What is Date paste, and how to make it?

The date is the deliciously sweet fruit of the palm tree with lots of health benefits. As a natural sweetener that doesn’t harm the body, dates have become popular recently.

They are sold fresh or dried, and many great products are made with this savoury, healthy fruit, such as date syrup and date paste.

In this post, we will explain more about date paste and give a recipe to make this delicious paste at home.

What is Date paste?

Date paste is a natural, sweet product that is made by processing fresh pitted dates. It is an excellent alternative to sugar in sugar-free diets.

Additionally, it can be added to a paleo diet or vegan diet to make them more natural and beneficial to the body. It also can be added to different cakes and desserts as a natural sweetener.

How to make Date paste at home?

It’s very easy to make date paste at home. This recipe only has two ingredients:

• 450g pitted dates (almost 2 cups)
• ½ cup water

Instruction:

1. After pitting all the dates, combine the dates and water in a blending machine or a food processor.
2. Start processing until they combined completely and got a smooth texture. You may need to start with low speed to high speed for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the paste from the processor and put it in an airtight jar.

It only takes 5 minutes to make date paste at home. However, if you don’t want to add water to this mixture and have a creamier and firmer texture, you can soak the pitted dates in hot water for a couple of hours and follow the instructions from step 2.

What does Date paste taste like?

Date paste doesn’t have any additives. No sugar or oil is added to this mixture. But in the end, it is as sweet as sugar. It is an excellent substance for white sugar in the confectionery industry. You can also sweeten cakes, muffins, and desserts using date paste.

What are the advantages of using Date paste?

• It is a natural sweetener that improves the taste of foods.
• It has all the nutrition facts that dates have, such as lowering cholesterol, promoting digestion, or even improving skin health.
• It has a high shelf-life.
• It is a healthy and energetic product to eat at breakfast to boost your functionality during the day.

Is Date paste healthy to diabetics?

People with diabetes can eat dates in moderation. It is okay for them to eat 2 or 3 dates per day. Eating Dates in moderation won’t raise a person’s blood sugar.

On the other hand, the number of dates in date paste is more than 3, which is slightly higher than the sufficient amount they can consume in a day. Therefore, Date paste might not be an excellent choice for diabetics unless they care about the amount they drink.

They should consult with their doctor or nutritionist to ensure how they can consume this natural candy.

How to consume Date paste?

1. Enjoy your morning by spreading Date paste on toast.
2. Add this natural sweetener instead of sugar to cake and dessert’s recipes.
3. If you have sweet teeth, use date paste as the dressing of salad.
4. Make smoothies and ice creams.
5. Add it to soup, stews, or sauces to add a bit of sweetness to your meals.

How to store Date paste?

Date paste should be kept in a container with a tight lid in the refrigerator. Avoid keeping this product at room temperature or any warmer places.

Date paste can last up to 5 weeks in the refrigerator. Storing it in a freezer can keep it well up to one year.

Make a cake with Date paste

As mentioned, you can make different cakes, biscuits, or muffins using date paste. One of the most popular cakes is the date cake, a delicious and enjoyable cake you can easily make at home. Here is the recipe for homemade date cake:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of date paste
• ¾ cup raisins
• A pint of beer
• 2 tbsp butter or liquid oil
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/8 tbsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Instruction:

1. Blend date paste with raisins, baking soda, and a cup of boiling water until they are completely mixed. Set it aside to cool down.
2. Mix sugar and butter in a bowl until they become creamy. Then, add the egg and vanilla and mix again. You can either use a spoon and mix it manually or use a mixer.
3. Add flour to this mixture slowly until they are completely mixed.
4. Add chopped walnut and mix again.
5. Now mix the contents of both bowls (dates paste mixture and the dough made by flour). Mix until the liquid is smooth.
6. Pour the cake into the mold and place it in oven at 170 C for 30 minutes. Check the cake to see if it needs to stay more in the oven.

Bottom Line

The date is known as natural candy with lots of benefits. All the products that are made by this delicious and sweet fruit also carry the same benefits. Among them, date paste is so popular.

With its smooth and creamy texture, it can be used at breakfast to boost energy during the day or be added to different cakes and desserts as a substance to sugar.

Therefore, using this natural sweetener helps you enjoy delicious and sweet cakes without having concerns about the sugar they may contain.

PS. This article is written based on the Natural Moreish content team’s research on different blogs, websites, and articles. Natural Moreish doesn’t suggest acknowledge or claim the information on this post.