This delicious, thick, date-sweetened chocolate sauce will knock your socks off! Vegan and paleo-friendly.
Need a date-sweetened chocolate drizzle? Who doesn't!
It seems I'm always after a chocolate sauce of some kind to pour atop berries or baked treats, particularly if the latter is low sugar. The touch of this sauce adds a luxurious taste and sweetness that complements many recipes, including my Bitter Chocolate Cake, Ice Cream, or a Big, Fat Oatmeal Cookie!
The kids found out this weekend that it's also delicious with fresh strawberries.
My husband's birthday is today, so the tots and I were in the kitchen yesterday baking the cake, making his favorite cashew recipe, taking pictures, and retesting this yummy chocolate sauce! These are the days I'll miss terribly when they're older and 'too cool' for mom.
We actually all got out of the house this weekend and trekked up to Globe, where my husband is from. His niece was turning two, and the kids really wanted to get their reclusive parents out for some fun!
While outings tend to stress me out, this one turned out okay, and I'm hoping we can make it a more regular thang.
Sam was a bit of a pill for the second half of the trip, but all in all, he did well. The hubby gave the girls mp3 players, which was a first for them. They sat back there, enjoying the likes of Ace of Base and Elvis, loving every second.
I have to say, though, the sight of them like that was a stark reminder that they are both growing up fast! It was a bittersweet moment for me, as I wish I could just stop time and have them be my babies forever.
Alas, chocolate is my solace, and this sauce is aces, baby.
Sweet, rich coconut milk combines with soft and chewy dates and creamy chocolate for sheer, blissful decadence!
Date-Sweetened Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk see Notes
- 2 ounces soft dates
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate chopped fine
- tiny pinch sea salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm the coconut milk in a saucepan (just to bathwater temperature).
- Turn the heat off and add the dates into the milk.
- Let soak for 10 minutes.
- Blend the milk with the dates in a high speed blender until smooth (there shouldn't be any visible pieces).
- Add the date milk back to the saucepan and turn the heat on to medium high.
- Whisk in the chopped chocolate until smooth and well combined. This takes a few minutes, as the chocolate has to melt.
- Once smooth and thick, you can use it immediately or refrigerate for later. It thickens up even more when refrigerated!
Notes
Nutrition
Notes:
I like to use my Homemade Coconut Milk or Trader Joe's coconut milk (no additives) for this recipe. Either should be shaken well prior to using here.
I'd call this is modestly sweet. If you have a real strong sweet tooth, you might add another date or two OR a few drops of stevia at the end.
Unsweetened (baker's) chocolate is easily found at grocery stores or even Target, and it typically comes pre-packaged in one ounce chunks (see below).
This is the food scale I use to measure the dates (shown below).
Some of the items I use in this recipe include:
Recipe Steps:
Heating the milk...
Soaking the dates...
Chopped chocolate...
One ounce of unsweetened chocolate...
Blended date milk...
Add in the chocolate...
Melting the chocolate...
Thumbs up from the kids!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET, HARD-WORKING HUSBAND! I LOVE YOU, GIRL!
Beatrice Gustafison
I love using dates in recipes too! I'll have to give this one a try!