How to Make Date Syrup that is packed with delicious sweet taste, nutrition and is vegan!

Date Syrup in a glass jar.

I’ve wanted to share this date syrup with you for quite a while now, and personally, I think you’re really going to love it, for more than one reason. Cutting down on refined sugars? Ran out of honey or maple syrup? This is going to be your new best friend. I ended up making this as a resource when I needed some honey just to sweeten my greek yogurt and realised I had finished it all on this beautiful cheesecake. Years of baking + a little internet research led me to wonder and realise that I could make a sweetener out of dates!

Date syrup being mixed into yogurt.

Did you even know this was a thing?! I certainly didn’t. What you’re left with is a thick sweetener that takes the overly sweet nature of dates, and waters them down just slightly to reveal a sweetener that’s perfect for your oatmeal, your yogurt, and many recipes. As you can see, I was fine with grinding mine down and enjoying it as such. You could go even further and simmer it in a pot to reduce it down even more to a caramel-type sweet goodness that’s as syrupy as honey is. I’ll be honest and admit I ate a few spoonfuls. Just like that. I know, maybe not the best use of it but hey! All in the name of “recipe testing”.

Date syrup on a pink spoon.

A pink spoon with date syrup.

How To Make Date Syrup

How to Make Date Syrup that is packed with delicious sweet taste, nutrition and is vegan!
5 (from 1 rating)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb medjool dates, pitted or if not pitted, remove the pits, washed and drained*
  • 3 cups boiled water, + more if needed

Instructions 

  • In a pot, add the dates, then add over 3 cups of boiled water. Let it soak for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, feel one of your dates - they should be extremely soft. Place the pan on the stove and bring the dates water mixture to boil.
    Lower to medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, mashing down the dates every 5 minutes or so with a potato masher or fork or even just the sides of a wooden spoon, essentially breaking them up, scraping the pan to ensure the dates don't stick to the bottom. They will be much softer now, almost dissolving and soft enough to extract all the sugars from the dates. The mixture should resemble a loose applesauce. Remove from the heat.
  • Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes so you don't burn yourself. Carefully spoon/scoop the dates and liquid into a nut cloth bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the pulp to extract all the liquid. You want to ensure only the liquid is coming out. You'll end up with about 1 cup of date pulp/paste leftover - you can make a date spread out of this or add it to muffins, waffles, pancakes and smoothies!
  • Add the squeezed out liquid back to the pot (I got a little over 2 cups of liquid) and back over the heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer (position 2 or low on most stoves) and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced to a syrup that can coat the back of your spoon. Watch and stir frequently so it doesn't burn!
    The liquid will begin to thicken and darken in colour until it's a deep colour and There's syrupy texture. If it gets too thick, add a little bit more water to the mix. 
  • Allow to cool and use anywhere you would use maple syrup, honey or agave! Enjoy!
  • Store the date syrup for up to 3 weeks (depends on when you bought the dates of course).

Notes

Makes about ¾ cup date syrup.
* depending on whether you buy your dates packaged or from a market, you'll want to take extra care to just scrub off the outside of the fruit before using since we won't be discarding the water. If you feel uncertain about getting all the dirt off, you can discard the soaking water too, then start with a fresh 3 cups water. 
Calories: 84kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.05g, Sodium: 0.3mg, Potassium: 210mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 45IU, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.