Is Date Sugar Keto-Friendly?

by Marko

Dates are not keto-friendly. While they are commonly used in paleo diets, as people use date sugar or whole dates to satisfy their sweet tooth, they are not a great option for people eating keto. Dates have a significant amount of net carbs and are certain to kick you out of ketosis.

What is Date Sugar Made Of?

Date sugar is simply grinding up the date fruit.

Date fruit is derived from a plant called the date palm. Dates can also be enjoyed fresh off of the tree, but most people eat it as dried fruit.

Date Sugar Calories

Date sugar provides about 15-20 calories per teaspoon (about 4 grams).

Is Date Sugar Healthier Than Sugar?

For some people, date sugar may be a healthier sugar alternative, but not for people eating keto.

Sugar has a very high glycemic index of 65, meaning you will see a quick spike in your blood sugar levels after you consume it. On the other hand, date sugar has a glycemic index of about 55.

In addition to being lower in carbohydrates, date sugar is packed full of good dietary fiber. Whole dates are rich in the following vitamins and minerals: potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6.

Is Date Sugar Sweeter Than Sugar?

Date sugar is not sweeter than regular sugar. While some people recommend using ground dates as a 1:1 substitute for regular sugar, the resulting recipe will not be as sweet as expected.

When baking, if you substitute date sugar for regular sugar, you should either decrease the dry ingredients or increase the wet ingredients to ensure the baked goods do not turn out dry.

Is Date Sugar Healthier Than Honey?

Both date sugar and honey are natural sweeteners. Both are considerably better for you than white sugar. Dates can also be made into date syrup, which is comparable to honey.

Since date syrup includes fiber and some minerals, whereas honey does not, the consensus is that date sugar is healthier.

Is Date Sugar Healthier Than Agave?

The data supports that date sugar is healthier than agave.

Check out the following statistics:

Both are high in calories and carbohydrates. (Agave is higher than dates in both categories.)
Both will raise your blood sugar levels.
Both are gluten-free.
Both have some vitamins and minerals. (Agave syrup has more thiamin and riboflavin. However, date contains more niacin and pantothenic acid.)
Agave is rich in vitamin C.
Date is richer in fiber, calcium and potassium.
Dates have more protein than agave.

Is Date Sugar Fructose?

Dates are a natural source of fructose. This is why date products have a naturally sweet flavor, even when additional sugar is not added to them.

Is date sugar vegan?

Date sugar is typically considered vegan because it is made solely from dried dates.

Is date sugar safe for diabetics?

Date sugar glycemic index

Date sugar is often considered to have a moderate glycemic index (GI), typically between 50 and 60.

How to Make Date Sweetener at Home?

Forms of Date Sweetener

Date sweeteners are gluten-free, paleo, and vegan.

Date Paste: This paste is essentially pureed, pitted dates. It can be used as a filler in recipes as a filler or a binding ingredient.
Date Sugar: Date sugar is a brown sugar and is typically sold in granulated form.
Date Syrup: Used as a sweetener, a substitute for maple syrup and in beverages, date sweetener is an excellent sugar substitute.

Date Paste

Bring 4 cups of water to a slow simmer.
Place 12 oz. of pitted medjool dates into a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Cover the dates with the hot water.
Let the dates and water sit for 10 minutes to soften.
Reserve 1.5 cups of the soaking water and then drain the dates.
Add the dates and 1 cup of the soaking water into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Scrape down the blender's sides to ensure it is blended well. Depending on the thickness of your date paste, you may need to add more water.
Pour the date paste into a storage container.
You can store the paste in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Date Sugar

Preheat oven to 425F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Lay the 12-16 ounces of medjool dates in a single layer on the pan.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the dates are hard as a rock.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Grind the dates in a food processor or coffee grinder, grinding only a few at a time.
To avoid clumping, add a pinch of cornstarch to each batch.
Continue adding dates to the grinder until all of the dates are done.
Store in an airtight container.
Continue with the rest of the dates.

Date Syrup

Chop and pit a package of dates.
Soak the dates in hot water for 30 minutes.
Drain and rinse the dates.
Add the dates and enough water to cover them completely in a saucepan.
Bring the dates to a boil, then boil the temperature to a simmer. Leave the dates on the stove for approximately one hour, stirring periodically. Once you turn off the stove, let it cool for about 30 minutes.
Strain the dates using a cheesecloth.
The date pulp can be pureed into date paste.
The liquid can be cooked further into syrup.