When that sweet craving hits after dinner, Date Vanilla Caramel Dip to the rescue! Three ingredients and you’ve got the perfect caramel to dip, slather, and dive into.
What To Do With Dates?
I’ve had a huge container of dates staring at me for the past six months. I bought them in bulk last time I was at the co-op and have barely made a dent. Somehow this was a source of anxiety for me, because when food sits too long in my home, I start getting antsy thinking it’ll go bad before I can get to it. You might be thinking, “Marnely, they are dried dates, they last forever!” but my mind doesn’t understand common sense at times.
Thus, this recipe came about. The simplest recipe to make with dates, other than eating them (which I wasn’t doing) is this Date Vanilla Caramel Dip recipe. It’s three ingredients: dates, vanilla, and salt, and results in a sweet treat that’s perfect for dipping crisp apples in or using it as caramel for your coffees.
How to Make Vanilla Date Caramel Dip
- Soak the dates in hot water. Most dried dates aren’t super soft, and you need them to be sort to blend well. I just heated some water in my tea kettle and poured it over the pitted dates, letting them sit for an hour or so. You could also soak them in any of the following warmed liquids: coconut milk, almond milk, tea. This will just flavor the caramel even more as it soaks into the dates.
- Once the dates are soften, drain the liquid – but save it! I saved the date water to use in my morning smoothie, because this water probably has some flavor and nutrients and I didn’t want to waste it.
- Place drained dates in food processor with vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth.
Ingredients
- 20-25 dried dates pitted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak the dried dates for an hour in hot water. If using soft, fresher dates, no need to do this.
- Drain dates (save the water for smoothies!) and place in food processor with vanilla and salt.
- Pulse until blended and smooth.
Date Caramel Dip Variations and Ideas
Vanilla and Salt are the key ingredients to this simple date caramel dip, but you can make this your own using other flavor components, below are just some ideas:
- pumpkin spice date caramel using spices such as cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger
- mocha date caramel by adding cocoa powder
- spicy date caramel for fun drink, just add some cayenne powder
The ideas are endless, let me know what you try!
DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE? I want to see it! Follow Cooking with Books on Instagram, take a photo, and tag me in it. I love to know what you are making and how you made this recipe your own!