    Recipe FAQS

    Does date caramel taste like caramel?

    Medjool dates are really sweet and sticky with a deep caramel taste. When blended up in this recipe with the added richness of coconut milk, nut butter and salt, the resulting sauce is intensely sweet, nutty and caramel-like. If you didn't know it was made from dates I don't think you would guess. It's just really, really delicious and I highly recommend you try it!

    Can I use another type of date?

    Medjool dates are best because they are the softest, stickiest and most caramel-like. They also blend easily. Other varieties are harder to get completely smooth and won't make such a sweet , gooey caramel. If you have to use a different variety, I recommend soaking in hot water for 10 minutes to soften them before proceeding with the recipe.

    If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!

    Recipe Video

    Recipe

    a jar of date caramel with a drizzle falling off a spoon

    Date Caramel

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 23 votes
    Thick, gooey and deliciously sweet Date Caramel. No cooking and ready in minutes! This easy raw caramel is healthy, refined sugar-free & you can customize the thickness to make it as thick or thin and sauce-like as you want!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 10 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings (makes about 1 cup total)

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 packed cup (175 grams) Medjool dates , measured after pitting (about 10 to 11 dates)
    • 2 tablespoons nut or seed butter , or tahini
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • Approximately 8 tablespoons creamy plant milk , I like to use canned coconut milk

    RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

    • Blendtec Blender
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add the dates, nut/seed butter, vanilla and salt to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend until completely smooth, while gradually adding the plant milk to get the caramel to the thickness you want. The more milk you add the thinner the caramel will become. 
    • Scrape the caramel from the bowl and into a jar with a spatula.

    NOTES

    Success tip - If your dates are dry and hard or you have a less powerful blender or food processor that you think might struggle a bit, you can soak the dates in warm water for ten minutes prior to blending everything. That will make it easier and give you much smooth results.
    Storage - Date Caramel will keep in the refrigerator for up to 14 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freezing in an ice cube tray makes it quick and easy to defrost a small portion.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 167mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 3gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 65IUCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

    This recipe was originally published on February 16th, 2018. The post has since been rewritten and republished. The recipe remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!

    Hungry For More?

    • Raspberry Oat Bars
    • Incredible Vegan Hot Chocolate
    • Vegan Ginger Cookies
    • Stovetop Candied Pecans
    4.0K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Josephine says

      June 20, 2022 at 11:46 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, turned out amazing. Could live off the date caramel sauce.....definitely will make again.

      Reply
    2. Arlene says

      January 30, 2022 at 1:44 pm

      Why is salt important? I am on a low sodium diet.

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        January 31, 2022 at 10:18 am

        Salt enhances flavour and sweetness.

        Reply
    3. Patty says

      May 26, 2021 at 6:11 pm

      5 stars
      The best date caramel!! Delicious!!

      Reply
      • Margarita says

        August 21, 2022 at 11:46 am

        5 stars
        Mmmm the best caramel!!!
        Thanks Melani😍😍😍

        Reply
    4. Eric says

      December 09, 2020 at 7:46 pm

      5 stars
      Looove this recipe for all kinds of uses !! Healthier cups #1 of course but a close #2 is to dip apples in but I put it on ice cream, in cookies and a bunch of other stuff

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        December 09, 2020 at 7:58 pm

        I'm really pleased you're enjoying it Eric, and thanks so much for leaving a review. It's much appreciated!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), best-selling cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan food from scratch.

    More about me →

    Trending now!

    • Perfect Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
    • Lentil Shepherd's Pie
    • Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
    • Vegan Potato Soup
    • Vegan Butter
    • Vegan Banana Pancakes

    ❊ GET MY COOKBOOK ❊

    Vegan Comfort Cooking Melanie McDonald

    Amazon / Book Depository / Books-A-Million / Barnes & Noble / Indigo

    "Meaty' Vegan Recipes

    • Vegan Ham
    • Vegan Chicken Breasts
    • Vegan Sausage Recipe
    • Vegan Beef
    • Vegan Roast
    • Gluten-Free Seitan Roast

    See more →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top


    About Me
    My Cookbook
    Privacy

    Subscribe
    Contact me
    Work With Me

    Accessibility
    Nutrition
    Media

    Copyright © 2023 A Virtual Vegan- All Rights Reserved.