Simple Homemade Date Syrup
Today we are making my homemade date syrup, a 1 ingredient sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or just about anything sweet! It’s a lusciously thick, 100% plant based syrup with no added sugar, made from pitted medjool dates stewed with water, strained, and reduced. This decadent syrup comes together in under 2 hours.
We all know that when you’re eating a dish that includes syrup, it’s going to be good. And this homemade date syrup recipe is an easy-to-make and refined sugar free alternative to traditional syrup.
If you’ve ever had Middle Eastern or Moroccan food, you’re familiar with how much of a staple dates are in our cuisine. They’re naturally sweet, filling, and provide a creamy and thick texture when used in a variety of different recipes.
This syrup adds a subtly sweet flavor that’s reminiscent of butterscotch and a texture similar to caramel.
There are about a million ways to use this stuff, the easiest being as a syrup or sweetener (and substitute for sugar) in drinks like this Moroccan Mint Tea or Coffee Mint Mojito.
Step by Step Instructions
How to Use the Pulp
Similar to the pulp that’s leftover after juicing, this recipe results in leftover date pulp that can be composted or used in a variety of ways.
If you’re interested in using the date pulp that the syrup is strained from, here are a few tasty ideas:
- Smoothies – add a few spoonfuls of the pulp to your favorite smoothie. The flavors will sweeten up just about any combination of fruits and/or veggies, but goes especially well with bananas, peanut butter, greens, and berries.
- Add to pancakes/waffles – add a spoonful of date pulp to your favorite pancake or waffle batter to increase the fiber content and add a naturally sweet bite.
- Baked goods – sweeten baked goods (like muffins, cakes, etc.) naturally by adding a bit of the pulp and reducing the added artificial sugar.
Where to Use Date Syrup
This date syrup with pitted dates is the perfect ingredient to use in place of your traditional syrup, whether it’s maple syrup, pancake syrup, or even honey.
This makes it an extremely versatile ingredient that can be used in many different ways. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Salad dressings – skip the honey or maple syrup and add a teaspoon or two of date syrup for a naturally sweet twist in dressings
- Baked goods – substitute your honey or maple syrup in recipes with a 1-to-1 ratio with your date syrup and infuse your baked goods with that delicious date flavor
- Drizzled over just about anything – drizzle this syrup over pancakes, waffles, french toast, ice cream, oats, banana bread, muffins, you name it!
Don’t forget that this ingredient works interchangeably as a sweetener in pretty much any recipe. Drizzle it into smoothies, tea, coffee, etc. to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Enjoy,
Simple Homemade Date Syrup
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: ½ cup 1x
- Category: Dessert, Sauce
- Method: stewed
- Cuisine: Moroccan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Today we are making my homemade date syrup, a 1 ingredient sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or just about anything sweet! It’s a lusciously thick, 100% plant based syrup with no added sugar, made from pitted medjool dates stewed with water, strained, and reduced. This decadent syrup comes together in under 2 hours.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Medjool Dates, with pits removed
Instructions
- Remove the pits. Cut a small slice halfway through each date to remove the pits. Discard pits.
- Steep the dates. Add pitted dates to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let steep for an hour.
- Boil the dates. Transfer the dates, the water they steeped in, and an additional cup of water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Continue to simmer over medium low for 40 minutes, or until the liquid begins to thicken. Mix and add a splash of hot water (about a half cup) at the halfway point.
- Strain. Strain the liquids from the solids using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
- Reduce. Transfer the liquid back into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, mixing regularly until it thickens, about 20 minutes. Cool and store.
Notes
Store your date syrup in a jar with an air tight lid and it should keep in the fridge for up to 14 days or 2 weeks.
Where did you find that beautiful glass vessel for the syrup?
It’s from Amazon, you can find it here!
Can I use dried dates from costco?
Hi Kim, I’ve never worked with dried dates before so I can’t speak to whether or not they will work in this recipe.