Thick gooey rich caramel sauce……one of my older recipes that’s just as appealing to me today as the day I first made it. How many recipes can you say that about? The time-tested dishes just keep on chugging up loads of enjoyment, don’t they? This favorite is simply so easy to make and beyond drool-worthy. Just a few ingredients to blend and your taste buds can start celebrating natural,healthy, and real caramel sauce. I say “real” because this sauce doesn’t contain any artificial flavorings or ingredients and is actually mega-nourishing. By the way you don’t have to cook it either. Yes.
This fresh sauce is literally melt-in-your mouth sweetness that delivers an abundance of nutrients and offers a whole lot of versatility. Serve with fruit (sublime with green sour apples or as a coating for caramel apples), as a spread, in smoothies, over ice cream, in savory dishes, over cooked cereal, in desserts, as a glaze, I could go on but I won’t. By the way you can just eat it right out of the blender jar too.
To add extra richness to my sauce I included gold fax seed oil. Gold flax seeds are the sister to brown flax seeds. They’re very similar (in fact virtually identical) in their nutritional profiles, but the flavor and appearance is where they part ways. Gold flax seeds are more golden in color and have a mild buttery/nutty flavor. They produce a fragrant and flavorful oil which I love using in recipes for extra depth and color and where a hint of buttery flavor would work. To me it tastes similar to browned butter. Adding the gold flax seed oil is purely optional. You can just as easily substitute with incredible coconut oil, or omit the oil altogether and use the basic recipe for a scrumptious low-fat sauce.
From their humble beginnings, Medjool dates were destined to become one of the most sought after fruits of all time. A few tidbits about this incredible fruit:
- Medjool dates are known as the world’s oldest fruit, dating back to the Sumerian civilization before 3000 B.C. where they were grown on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
- Medjool dates are considered the most highly-prized of the hundreds of date varieties grown throughout the world because of their size, extraordinary sweetness, and succulent texture.
- Medjool dates are the only variety of date that can be picked and eaten fresh.
- Medjool dates are considered low-glycemic fruits meaning they are diabetic and hypoglycemic-friendly although amounts should be monitored.
- Medjool dates are richer in potassium than in any other mineral. In fact, they contain more potassium than banana, orange, or spinach.
- Medjool dates are a natural laxative and help alleviate intestinal disorders. They are are high in a particularly beneficial soluble fiber known as beta-D-glucanfiber which absorbs and holds water, giving it the ability to add bulk and softness to stools – a quality predominantly associated with insoluble fiber.
- Medjool dates are certified Heart Healthy by the American Heart Association.
With all these good reasons to include dates in your life, there’s simply no excuse not to indulge. This sauce is very flexible and can be easily customized with various flavors and spices; anything your big healthy heart desires. Gooey, super sweet, and absolutely delicious, it’s caramel sauce on tap in our home.
This recipe is dairy/nut/gluten-free. It yields about 1 cup and can easily be doubled or tripled.
Raw Caramel Sauce
- If using dates that are on the tougher side simply soak them in water until soft and drain before using, reserving half a cup of the liquid in case you need extra liquid during blending. The soaking water can also be used in place of the water.
- You can substitute Medjool dates with other varieties keeping in mind the texture, volume, and sweetness.
- 16 very soft Medjool dates, pits and stems removed
- 2 – 3 Tbsp coconut/palm sugar to taste (optional)
- 2 vanilla beans or 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 – 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp gold flax seed oil (optional but highly recommended for buttery flavor)
- extra water or soaking water from dates as needed
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom or any other desired spices.
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender.
- Start blending on the lowest speed slowly building up speed until the mixture is completely smooth. If it’s too thick, add just enough more liquid to keep blending until smooth and thick.
- Serve immediately or store refrigerated up to a week. Sauce will thicken a little when stored.
- Yields about 1 cup.
- Can be stored refrigerated up to 5 days.
Are you posting again? Great. This looks incredible. Okay I have to ask where in heck do I get golden flax seed oil? Must have since you seem to be a big fan and need for this recipe. Thanks.
Thank you for visiting the site. There are 2 companies I know of producing golden flax seed oil. I purchase mine through Vitacost or Amazon. Feel free to visit the Shopping page for more resources. I hope you love this recipe. Have a great day!
Looks insanely good. I’m thinking if I add some nuts into this and freeze I’ll have candy. Love it. :)
Thanks so much. I agree candy would be amazing. Hope you love it! Have a great day!
