This recipe for date purée or date paste uses two ingredients: dates and hot water. It's a natural sweetener (as in no refined sugar has been added) that's easy to make and store in your refrigerator. I use Medjool dates but any date will work.

It's great with yogurt, ice cream, as a filling for cakes or cookies and can be used to sweeten and thicken smoothies, ice cream, and warm beverages. It's generally not as sweet as the same amount of honey or maple syrup, however it does have a nice subtle caramel flavor to it. If you're thinking of using it to replace honey or other sweetener you may need to use a bit more to get the same amount of sweetness. It just depends on the recipe or ingredients you're adding it to.

You can also add more ingredients to this mix if you're feeling it, like a bit of coconut milk, vanilla extract, or some spice like cinnamon. And if you're really into dates and dips, try Caramel Date Sauce for a slightly creamier alternative to caramel sauces that use refined sugar.