Soften the dates. Soak the dates in boiling or hot water for at least an hour. Likewise, you can heat them in a saucepan or the microwave for a super-quick soak. Cover and store them in the refrigerator if you are soaking them overnight.
Make the paste. Drain the dates and reserve 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Place the dates in a blender or food processor with 2 tablespoons of water. Gradually increase the speed and add more water until the paste is smooth.
Store or freeze. Use a jar or airtight container and store date paste in the refrigerator for up to a month. Freeze in small containers, freezer bags, or ice cube trays for several months (up to a year if covered).
Notes
1 cup of dates will yield approximately 1 cup of date paste.
Nutritional information is based on 1 tablespoon of date paste.
Make date paste without a blender or food processor by softening and warming the dates. Heat them in a saucepan or in the microwave. Drain the dates and immediately use a large fork, pastry cutter, or a pestle and mortar to break them down.
To substitute date paste for sugar, use 2/3 of a cup of date paste for every 1 cup of sugar or every ½ cup of maple syrup.