I’m so excited to be writing my first ever blog series, focusing on ‘how to’ recipes. I’ve been wanting to start a series for a while and wasn’t sure which topic to base it around. As my blog focuses on healthy, gluten free recipes, I thought a series around how to make healthy food cupboard staples would be the most useful! I’m also really interested in creating a lifestyle series talking about living with Coeliac Disease, so let me know in the comments if you’d be interested in reading that!

Now, onto the first recipe in this mini series – how to make salted date caramel. Hands up who is OBSESSED with data caramel?! Unlike traditional caramel which is purely refined sugar, this healthy version is made with delicious medjool dates, coconut oil and a touch of milk.

Tips for making the perfect date caramel;

You need to use fresh, plump dates. I use medjool dates as they’re my favourite flavour of dates, but any other fresh variety will work! If they aren’t plump, simply soak them in boiling water 10mins prior to making your caramel. Unfortunately, dried dates won’t work for this recipe as they won’t blend into a smooth consistency in your food processor. You want to find the softest, stickiest dates you can!

Be patient. I find when I make date caramel it can take a bit of time to achieve the perfect, creamy consistency. Using a powerful food processor is essential for this recipe, as you may risk overheating and breaking a less powerful one. It can around 5-10mins to get the perfect consistency so be patient and you’ll have your yummy date caramel in no time!

WAYS TO USE DATE CARAMEL

Spread it on toast
Mix in porridge for a caramel flavour
Use it to make chocolate truffles
or how about making my yummy Banoffee Toast Stack?

Simply toast sandwich thins, spread over your date caramel, then add sliced bananas – stack the thins on top of each other and drizzle with melted chocolate. Pure breakfast heaven.

INGREDIENTS

180g medjool dates
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp milk (dairy free if needed)

RECIPE

1. If your dates aren’t soft and sticky then soak them in boiling water for 5-10mins.
2. Add all your ingredients to a strong food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Scrape down the sides to make sure everything is mixed thoroughly – add more milk if needed.
4. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Sophie x