If you follow popular food blogs or food recipe sites, even casually, you have probably seen more than a few recipes featuring date syrup. This natural sweetener is all the rage these days, but it definitely isn’t anything new.
What is date syrup?
Popular in North African and Middle Eastern cooking it is the main sweetener in many traditional recipes. It is mentioned in ancient writings from Mesopotamia and the mentions of “honey” in the Bible are often translated as fruit or date honey. Made with dates and water boiled down to a thick sweet syrup. Over time this simple sweetener was replaced by granulated sugars and other options. That is probably why it didn’t really make its way from its birthplace to the Western world until recently.
Now people recognize its subtle but complex sweetness with the added benefit of vitamins and minerals. And you are seeing it atop yogurt bowls, drizzled on roasted vegetables, and used in delicious baked goods. It is a delightful way to bring a little taste of the Middle East to your home kitchen.
The Date Lady
You can find several brands in stores and online, but our absolute favorite is Date Lady. Inspired by time living in the United Arab Emirates, Colleen and her husband brought their love of the sweet syrup home with them along with a suitcase of it. Their founding story includes trips back and forth between the US and the UAE restocking suitcase by suitcase. After many years of this, they finally founded a company to feed their appetite for the sweet syrup and offer it to all the people they had introduced to it.
I can’t even remember when or how I found out about Date Lady, but I have been addicted ever since the first spoonful. Not only does Colleen make plain date syrup great for baking, but she also makes sauces sweetened with dates. Coconut Date Caramel sauce perfect for drizzling on ice cream and cheesecake. Chocolate Spread that will take your toast to the next level. And even BBQ sauce.
How to use date syrup?
Almost anywhere you use other liquid sweeteners (honey, maple syrup) you can sub in date syrup. It can be used in baked goods, atop savory dishes, and so many other places. I mean just look at this chocolate peanut butter cheesecake . . .
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Natural Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 2.5 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
Creamy chocolate peanut butter cheesecake that no one will guess is made with natural ingredients.
Ingredients
Crust
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates, softened in hot water if needed
1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp honey or date syrup
pinch of sea salt
Filling
1 cup roasted unsalted cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour)
3 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp date syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup Date Lady Chocolate Date Spread
1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
Topping
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in boaling water for at least an hour. Rinse and drain.
- Line an 8 1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place your dates and walnuts in a food processor. Process until it resembles coarse meal. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix until the mixture is clumping.
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- In a small bowl, microwave the peanut butter, chocolate spread, syrups, and coconut oil about 30 seconds or until a smooth.
- Pour your mixture into the food processor along with vanilla, coconut cream, cocoa, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Pour your filling mixture over the crust and place back in the fridge for one to two hours or until solid.
- Melt the topping ingredients and stir until smooth. Spread over the filling and place back in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Slice and serve
Notes
This can also be made in a 6-inch cake pan.
A few of our other favorites
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Baked Donuts
