Healthy homemade caramel made with simple ingredients: dates, water, vanilla, and a bit of almond milk. This date caramel is a healthy sweet treat that pairs perfectly with sliced apples or pears for the perfect afternoon snack! It is refined sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free.
This may be slightly embarrassing to admit, but I am not one to embarrass easily, and regardless I must admit: I had no idea you could bring food through airport security! Okay, it is out in the open now. I just learned last year during the fall of 2019 that you could bring food through TSA without any issues.
It only took me getting tired of perusing the airport food courts endlessly searching for a gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy meal option. You would think in this day and age it would be easy to find, but it is the total opposite. (I am sure those who follows a similar diet can agree!) After being completely fed up with the lack of options at the airport, and tired of having to gorge down meals before any long flights as to not set off my raging growling stomach, I decided to do a little research!
With a quick google search, I learned you can bring in up to 3.4 ounces of solid food with you through TSA. WHAT A GAME CHANGER! Since learning this I like to prepare multiple small meals and snacks with me to enjoy during my travels and I no longer have to worry if there are healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free options available!
This date caramel sauce is one of my favorite snacks! Paired with sliced apples and pears, it is absolutely phenomenal. The first time I made it was as a dipping sauce on my holiday party charcuterie board. Since then, I make it regularly as a snack, especially when I plan to travel.
How to make date caramel
Making date caramel is super easy and requires only a few ingredients:
- Dates
- Water
- Almond Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Peanut Butter (optional)
All you will need to do is blend all of the ingredients together until you get a smooth sticky consistency. (I recommend using a high powered blender, like this one)
A few tips
- If the dates are dry and tough, not sticky and soft to the touch, soak the dates in water for 10 minutes before blending.
- You do not need to add the peanut butter (or almond butter), but I find it helps to make the caramel creamier and gives it a buttery taste. (you can hardly taste the peanut butter in the sauce).
- You can also use coconut milk instead of almond milk. Adding more almond/coconut milk will thin out the sauce (1 tbsp at a time), so feel free to add more to reach your desired consistency.
- This date caramel sauce lasts for up to 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container.
Date Caramel
Ingredients
- 14 Dates
- 1/2 cup Water, slowly drizzled in
- 1 tbsp Almond Milk (or Coconut Milk)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tbsp Peanut Butter (optional)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high until very smooth. Slowly add water until a uniform consistency is formed.
- Add peanut butter (optional) and almond milk to create a smooth consistency. You can adjust the consistency and make thinner by adding more almond (or coconut) milk.
Notes
A few tips
- If the dates are dry, not sticky to the touch, soak the dates in water for 10 minutes before blending.
- You do not need to add the peanut butter (or almond butter), but I find it helps to make the caramel creamier and gives it a buttery taste. (you can hardly taste the peanut butter in the sauce).
- You can also use coconut milk instead of almond milk. Adding more almond/coconut milk will thin out the sauce (1 tbsp at a time), so feel free to add more to reach your desired consistency.
- This date caramel sauce lasts for up to 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container.
I used this date caramel as a delicious layer in these Homemade Snickers Ice Cream Bars! They are so DELISH! You can check out the recipe here.
