This sweet vegan caramel dip is the perfect accompaniment to apple slices and is delicious spread on toast. With no nuts and sweetened with dates and natural maple syrup, you can feel good about sending your kids to school with this fall snack that eats like a treat. Just make sure you save some for yourself!
Ingredients
- 8 to 12 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in hot water
- 1 15oz/443ml can chickpeas (no salt added, if available), drained and rinsed
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt (omit if chickpeas are salted!)
- Optional: 1 to 2 Tbsp maple syrup
Preparation
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Pit your dates, place them in a bowl and cover with hot water for 2 to 3 minutes. I found that 10 dates gave me just the right of sweetness, but this depends on size and how much of a sweet tooth you have. Start with eight and you can always add more!
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Drain your chickpeas into a colander and give them a very good rinse. Once rinsed, dump them into your food processor.
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Melt the coconut oil and add to the food processor along with the drained dates and all other ingredients. Begin to blend the dip.
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Stop the food processor to scrape down the sides with a spatula every 45 seconds or so as the dates slowly incorporate with the chickpeas.
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When the mixture has become quite smooth, taste test to determine if it is sweet enough. If it isn’t, add 2 to 4 more soaked dates or you could add maple syrup (one tablespoon at a time).
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Once the dip is sweet enough for you, blend for 3 to 4 minutes until it is super, duper smooth!
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Enjoy immediately or keep for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
