Dates have long been enjoyed as a sweet and nutritional food especially in the Mediterranean and Middle East for thousands of years. They are traditionally enjoyed as a snack always present in a bowl on the dining room table alongside raw nuts and seeds. In Western culture Dates and date sugar have been enjoyed in recipes such as Date Squares topped with crunchy oatmeal – YUM!
Unlike typical refined sugar from cane or beets, this variety is made from ground dates. There is no processing involved at all, so you get a pure unrefined natural sweetener that is uniquely suited to specific culinary recipes. And Dates don’t just taste great, they are nutritional too!
Discover Healthy Sugar Alternatives
Date Sugar is a pleasant-tasting natural sweetener made from finely chopped dried dates. Its texture is a course of dry granular brown-coloured sugar.
Because it tends not to melt when heated like refined white cane sugar, it is best used in recipes which call for brown sugar. Date Sugar tends to be a little sweeter than brown sugar so it is suggested you use approximately 2/3 the equivalent of brown sugar.
How To Add Date Sugar To Your Daily Life
You can add a sprinkle of Date Sugar to fresh fruit, plain yogurt, or hot cereals. It is also used in whole-grain bread recipes which call for it specifically. In grain recipes, its unique taste and sweetness complements the taste and texture of whole grains very well.
What Are The Health Benefits of Date Sugar?
Date Sugar is high in many nutrients. In fact, it scored higher in antioxidant content than any other sugar, even compared to honey and maple syrup. This sugar is high in beta-carotene, Lutein and Zea-Xanthin. Antioxidants protect your cells against oxidative damage from free radicals and oxidized fats. All three of these antioxidants are especially protective for your eyes and protect against cataracts and macular degeneration.
It is also high in tannins which keep your digestive system healthy and fight infection. And, if you are one of those people who bruise easily, tannins and the iron naturally contained in Date Sugar will strengthen your capillaries which protect them from being easily damaged.
Lastly, this sugar alternative is also high in vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Potassium, Calcium, Copper, Manganese, Magnesium and phosphorus. All of these nutrients are important for bone, blood and electrolyte balance.
Shopping For Quality Date Sugar Products
Date Sugar comes in course granular form. It can be found in most health food stores and online.
For baking recipes, because it is sweeter than regular sugar, only add 2/3 of what is asked for in brown or white sugar.
Remember this sugar alternative does not melt or dissolve well in liquid so when substituting it for another sugar be aware of this.
