Weekly Spotlight: Exploring Dates and Agave Syrup as Natural Sweeteners!

Refined sugar is everywhere and found in many packaged sweet treats. If you’re working to avoid refined sugar or want to learn more about alternative sweeteners, you’re in the right place. This guide focuses on dates and agave syrup and how to use them in various recipes to get you started. It can seem overwhelming to change to using these sweeteners or looking for products that use natural sweeteners, but starting slow and incorporating them slowly is the best way to build the habit.

These recipes are also delicious and make healthier desserts to enjoy during the week or even to gift to someone. Plus, if you’re looking for inspiration, check out these  20 Awesome Things You Can Do With Dates and learn how to create decadent desserts with them! And it’s not just dates that are wonderful to use, but you can also make or buy date syrup as another sweetening alternative.

Agave syrup is wonderful to use in beverages and even in alcoholic drinks. It’s perfect to drizzle over nice cream or sorbet, too. Agave nectar is also a low glycemic index sweetener, meaning it causes a more gradual and drop in blood sugar.

Other natural sweeteners include blackstrap molasses, fruit syrups, and coconut nectar.

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives! 

This week, we’re bringing delicious, fully vegan, and plant-based ways to use natural sweeteners!

Using Dates as Sweet Treats

Source: Pistachio Date and Olive Oil Loaf

The best part of incorporating dates into your diet is many delicious recipes you can make with them. Since they’re XX, they don’t contain any refined sugar, which makes them perfect for midday snacking or enjoying as a healthier dessert. These sweet treats are all created with dates, from banana breads to shortbread!

• Date and Walnut Banana Bread by Hayley Canning
• Date Crumble by Hayley Canning
• No-Bake Chocolate Date Truffles by Wholesome LLC
• Date Squares by Kris Dee
• Almond & Date Shortbread by Judy Moosmueller
• Cashew Date Squares by Bila
• Pistachio Date and Olive Oil Loaf by Courtney Klumper
• Gingerbread Date Bites by Caroline Doucet
• Easy Cocoa Date Truffles by Maggie Wescott

Using Dates as a Sweetener

Source: Cinnamon Roll Date Butter

Another excellent way to use dates is to use them as a sweetener in recipes. You can add them into homemade non-dairy milk recipes or use them in oatmeal. If you want a smoother texture from dates, de-pit them and then soak them in warm water for around ten minutes. This will soften them up. Then, toss them in a blender to get a smooth paste. This paste can be used as a spread (feel free to add a dash of cinnamon for a bit of spice), or even mixed into recipes!

• Date Sweetened Hemp Milk, Two Ways by Caroline Doucet
• Date-Sweetened Peanut Butter Freezer Fudge by Caroline Doucet
• Cinnamon Roll Date Butter by Kristen Genton
• Oat Flour Almond Butter Brownies with Salted Date Caramel Frosting by Allie Penner

Agave Syrup

Source: Raw Banana Ice Cream Sundae

Agave works well in drinks and in meals, and it works amazingly to add to dessert, too! These sweet treats not only taste great but allow you to explore the versatility of agave syrup!

• Crispy Agave-Ginger Tofu Wings by Dawn Hutchins
• Honeydew Sorbet With Lime and Mint by Gabrielle St. Claire
• Cocoa Chai Hot Cross Buns by Clémence Moulaert
• Raw Banana Ice Cream Sundae by Emily von Euw
• 3-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Bites by Sophie Yotova

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Lead Image: Pistachio Date and Olive Oil Loaf by Courtney Klumper