Vegan Chocolate Sauce
By the Gracious Vegan
It’s hard to believe this chocolate sauce is sugar-free and free from butter or coconut milk. It’s silky smooth, sweet, and chocolatey. I love it on nice cream, rice pudding, and all sorts of pies and cakes. It’s also a snap to make – takes just minutes. Date syrup is the key – see below recipe for buying tips.
Makes about 2/3 cup of sauce (can be doubled or tripled)
Whisk or use an immersion (stick) blender to blend the following ingredients together.
1/3 cup date syrup
2 Tablespoons almond butter
2 Tablespoons water
1.5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Where to find date syrup
You can make your own date syrup (also called silan), but it’s a bit labor-intensive. There are many excellent choices of organic date syrups online, and you can find it in some grocery stores, natural food stores, and occasionally at outlets. I use Date Lady syrup most often and swear by it. Use discount code CHEFAJ for a 10% discount (I don’t know if this promo code has an expiration date).
Healthiness of dates
Date syrup contains decent amounts of potassium (more than a banana, ounce for ounce, iron, and magnesium as well as many antioxidants that help tame inflammation and oxidation in the body. The glycemic index score of date syrup is 47, which makes is a low GI food and safe for those with diabetes to eat in moderation.
Ideas for using this chocolate syrup
Note that this syrup is calorie-dense, so it would be wise to eat only a little at a time.
A dip for fruit, especially strawberries, figs, and bananas
On healthy brownies
On healthy cakes
On nice cream
On poached pears or pear compote
On Cherry Nice Cream or Really Nice Cream with Added Brownie Bits
Make hot chocolate with nondairy milk
Make your coffee a mocha with this sauce and nondairy milk
On a stuffed date with a nut or peanut butter in it
Stir into unsweetened shredded coconut and eat just a few bites at a time
Timing: about 5 minutes
Gluten-free