Date Paste: How to Make, Use, and Store It

As a healthy alternative to sugar in recipes, date paste owes everything to the fruit it’s made from. Date palms grow in desertlike conditions, and the hot sun concentrates the fruit’s natural sugars, creating an intensely sweet, caramelized taste.

With their tender texture, all dates need is a soak in hot water and a quick blitz in the food processor to be transformed into an all-purpose natural sweetener that enhances other flavors without overpowering them. Nutrition bonus: Unlike table sugar, a single Medjool date contains vitamins, minerals, and 1.6 grams of fiber.

How to Make Date Paste

Follow our simplerecipe for Date Paste, which requires just 5 minutes of active prep time.

How to Store It

Date paste can be stored for up to 1 month in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Freezer tip:Scoop paste in 1-ounce (2-tablespoon) dollops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Store dollops in a resealable plastic bag. The small portions thaw quickly and make it easy to take out just what you need for a recipe

Daily Uses for Date Paste

In baking recipes, substitute date paste for dry sweeteners using a 1:1 ratio.

Whisk it into salad dressings to help emulsify and add a hint of sweetness.

Swirl it into morning oatmeal.

Sweeten a smoothie or fruit-basednice cream.

Add it to soups, stews, chilis, or sauces that need a bit of sweetness.

Spread it on toast.

Smear it on celery sticks.

Recipes to Try

Once you’ve whipped up a batch, put it to use in the following whole-food, plant-based recipes.

Date-Sweetened Mustard Dressing

Silky Vegan Chocolate Pie

Chana Masala Burgers

Pumpkin Parfait with Cashew Vanilla Cream

Vanilla Pancakes with Strawberry-Cherry Ice Cream

WFPB Pizza Crust

Farro Cranberry Squares

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Marble Pudding