Ingredients
Units
- Date paste (from 20 pitted dates and 1 cup water, see notes below)
- 1 13 ounce can organic full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat a large dutch over over medium heat.
- Add the date paste and allow to caramelize for 10 minutes, stirring about every 30 seconds. (See above for how to make date paste.)
- Turn the heat to medium-high if needed, careful to not let it burn. It will become a few shades darker than when you started.
- While the date paste caramelizes, use the blender or food processor to blend your can of coconut milk into a smooth mixture if it separated in the can; this step is simply to help you stir it into the dates more smoothly.
- Once your date paste is caramelized, add the coconut milk to the pan and stir vigorously; it will bubble up and settle down. If it doesn’t bubble up your pan is not hot enough, simply turn up the heat if that’s the case.
- Let the caramel mixture simmer and bubble over medium to medium-high heat for 10-20 minutes depending on the consistency you want.
- When it’s done, turn off the heat and immediately stir in the sea salt and vanilla extract. Serve or store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator up to one week.
Notes
To make the date paste:
Put 20 Mejool dates in a bowl and cover them with purified water by about three inches. Soak them at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can do a quick soak and soak them in hot, but not boiling, water for an hour or longer. Once soaked, pit and stem the dates (some might have a stem but most won’t) and add them to your high-speed blender or food processor with 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Blend on high until very well combined into a paste, about 1-2 minutes in a high-speed blender.