Date Caramel Sauce

If you have a jar of Medjool dates sitting in your pantry, make this date caramel sauce immediately! Seriously. It’s sweet, creamy, a little salty, and has that rich caramel-y flavor that makes you want to put it on basically everything. I especially love adding it to my Chocolate Date Latte for an extra cozy, caramel-y coffee situation.

And this vegan date caramel is also incredibly easy to make. No stovetop or candy thermometer, you just soak the dates, throw everything into a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.

The secret here is the agave. I’ve tested this a few different ways, and the amount gives the caramel that really nice stretchy, drizzleable texture that makes it feel more like caramel and less like blended dates. If you don’t care about the stretch, though, you can absolutely use less.

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WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS DATE CARAMEL

It’s ridiculously easy – Once your dates are softened, everything goes into a blender and that’s pretty much it.

It’s sweet, creamy & actually tastes like caramel – Medjool dates give it that deep, naturally sweet flavor, while coconut milk makes it rich and creamy. Add a little vanilla and sea salt and you’ve got a pretty convincing caramel situation.

You can put it on everything – Oatmeal, pancakes, ice cream, toast, coffee, baked goods…you get the idea. Or, you know, eat it straight off the spoon.

It’s vegan & dairy-free – No butter or heavy cream needed here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

You only need five simple ingredients to make this vegan date caramel sauce:

Medjool Dates: Medjool dates are what give this caramel its naturally sweet, rich flavor. They’re soft, sticky, and basically perfect for turning into caramel. Make sure you use Medjool dates rather than another variety, as the size, moisture, and texture can vary quite a bit and may affect the consistency of the caramel.

P.S. make sure you’re using pitted dates. Nobody wants to discover a date pit halfway through blending.

Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk gives the caramel its creamy, rich texture. I recommend using full-fat rather than light coconut milk here because we’re going for a thick, luscious caramel.

Agave: The agave isn’t just there for extra sweetness, it gives the date caramel its stretchy, caramel-like texture. You can substitute another liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or honey, but I’ve found that agave gives the best stretch. If you’re keeping this recipe vegan, stick with agave or maple syrup.

Vanilla Extract: A little vanilla makes the whole thing taste warmer and more dessert-y. It’s a small amount, but it makes a difference.

Fine Sea Salt: Don’t skip the salt! It balances all that sweetness and gives the caramel a subtle salted caramel flavor. You can start with ¼ teaspoon, then taste and add more if you want a saltier caramel.

HOW TO MAKE DATE CARAMEL SAUCE

This is one of those recipes where the hardest part is remembering to soak the dates.

Step 1: Place the pitted Medjool dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 15 minutes to soften.

Step 2: Drain the dates really well. Add them to a high-speed blender with the coconut milk, agave, vanilla, and salt.

Step 3: Blend until completely smooth and creamy. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender once or twice. If the caramel is too thick for drizzling, add coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time, blending between each addition, until it’s the consistency you’re looking for.

Step 4: If you want it extra smooth you can pour the caramel through a fine mesh sieve to remove any tiny pieces of date skin. I don’t always bother, but it’s a good option if you’re going for an especially silky caramel.

Step 5: Transfer the caramel to an airtight container and pop it in the fridge.

And that’s it! Homemade date caramel.

HOW TO USE DATE CARAMEL

The real question is probably what can’t you put date caramel on?

Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:

• Drizzle over oatmeal or overnight oats
• Spoon over pancakes or waffles
• Drizzle over vegan ice cream or frozen yogurt
• Spread onto toast
• Dip apples or other fresh fruit into it
• Swirl into yogurt
• Drizzle over banana bread
• Use as a filling for baked goods
• Eat it directly from the jar with a spoon (highly recommended)

And if you’re a coffee person, you absolutely need to try it in my Chocolate Date Latte. A spoonful blended into the coffee + an extra drizzle on top is so good.

TIPS FOR THE BEST DATE CARAMEL

Soak your dates first. This makes them soft enough to blend into a smooth, creamy caramel. Don’t skip it!

Use a high-speed blender. The more powerful your blender, the easier it will be to get that silky-smooth texture.

Add coconut milk slowly when thinning. It’s easy to make the caramel thinner, but you can’t exactly take the coconut milk back out. Start with one tablespoon at a time.

Keep the agave if you want that caramel stretch. This is probably my biggest tip. I’ve found that the ½ cup of agave gives the caramel a much more satisfying, stretchy texture. If you don’t care about that, you can reduce it.

Taste before you finish. Dates can vary quite a bit in sweetness, so give your caramel a taste and adjust the salt to your liking.

STORAGE

Refrigerator: Store date caramel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The caramel will thicken as it chills, so don’t worry if it looks a little different the next day.

When you’re ready to use it, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and give it a good stir. If it’s still too thick to drizzle, blend in coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s smooth and pourable again.

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