Decadent Date Caramels
Did you know that dates make a delicious and healthy caramel filling? When blended with a bit of coconut oil, mejool dates create a thick, rich, dairy free and slightly chewy “date caramel.” Salt intensifies the natural caramel flavor. And a chocolate coating envelops the whole thing. Divine!
I surprised myself with the fact that I am apparently loosing my mind at the ripe old age of twenty one. This recipe was meant to be in my book Quit PMS but, somewhere between the second and third draft, it slipped out of the manuscript. Unrefined salt is good for the brain, so evidently I just need to eat more salted date caramels before I do another book. Sounds good to me!
Date caramels with hormone-balancing ingredients
These were supposed to have a place in Quit PMS for a reason: they contain a myriad of the hormone-balancing ingredients that I discuss in the book. This includes:
Unrefined Salt – The science is in: salt was wrongly demonized for decades. As a matter of fact, a reduced sodium diet is correlated to higher mortality rates! Other studies show that salt improves insulin sensitivity and also helps reduce cortisol (a stress hormone) – both very health protective factors. Salt is also a natural anti-histamine. (Read more about why salt is good for you.)
What salt is best? Processed table salt is better than no salt, that is for sure. However, I strongly recommend using unrefined salt, which contains a vast array of the trace minerals required for health. I actually fell for a slick marketing trick practiced by some unrefined salt companies, so when I learned better, I shared with you the real differences between unrefined salt brands.
Coconut Oil – Finally, a miracle food that everyone can agree on, no matter which “dietary tribe” you belong to! Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), fatty acids that are directly absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine and used for energy. These MCTs have been shown to increase metabolism, promote weight loss and increase satiety. Both human and animal studies show that the consumption of MCTs increases energy expenditure… which is a more formal term for boosting metabolism.
Coconut oil consumption also improves thyroid function and has been shown to boost weight loss. It is also very satiating, which is why I included coconut oil in my sugar-craving-busting Buttermints.
- 1 cup pitted mejool dates. To measure, pit your dates and then pack them into the measuring cup before soaking them in the hot water. For me, this was about 14 smallish dates.
- ¼ cup full-fat canned coconut milk, recommended brand here
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract, optional
- ¼ - ½ tsp. unrefined salt
- Coconut flour for dusting, available here
- Chocolate coating
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 Tbs. raw honey or pure maple syrup
- OR use melted dairy-free chocolate chips, available here (about ⅓ cup chocolate chips, use more if needed)
- Soak dates in very hot water for 15 minutes. Drain before proceeding. Blend the dates, coconut milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract until a smooth paste forms. Add ¼ tsp. salt, blend, and taste. Add a bit more salt if desired. Place in the fridge or freezer until firm and pliable, at least 3 hours.
- Roll teaspoons of the date mixture into balls. Dust lightly with coconut flour so they don’t stick to each other. Place in the freezer to stay firm.
- Make the chocolate coating: melt and stir together the cocoa powder, coconut oil and raw honey over very low heat until combined. The mixture may separate slightly, in this case put it in the fridge for just a few minutes and then stir. Let the mixture cool until thickened enough to coat the caramel balls. Place in the fridge for a few minutes if it is too runny, but keep an eye on it because it hardens very quickly.
- If you are using the chocolate chips instead of the homemade chocolate coating, just melt the chocolate chips over low heat until smooth. Do not overheat.
- One by one, roll a caramel into the chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment or waxed paper. Sprinkle very lightly with the unrefined salt, and place in the fridge until the chocolate coating is firm. Store in the fridge. If they aren't consumed quickly (most likely), they last at least a few weeks in the fridge.
Hi Lauren,
As a Nutritional Therapist, I appreciate all that you are sharing here on your site. One concern that I have ::
cocoa and chocolate are hard on my digestion, so I will try this recipe with carob. I’m hoping that it will be a win-win substitution.. Dates are a big favorite of mine. Thank you for your on-going creative ideas with healthy food.
Wow. I know everyone else has said it, but wow!
My prince (allergy central) was just lamenting the lack of caramels, reminiscing about a batch of honey caramels I made him several years ago (that I’d entirely forgotten). When I finally unearthed the recipe, it called for dairy. He can’t have that anymore. So I went looking for options. He can’t have the chocolate, but dates (no-name dried), coconut milk/coconut oil & salt are still safe, so I gave that much a try. He hasn’t been wild about other date recipes, so I wasn’t holding out too much hope. Then I tasted it.
My eyes popped.
The depth of flavor, the richness, is incredible! I figured I was safe–if my prince didn’t care for it, *I’d* happily polish it off ;).
He loved it! He said it was better than the previous (cooked) honey caramels he’d been so fondly remembering. And it’s so *easy*!
Thank you so much for posting this!
Just to update, the caramels are good in cookies too!
I pinched off chip-sized pieces of the date mixture & gently folded them into an oatmeal cookie dough (adapted from a recipe for butterscotch chip cookies). My prince said they actually reminded him a little of chocolate chip cookies! (Which is a BIG deal, since he can’t have chocolate or carob).
Thanks again for the inspiration :).
Made these today omg delicious, my almost 7 year old love them too
YUM!
Since I can have dairy, I substituted grassfed cream for the coconut milk & I did a combo of ghee and coconut oil. It seriously tastes like caramel…the ghee adds a rich buttery flavor.
My dates were super soft, so I didn’t have to soak them.
Thanks for posting this again, I had wanted to try it before and never did, I’ve been missing out!
Date mix is amazing to taste but I had the too soft problem so will skip the soaking next time. The chocolate dip was my biggest problem. The balls were very cold so the coating dried before I could add salt. So hubby helped there. Put them in the winter cold garage to chill. Brought them in the next morning to plate them for gifting. after about 30 min the balls & chocolate were gooey. I think it all goes back to the over soaked dates. To save them this time I will re coat them with melted chocolate.
Hi! These look FANTASTIC. I am serving as a volunteer in Colombia with Peace Corps, and it’s hard to come across all the right ingredients for these delicious recipes. I found prunes, would that be an okay substitute?
Thank you,
Lexi
These are AMAZING!!! I will be making these on a regular basis!!! Thank you!!
This candy is delicious. I was in a hurry, so I just ground up the dates in a food processor (without soaking) and added the remaining ingredients, stuck the little balls in the freezer and melted some 74% chocolate. They have a wonderful, creamy texture and the flavor is yummy. This is my new favorite sweet, thank you!
Thanks so much. I’m glad I found this, it is perfect for my vegan daughter who is always looking to satisfy her teen candy bar cravings