One of the things my clients always ask for is for more AIP snack options! My go to AIP snacks are mostly bananas, baked or boiled sweet potato (I always have some in my refrigerator), a smoothie with 2/3 veggies and a fruit, olives, carrots and celery with guacamole, coconut chips with chopped dates or raisins. I also will sometimes make snacks like apricot coconut balls, AIP breakfast bars,Coconut ladoos, etc
A few weeks ago, I received a free sample of Date sugar from PurDate I was instantly impressed with it’s nutritional value and low glycemic index. Date sugar is made from dates that have been dried, pitted, and ground. No preservatives or chemicals are added—the sugar is purely dates. It retains almost all of the nutritional content of the original whole fruit, making it one of the healthiest sugar options on the market! It’s like cooking with dates instead of sugar! As I was looking through various recipes through PurDate‘s website, a caramel sauce recipe caught my attention since I was meaning to try making one using dates. And I thought well using date sugar just makes it easier since no blending would be needed!
So I tried making a caramel sauce but I ended up with more of a thick, dip like consistency. I could have just added more of the coconut milk to get it to sauce consistency but I thought that a caramel dip would be great as a dip for apples and strawberries or other fruits. So I let it be and I am so happy to share this delicious and easy caramel dip recipe!
- 2 tbsps of palm shortening, softened (I like Nutiva brand)
- ¼ cup date sugar (Pur Date) (see notes for substitutions)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup coconut milk (Native Forest unsweetened)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- In a sauce pan, add the palm shortening and heat until it melts. Then add the date sugar and stir until it gets well mixed with the melted shortening and forms a cohesive mass. Stir to break any lumps. Then add the coconut milk, salt and vanilla extract (if adding). Stir with a spoon for about 4-6 mins until you get a thick dip like consistency. Turn heat off and let cool. Transfer to an air tight container.
You can replace the date sugar with coconut sugar however you will get a darker color and a liquid / runny consistency of the dip. If you want a thicker consistency, you can use chopped dates and blend the whole mixture after cooking it.
You can also replace the coconut milk with any nut milk like almond milk or cashew nut milk for a non AIP version.
