Raw Tahini Date Salted Caramels

I’m about to get all raw food, vegan, and healthy on you.  If those words make you cringe, don’t worry – these things are addictively delicious no matter what diet you follow!  Let’s talk about dates – they are naturally super sweet and packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  They are also low calorie compared to processed sweets.  In other words, they are nature’s guilt-free candy.  Now let’s talk about Barhi dates. Oh. My. Gosh.  These dates have a really short season and can be hard to find (I order them from here), but they are totally worth the hunt.  They taste like butterscotch candy or caramel, just on their own!  There is seriously a world of difference between Barhi and other dates, believe me.  And in this recipe?  Killer.

Now that we’ve established that you should totally use Barhi dates because they are way more delicious than any other kind, what else do you need to make these caramels?  Tahini, coconut oil, cardamom, and that’s it!  Blend it all up in a food processor and press into a lined pan.  I had trouble getting all the coconut oil to incorporate, which didn’t make any difference taste-wise, but made them less pretty.  Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and freeze until firm.

Once they are firm, cut them into little squares and that’s it!  You have to keep them in the freezer so that they stay firm, but that’s not so much to ask, is it?  They are rich, sweet, and complex with the flavors of caramel, tahini, cardamom, and coconut coming together, and the sea salt just takes it over the top.  Good for you, delicious, fits any diet, and makes great gifts – why are you not making these yet?  Get on it!

Raw Tahini Date Salted Caramels
adapted from The Kitchn
*I made double

1 cup pitted dates (Barhi highly recommended)
1/2 cup tahini
2 tbsp coconut oil (room temperature)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1/8 tsp fleur de sel or other finishing salt

Combine the dates, tahini, coconut oil, and cardamom in a blender or food processor. You should have a very smooth, creamy, and thick paste.

Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined loaf pan (or another equivalent container) and use a spatula to press it down evenly. Sprinkle with salt.

Freeze until firm. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.

Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.

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