16 pitted medjool dates
1 & 1/2 cups filtered water
- Soak dates in the water for at least 20 minutes (& up to overnight).
- Drain the dates but reserve the soak water.
- Place the dates along with 1/4 cup of the soak water in either a Vitamix or a food processor fitted w/ S blade, and process into a smooth paste. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl if necessary.
Yields 1 & 1/4 cups. Date paste will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer (thaw for a few minutes before using).
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SIDE NOTES:
~ I use my Vitamix (small carafe) for this, but if using a food processor, you may need to double the recipe to give the machine enough to process. It will depend on how big your food processor is. For example, mine is a very large 14 cup food processor, so this small amount of food, in a giant work bowl, might not be enough to get it to form into a paste. You can either test it out, or just double the recipe & it will be no problem. If using a Vitamix, no need to scrape down sides – just use the tamper as it’s blending & you’ll have a smooth paste within a minute.
~ Of course, dates contain lots of natural sugar, but they’re still a whole food – not a condensed sweetener – so I consider this recipe sugar free (no added sugar).
Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Vegan, Grain Free, Raw
A few ways you can use this sweet treat….
