Caramel apples are symbolic of Autumn and the impending holiday season. However, it only takes a few bites to get knee-deep in a sugar coma. This caramel apple recipe swaps nutritionally-devoid white sugar for the natural sweetness of dates.

Paired with nut milk, nut butter and vanilla, this raw vegan caramel apple recipe is creamy, filling, and aromatic, making for the perfect complement to apples.

Caramel is essentially white sugar that has been melted. With the natural sugars of apple already there to satisfy your sweet tooth, the caramel often becomes one-too-many layers of icing on the cake. I love the way this caramel apple recipe tastes — reminiscent of traditional caramel but less of a hassle to eat. It harbors a hint of nutty overtones and is easier to digest. The result is entirely raw, vegan, and wholesome. Enjoy!

Raw, Refined Sugar-Free Caramel Apple Recipe

Serves a group of 3-4 snackers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 2 tablespoons nut butter
• 1/3 cup nut milk
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Dash of sea salt
• 2 apples
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: Toss the dates, nut butter, nut milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract into a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add additional nut milk to reach desired consistency. The mixture should be thick.

Cut the apple into thin wedges. Use each wedge to scoop about 1 teaspoon of the caramel and then press the area covered by the caramel into a small bowl with chopped walnuts. The walnuts will stick to the caramel.

Repeat this process for each wedge until the caramel has finished. Serve as such or, alternatively, serve the sliced apples next to a small serving bowl of caramel sprinkled with the chopped walnuts. Either way, enjoy this sweet raw delight!

Related on EcoSalon:

3-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Recipe

21 Apple Recipes to Celebrate Late Summer and Early Fall

8 Things to Do With Dates (Ahem: The Fruit, Not Men)

Image Credit: GlowKitchen

The post Raw, Refined Sugar-Free Caramel Apple Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Caramel sauce is essentially sugar that has been melted down to a brown liquid. To make it more palatable and easy to work with, it is then traditionally mixed with butter and cream. Ultimately, the sauce is a recipe that does little for your health and more for your muffin top. The following healthy caramel sauce recipe utilizes only 3 ingredients to turn caramel’s story into something a bit more positive, without compromising taste.

The backbone of caramel – sugar — has become taboo in mainstream diets, picking up slack for many a health woe. A high consumption of sugar can put you at an increased risk of obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cancer. The other ingredients in caramel–milk and butter–contain saturated fats and are linked to heart disease. Needless to say, traditional caramel sauce needs a makeover.

This three-ingredient, vegan caramel sauce recipe tastes a lot like the original. Dates are the basis of the mix. Dates are naturally sweet and also have a deep, caramel-like flavor, which makes them perfect for this alternative recipe. The fruit also packs some serious health perks. In 100 grams of dates, there are 6.7 grams of fiber, nearly 700 milligrams of potassium, and 54 milligrams of magnesium. The same-sized serving also offers 18 percent of the recommended daily allowance of copper, 15 percent of manganese, and 12 percent of vitamin B6. Still, despite being a fruit, dates contain a lot of fruit sugar, so they shouldn’t be eaten in excess. Regardless, the following caramel sauce recipe is leaps and bounds above the traditional version in terms of health.

Healthy Caramel Sauce Recipe

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup BPA-free canned coconut milk
• 10 dates, pitted and diced finely
• Dash of sea salt

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Stir constantly, waiting for the mixture to bubble. When it bubbles, turn the heat down a few notches, to medium-low. Continue to let bubble, allowing for the water from the coconut milk to be cooked off. The mixture will thicken. When you can run a spatula down the surface and a trail follows, this means the mixture is thick enough and can be removed from the stove. Serve cool or hot with ice cream, slices of apple, or as a glaze for baked goods.

Image Credit: Jeremy Brooks

Related on EcoSalon:

8 Things To Do With Dates (Ahem: The Fruit, Not Men)

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The post 3-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.