Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce
This easy vegan caramel sauce made with dates is a deliciously creamy and naturally sweet alternative to traditional caramel. Made with wholesome ingredients, it’s perfect for drizzling over desserts or adding a rich, caramel flavor to your favorite treats.
Ten minutes is all it takes to make this 4-ingredient dairy-free caramel sauce that is delicious on desserts, apple slices, our dairy-free vanilla nice cream, this Instant Pot easy vegan yogurt , these banana oatmeal pancakes, and anything else you might think of!
This is such a simple dessert that can have so many uses. Just recently, I made Vegan Date Caramel Apples using it, and they were absolutely amazing! For the apples, I made it a little thicker so it would stick to the apples well but, it’s so versatile, that you can make it thick, thin, or somewhere in between.
Reasons you will love this sauce
- Naturally Sweet and Delicious: Made with dates, this vegan caramel sauce offers a rich, caramel-like flavor without refined sugars, providing a healthier and naturally sweet alternative.
- Simple and Wholesome Ingredients: With just a few natural ingredients, this sauce is easy to make and free from artificial additives, making it a wholesome choice for enhancing your desserts.
- Versatile and Customizable: Perfect for drizzling over ice cream, pancakes, or baked goods, this date-based caramel sauce can be customized with spices like cinnamon or sea salt for added flavor.
- Vegan and Dairy-Free: This caramel sauce is entirely vegan and dairy-free, catering to those with dietary restrictions or anyone looking for a plant-based option to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Ingredients you will need
- Dates- Medjool dates are ideal for making vegan caramel sauce because of their natural sweetness, rich, caramel-like flavor, and soft, sticky texture. These qualities help create a smooth, creamy sauce with minimal processing, providing a healthier and more natural alternative to refined sugars.
- Plant milk- Helps achieve a creamy and smooth consistency while keeping the sauce dairy-free. Plant milk, such as almond, coconut, or oat milk, complements the natural sweetness of dates and ensures the sauce has a rich, velvety texture without the need for animal products.
- Vanilla- Enhances the overall flavor profile, adding a warm, aromatic depth that complements the natural sweetness of the dates.
All of the ingredients used are wholesome and much lower in fat than the traditional version. Made with dates, vanilla, sea salt, and plant milk, this vegan caramel sauce is going to knock your socks off. The recipe is adapted from the Eating Bird Food website.
Medjool Dates
My favorite dates to use are Medjool dates. They are very large and are the most common type used in cooking and baking. They are chewy, moist, and sweet and have wrinkled skin that indicates they are dried. These are the ones I used for this recipe and many others like Dairy-Free Stuffed Dates.
Nutritionally, dates are high in fiber, iron, potassium, and B vitamins. They have 2 grams of protein in a little over 3 ounces.
How do you make vegan caramel sauce?
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Remove the pits from each of the dates. Removing the pits from dates before using them in recipes is essential for achieving a smooth texture and avoiding any unpleasant surprises in your dish.
STEP #2: Add all of the ingredients–dates, vanilla, sea salt, and plant milk–to your high-power blender. My personal favorite and the only brand I use is Vitamix because it can blend anything I throw in it to perfection.
STEP #3: Blend the ingredients until nice and smooth. Add more plant milk 1-2 tablespoons at a time if needed to help the blending process.
Adjust the consistency
One of the best things about this recipe is that by making adjustments to the amount of plant milk used, you can easily change the consistency for different uses. To make an extra-special treat for the kids, add less milk to keep it thick and make these fabulous Vegan Caramel Apples.
Want to be able to drizzle it over Vegan Crockpot Vanilla Cake or Nice Cream? EASY! Add a little more milk to make the consistency more liquidy to flow right over all those desserts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Medjool dates are the best choice for making vegan caramel sauce due to their natural sweetness, soft texture, and caramel-like flavor. If using other types of dates, such as Deglet Noor, you may need to soak them in warm water to soften them before blending.
If the caramel sauce is too thick, gradually add more plant-based milk until you reach your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, simmer it over low heat to reduce and thicken, or add more blended dates to achieve the right texture.
Store leftover vegan caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, you can freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recipes That Could Use Some Caramel Sauce
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce (4-Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 20 mejool dates pitted
- 1/4 cup plant milk almond, soy, etc
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Remove the pits from each of the dates.
- Then, add all of the ingredients–dates, vanilla, sea salt, and plant milk–to your high-power blender. My personal favorite and the only brand I use is Vitamix because it can blend anything I throw in it to perfection.
- Blend the ingredients until nice and smooth. Add more plant milk 1-2 tablespoons at a time if needed to help the blending process.
- One of the best things about this recipe is that by making adjustments to the amount of plant milk used, you can easily change the consistency for different uses. To make an extra-special treat for the kids, add less milk to keep it thick and make these fabulous Vegan Caramel Apples.
Video
Notes
- Dates- Medjool dates are recommended over other types of dates such as Deglet Noor varieties because they have a soft, chewy, caramel-like texture.
- Thickness- If the caramel sauce is too thick, gradually add more plant-based milk until you reach your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, simmer it over low heat to reduce and thicken, or add more blended dates to achieve the right texture.
- Storage- Store leftover vegan caramel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, you can freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
I just made this and it’s delicious!I have never used dates in cooking so I didn’t know what to expect.Dipping my apple in it and really satisfies my sweet tooth.
Karla- YES! That’s great to hear. Dates are a great way too sweeten so many recipes. So glad that you liked this!
Can this be warmed in the microwave before serving?
Hi Kathy- Yes, the caramel sauce should do just fine when heating, and any leftovers will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for at least a week. I hope that you enjoy the recipe and find some yummy ways to use it.
How long will this keep refrigerated?
Hi Mishele- I would think it should keep for about 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can this caramel sauce be used as a substitution for sugar in a recipe? And, if so, how?
Karen- Hmmm, that I’m not sure about. I guess it’s possible depending on the recipe you’re using. If you give it a try, I would love to hear about how it goes.