Date Syrup: A New Sweetener On My Shelf

With my goal to greatly decrease the amount of sugar I consume, I am always experimenting with alternative ways to get that hint of sweet.  (And, I am not talking anything artificial.  Chemicals like aspartame and Splenda do not belong anywhere near your lips or anyone else's lips you care about.)  I am referring to unprocessed forms of sweet.

This alternative sugar topic is a tad complicated as many experts disagree on which is best. But the way I look at it is if I am going to add "sweet" to whatever I am making (and I do not add a lot) it should at least have some nutritional benefit.  And, as it turns out, some do!

I shared my use of maple syrup here and why and the delights of raw honey here.  They are both good ones to reach for - in moderation - but I couldn't resist trying a new one I spied at the market recently: date syrup.  Maybe you will want to make a space for it on your shelves as well.

Why Choose Date Syrup

I wrote about my use of dates in a smoothie recipe and the health benefits of dates here.  Thus, it just makes sense to me that with such little processing to create the syrup (no more than making a smoothie really), you are accessing the fruit's rich array of vitamins and minerals as well as its high fiber content. And, the taste? Mmmm!  I like!


Date syrup is made by soaking pitted dates in water, then blending them with more water to create a delightful pour.  Date syrup can be created at home and this blogger shares just that: how to make your own date syrup.  But, well . . . I didn't do that.  Nope, I took the easy route and bought a jar at Mom's Organic Market in my area.

Here is the one I chose:  Date Lady - Pure Organic Date Syrup

It is on the expensive side at just under $10 for 12 ounces, but actually so is sugar these days.  The syrup packs a lot of sweet, thus, I find I use a lot less of it than I would have used regular sugar.  And, it dissolves and blends so well, which makes you use less, too.

How to Use Date Syrup

I just bought my first jar a few days ago, but here are some ways I have used it already:

• Glazed carrots with lemon and date syrup
• Quick breakfast of plain organic Greek yogurt and a swirl of date syrup and some walnuts
• A tablespoon to my smoothie that had cacao in it to counteract the bitterness of the cacao
• Combined it with cinnamon and cardamon and made some turmeric tea (more on this tea some other time!)

But, I can't wait to try it on some steel cut oats, some buckwheat and banana pancakes, some fresh peaches this summer or in some pumpkin bread this fall.  Yup, this one is on my shelf for good.  It beats out other non-processed sweeteners I have tried and tried to like (but I just didn't).  

I am not receiving payment for telling you about this product.  I just simply wanted to share with the readers my experience.  But, please let me know yours!  Have you tried it yet? Or have you made it yourself?  How did that go? Is there another non-processed sweetener you like using?