Raisin Paste Recipe

Dates are an expensive ingredient, and if you don’t use them often, they dry up and go bad, which is why I long ago switched to making raisin paste to sweeten baked goods, smoothies, and more.

I share my easy recipe below, how to keep it, and how much raisin paste equals a date in this post.

Cheaper Substitute for Dates

Lately, I’ve noticed that healthy dessert recipes call for dates to sweeten them. From smoothies to granola bars, they seem to be in everything.

Dates, while easy to find at most grocery stores, are not cheap. Pitted dates are usually a dollar or so more expensive and in some recipes, it can bring up the cost of the recipe by a lot! They can cost as much as $9 per pound!

Enter my friend, the raisin. A couple of years ago, I began to use raisins instead of dates in my smoothies, grain-free Morning Glory Muffins, overnight oats, and preserves. They are sweet, delicious, and a lot cheaper than dates.

It is true that dates have many health benefits but so do grapes! They are both quite similar in nutritional benefits and in texture.

When I look at how dates are being used in many recipes they are used as a filler (like in homemade bars) and as a sweetener. Regardless of how you use them, I’ll show you my two methods of using raisins as a substitute for dates.

Making healthy swaps is just one simple way that you can eat healthier, cleaner food as a family. And it doesn’t have to be expensive! See how your family can eat clean on a budget here.

Ingredients

To make this awesome substitute for dates, you only need two ingredients. You’ll save money without sacrificing nutrition:

• Dried raisins: the substitute for dates.
• Hot water: to add moisture and resemble the dates’ texture.

How to Make Substitute for Dates with Raisins

Making this raisin paste requires no effort at all: you just need to let the raisins soak in water and then process them into a paste. It’s this easy:

1. Hydrate the raisins
   Soaking raisins in boiling water for about 10 minutes gives them a dates-like texture.
2. Make the paste
   Process the plump raisins in the food processor with reserved raisins water until you get a thick paste. Standard consistency is similar to thick creamy peanut butter.
3. Store
   Refrigerate in a lidded container or jar for up to 3 weeks. You can also freeze it in an ice cube tray and transfer it inside a zip bag for up to 6 months.

Tips to help Substitute Raisins for Dates

If you are going to substitute raw dates for raisins in baking recipes, like in muffins, brownies, and Lara bars, you’ll want to soak the raisins for about 2-3 minutes in hot water.

Soaking the raisins for about 3 minutes will reconstitute some of the moisture and give them a similar texture to dates. Then, all you have to do is drain and pat dry with a paper towel.

It might not be the prettiest of all things, but raisin paste is an inexpensive an easy substitute for things like green smoothies. I drink a green smoothie daily, so one teaspoon of raisin paste is all I need to make the “greenness” tolerable.