You Only Need 2 Ingredients For This Easy DIY Sugar Replacement

Sugar replacements are more popular than ever as an increasing percentage of the population steers away from refined sweeteners. The logic is not unfounded. The Mayo Clinic reports that "Added sugar can play a part in weight gain [and] raise your risk of serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease."

These concerns have led to a glut of artificial sugar substitutes hitting the market, like sucralose and aspartame. While these replacements sound great on paper — sweeter than sugar and zero-calorie! — the jury's out on the potential carcinogenic effects of the products. Even naturally derived sugar replacements have come under fire: Monk fruit, a popular sweetener, may be associated with an elevated risk of blood clots. Honey, maple syrup, and molasses are perennially popular swaps for white sugar, but they still contain a high glycemic index and carry a not-insignificant association with dental cavities and possible insulin resistance.

No sweet stand-in is ever going to be perfect. If you are on the hunt for something natural, however, there is an easy sugar replacement that is foolproof to DIY at home. It uses two cheap ingredients that are a breeze to source, and it's sweet enough to use most ways you use table sugar. The secret is out: Date paste, made with just dates and water, is the sugar sub you've been wanting.

The humble date is an ancient fruit with big health benefits: They contain high fiber and promote gut and brain health. Around the world, dates have been appreciated and incorporated into religious traditions for ages, but they have only attained awareness and popularity in American culture in the past 100 years.

To make your own date paste, you need only dried and pitted dates, boiling water, and a blender. Soak the dates in the water for 30 minutes, then immediately place your rehydrated dates in your blender, fire it up, and gradually add a small amount of the soaking liquid to get a smooth blend. You can add as much or as little water as you'd like to adjust the consistency of the paste. Your date paste will be ready to use straight from the blender, or you can store it in the fridge for up to one month.

You can switch up the flavor of your date paste depending on what you need it for. Adding fruit juice will give your paste additional sweetness and nuance. Warm spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, or ginger, will also amplify the flavor of your recipe.

The best part about date paste as a DIY sugar replacement is the amazing versatility of use it brings to the table. Got a savory dish that would benefit from a pop of sweetness, like chili? Date paste has you covered since dates and chili are an unexpected power couple. You can add date paste to your drinks, like coffee, tea, or smoothies, for a mellow, mild sweetness that doesn't overwhelm the palate. 

Sauces and marinades that would typically utilize honey taste fabulous with date paste. It makes a delicious swirl-in for oatmeal and even tastes brilliant spread on toast or as a healthy dip for sliced apples.

Note that using date paste as a sugar replacement for baking is tricky but doable for experienced bakers. Willingness to experiment may be necessary since it can take more paste to swap for the same volume of sugar, and the substitution is not precise. You may also have to tinker with moisture levels as well. The most successful recipes to utilize date paste as a sugar replacement have already been written for liquid sweetener, as less adjustment will be necessary. Otherwise, it may be most prudent to stick with recipes that already call for date paste as a sweet component.