Caramel Spread

This luxurious spread is incredibly addictive and super versatile: Use it as a dipper for fresh fruit slices (apples, bananas and whatever else you love), add it to frozen yogurt or drizzle it over popcorn to create DIY caramel popcorn. The secret to my more nutritious rendition is, drumroll please…dates! Dates are naturally sweet and lend a rich, caramel-like taste to the spread. While you will get a subtly date flavor in every spreadable spoonful, it only adds to its deliciousness.

Recipe notes:
• The recipe calls for soaking the dates in a cup of boiling water to make them easier to blend. By removing ½ cup of the water before blending, you end up with the perfect sauce consistency that isn’t too thin. However, if you prefer a thinner sauce, save the soaking liquid and add 1 tablespoon at a time once blended.

• You can use other dates aside from Medjool, but those are my fave for this recipe. You can buy pitted or with pits; if you choose to purchase with pits, simply slice dates in half lengthwise (the pit will stop you from cutting all the way through) and then remove the pit.

• To lower the sugar, you can cut the maple syrup in half (or you can replace half with a zero-calorie sugar replacement like stevia or monkfruit).

• This will last about 1 week in the fridge.