This Sugar Free Caramel Dip is sweetened naturally with just dates.  It’s Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free.  Best of all, it’s guilt-free!  Use it for fillings for alfajores cookies or as a dip with crisp apples. 

Caramel, with its super sticky warm creamy comforting flavor, has really soared in popularity over the last decade.  But the regular version is full of sugar and dairy.  Not a good choice for those of us with strong reactions to sugar and dairy.

Here I have for you a recipe for Sugar Free Caramel Dip that is sweetened only with dates and nothing else.  It has no dairy at all, and it’s completely scrumptious.  I love to dip apples in it or use it as a filling for alfajores cookies. 

It’s so easy and fast to make with a food processor.  The thing that takes the most time is simply soaking the dates.  I usually do this the night before I’m planning to make the caramel dip.  The dates need to soften so that when they get pureed, they’re super smooth just as caramel should be.

This recipe is adapted from Ali Segersten’s fantastic recipe at Nourishing Meals.  I’ve removed the maple syrup, because the dates are plenty sweet enough on their own.  I have replace cashews with pine nuts, because cashews are high in FODMAPS.  Pine nuts are not, plus pine nuts are already smooth and creamy, so that helps with the caramel texture.  And I’ve added a bit of coconut oil to help the caramel firm up.  This is especially important if you’re using this as a filling for a sandwich cookie.  Otherwise, you can leave it out if you don’t want the extra saturated fat from the coconut oil.

A note on FODMAPS.  I realize that dates are high in FODMAPS.  For me, personally, I have a stronger reaction to cashews that I do to dates.  To ease the attack of the FODMAPS, I have chosen to keep the dates and get rid of the cashews.  That makes this recipe manageable for me in small amounts.  If you don’t have a strong reaction to cashews, then you can use cashews instead of pine nuts.  I don’t have a good replacement for dates, unfortunately.  They’re the backbone of this recipe.

I’m really excited that I can give my daughter a healthy alternative to a popular treat that she often hears mentioned in stories or movies (somehow caramel apples make a lot of appearances in children’s books, even though I remember them being very disappointing when I finally convinced my parents to let me have one as a child… kind of like funnel cakes). 

I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe and get creative with all of the different ways you can use this Sugar Free Caramel Dip.  Please share your ideas in the comments below. 

Why You’ll LOVE this Recipe:

• Sugar Free Caramel!
• Dairy Free
• Gluten Free
• Paleo
• Vegan
• Quick to make

Ingredients for Sugar Free Caramel Dip:

• dates
• pine nuts
• stevia
• salt
• vanilla extract
• coconut oil
• date soaking water

Notes on Ingredients:

Dates – Use pitted dates to make things easier.  You can use medjool dates or noor dates.  Both work great.  Medjool dates will give you a darker colored caramel, while noor dates will give you a lighter colored caramel.

Pine nuts – Pine nuts are naturally smooth and creamy, and they’re Low-FODMAP.  If you want a cheaper alternative, use cashews instead.  Just be sure to soak the cashews for at least 3 hours (same as the dates).  If you’re using pine nuts, you don’t need to soak them.

Stevia – Just a touch is the perfect sweetness.

Salt – Caramel’s flavor gets a major boost from just a little salt.

Vanilla extract – Vanilla brings out all the other flavors and gives the caramel a certain depth of flavor.

Coconut oil – Coconut oil helps to make the caramel firm up when chilled.  This is helpful if you’re using the caramel as a filling for sandwich cookies, for example.  If you’re just using the caramel as a dip or a sauce, the coconut oil is optional.

Date soaking water – Use the water that the dates soaked in to thin out the caramel and make it super smooth.

How to Make Sugar Free Caramel Dip From Scratch

Once you have the dates soaked, this recipe is a breeze.

First, soak the dates in a bowl of water for at least 3 hours (or overnight).

Remove the dates from the water after soaking, and keep the water that the dates soaked in.

Put the dates, pine nuts, stevia, salt, vanilla, and coconut oil (if using) all together in a food processor.  Blend on high until the dates and pine nuts are completely pureed.

Add the date soaking water, and blend until completely smooth.

Use immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.

Eat and enjoy!