Your site is very interesting. I am just starting to explore raw foods. Do you need a high-speed blender for this recipe? It seems you need special equipment for most raw food recipes. Thank you.
Thank you for your comment. Yes a high-speed blender is helpful but not absolutely necessary. You can break down solid foods like nuts or cacao nibs by grinding them into powder with a nut/coffee grinder, and soak firmer foods such as dried fruits before blending. I would say the only equipment “exclusive” to raw foods is perhaps a dehydrator (although it’s used in other cuisines as well) which isn’t even really necessary if you have an oven. In all my dehydrator recipes I also include directions for using an oven in case that’s all you have. I personally find the equipment list for making raw foods rather small. If you have a good blender, food processor, and conventional oven (and maybe coffee/nut grinder) you can make just about any recipe on this website. If you need any assistance please feel free to contact me. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Have a wonderful day!
Thank you for the fast reply. I hope I didn’t sound negative or disrespectful with my comments. You have a beautiful site and I can appreciate the hard work you put into it. At this stage, I feel a little overwhelmed by all of this since I’m coming from a SAD diet and having to make to many changes for my ailing health. I will read you posts carefully and try to absorb all the information. Again no disrespect intended and thank you for the offer to contact you. I may do that.
No problem and no offense taken. I might suggest you try some basic recipes such as Cashew Milk or Almond Milk which can be used for a multitude of beverages and smoothies and soups. Green smoothies such as the Matcha Green Smoothie are also super healthy and versatile and can easily become a staple. Good luck and again if you need any assistance please feel free to contact me. Have a wonderful day!
Thanks so much. I’ll be sending you an email shortly. You are an angel.
This looks divine! Much thicker than other raw caramel sauces I’ve seen. Now I have to get that flax seed oil, it seems like the secret ingredient. I like to make fruit kabobs for holiday guests to dip in different sauces. Cannot wait to try this.
Thank you for the kind words. Your dessert sounds wonderful Kris. I hope you all love this sauce with your fruit kabobs. By the way the golden flax seed oil is recommended but not necessary so don’t let that stop you from making this delish sauce. Coconut oil works great too. Have a wonderful day!
I love dates!! I’ve made caramel paste or sauce or whatever but it always tasted like date puree with almond butter or date puree. I think the other posters are right, this is super thick and gooey cos the oil. But you added other flavors too. It must be amazing. Can I have about 4 quarts of this??
Ha ha okay well I don’t even have enough dates for 4 quarts.:) Seriously it’s really easy to make. I hope you love it. Thanks for commenting and have a wonderful afternoon!
I have to say this is the best vegan caramel sauce I’ve had. I know there’s a lot of sweetness there but wow the flavor is incredible. Putting it on everything now and making some jars for Christmas gifts. Your such a sweet soul to post this. Hugs for the holidays.
I’m so glad you loved it. I agree it makes a great present. I always have a quart on hand for guests. Hugs back to you and have a wonderful holiday!
yowzer, this was amazing. i used maple syrup instead of the coconut sugar and extra virgin olive oil which did work. the second time i ordered the golden flax and used that, better. i served this over thinly sliced green apples and topped with coconut cream, gone in a hit. thanks golden gal. a holiday keeper.
Thank you for commenting and I’m so glad you loved it. Your dessert sounds wonderful. Have a great evening!
Caramel sauce was a tradition in our house for years. Every holiday we would make a large batch and keep it around for everything. I stopped making it because I couldn’t find a good clean recipe most tasted like dates and almond butter okay I know that’s what’s in it but I wanted a vegan caramel sauce that tasted like regular caramel sauce (maybe better?) but this may be the one that bring that tradition back. Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for commenting. Caramel sauce is a tradition around here too, so versatile and yummy. I hope you love the recipe. Have a great day!
OMG this looks amazing. I’m going to do it right though and get the golden flax seed oil. Can I ask what brand you use? Thanks.
Thank you for the comment. I use the brand Foods Alive. I like it a lot although I haven’t tried the other brand. It’s available on several sites. I purchase mine through Vitacost http://www.vitacost.com/foods-alive-100-organic-gold-flax-oil. I hope you love it. Have a great evening!
I ordered it. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks so much!
So sweet and so good. I made it without the oil next time I’ll use the oil but deelicious. Made the best caramel apples for my neighbors kids. Thanks so much for the share!
Your welcome! I’m so glad you loved the sauce. I agree they make phenom caramel apples. Have a wonderful evening!