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Date Sugar Benefits: An Amazing Natural Sweetener

Date Sugar Benefits: An Amazing Natural Sweetener

Until recently, date powder or sugar was considered a specialty food sold in ethnic and health supermarket stores. Now, it has become common in mainstream supermarkets and food stores. You may find it with other liquid and dry sweeteners in the baking aisle. 
What date sugar benefits have helped it stand out from the crowd, especially date sugar vs white or brown sugar? There must be something besides a name that attracts consumers. We dig deep into this date derivative to find out.


What Is Date Sugar Made Of?

Date sugar (date powder) is a powdered ingredient made up of tiny pieces of dried pitted dates. That is, finely chopped pitted dates are ground into a powder. It is brown, like brown sugar but less processed than any granulated sugar. 

One important date sugar benefit is its wholesomeness. It is considered whole food date fruits are ground in their entirety. So, it is 100% fruit bits containing natural glucose and fructose (natural monosaccharides found in fruit), unlike white sugar, which is made of sucrose (a disaccharide). 

Note:: date sugar differs from date palm sugar, although they may have the same color. Date palm sugar comes from the dehydrated sap of palm trees, not date fruits. It is also water-soluble, unlike date sugar which leaves a small amount of sediment when added to water.

Date Sugar Benefits: An Amazing Natural Sweetener | Date Sugar Benefits

Is Date Sugar a Natural Product?

Another date sugar benefit is its naturalness. It is 100% natural as it contains only dates. Unlike granulated or brown sugar which go through a chemical process or may be crystalized from sap, date powder is only physically processed. That is, date whole fruits are transformed into powder.

Date sugar has a natural tendency for forming clumps due to its sticky nature. So, some manufacturers may use maltodextrin (a polysaccharide) to stop the formation of clumps in the powder. That may create concerns although the FDA has recognized this type of carbohydrate as a safe food additive. Any preservative added to date sugar will simply away from its delectable caramel-like sweet taste.

📌Date powder produced by this company is 100% pure and maltodextrin-free.

Date sugar is made from dried varieties of dates. These varieties are usually yellow or light brown. They lose most of their water after harvest but keep their natural stickiness. Adding artificial colors or preservatives to this natural powder will only detract from its sweet taste or color.

Is Date Sugar Water Soluble?

Date sugar is not water soluble unlike refined sugar. Because the date sugar is made of bits of whole fruits, the presence of fiber leaves a tiny grit to the sugar. So, it won’t dissolve in hot liquids. This might limit its use in drinks, but considering its superior features and nutritional values, it will be perfect in bakery and confectionery goods. For applications in drinks, we recommend date syrup. 

What Are The Nutritional Contents Of Date Powder?

Most date sugar benefits are shared with its parent fruit; date. That is because it retains most of the date fruit’s nutritional contents. Unlike white sugar, which is made of granulated sucrose, date powder contains nutrients other than sugar. For example, one teaspoon (3gr) of date sugar has 11 calories and 2.9g of sugar (natural fructose and glucose). It contains trace amounts of iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, antioxidants and dietary fiber, adding up to one gram. Accordingly, date sugar is a significant natural source of sugar with excellent sweetening power. 

Date Sugar Benefits: An Amazing Natural Sweetener | Date Sugar Benefits

Pic:www.everythingspeachy.co.uk/

What Are The Health Benefits Of Date Powder?

As unrefined sweetener as it is, dates are considered a healthier sweetener than other sweeteners such as sugar or honey. One of the date sugar benefits is its low GI. This index shows how an affects the blood sugar level after it digests in the body. Date sugar does not cause blood sugar spikes unlike refined sweeteners.

Another date sugar health benefit has to do with its nutrients. Date products are loaded with antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These protect the body cells against oxygen radicals. Although they don’t amount to much, date sugar contains other health-promoting nutrients (mentioned earlier), which may help improve physical health. 

How To Use Date Powder In Cooking And Baking?

There are various ways to enjoy date sugar benefits through cooking. You may use it as a one-for-one replacement for brown sugar to create a similar malty-sweet flavor in baking recipes. For example, use date powder as a rub for pork or chicken to give a caramel flavor with just a tiny amount. Or bake it in simple cookies or as a topping for muffins, your morning oatmeal, or your favorite pie. 

If you want your baked goods to be less sweet, we recommend 2/3 cup date sugar to replace 1 cup white sugar. It works well sprinkled on cereal and baked goods but differs from the sugar you want to sweeten your hot drinks with. It will not fully dissolve. Date powder is also used instead of honey or molasses to create a rich, caramel-like sweetness.

Can Date Sugar Be Used As A Substitute For Other Sweeteners In Recipes?

Yes, date sugar provides a wholesome way to replace other sweeteners in baked goods. It has more carbohydrates than honey and sugar, so the replacement can be at a 1:1 ratio. For example, it can replace the white sugar cup for cup. But if you want your foods to be less sweet, use 2/3 cup date sugar for 1 cup white sugar. 

You can also use it to substitute brown sugar in cookies to create a sweeter taste but a similar flavor. However, it is insoluble in water, unlike sugar. So, you may use date syrup for the same flavor in drinks.

Is Date Sugar Vegan Friendly?

Yes. One of the date sugar benefits is its vegan-friendliness. As a 100% date-based sweetener, it can fit vegan diets with other plant-based ingredients. As no animal products are used by vegans, date sugar can also replace honey and some types of brown sugar in these diets. 

Is Date Sugar Gluten Free?

Pure date powder is inherently gluten-free. Dates contain no gluten, and nor does date powder. However, cross-contamination may occur due to the use of shared equipment. So, if, for example, date syrup and wheat or oat are processed with the same machine, date sugar may take up trace amounts of gluten from wheat or oat.

How To Store Date Sugar?

Date powder is quite shelf-stable. Under suitable conditions, it can last for months. Like other foods, it lasts longer in cool, dry conditions away from direct sunlight. It is commercially available in half-kilogram sealable retailer bags. It is important to note that date sugar attracts moisture, so make sure you seal the bag after use. This is to prevent it from clumping. Proper date sugar storage is essential for maintaining its longevity and quality. By storing it in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, you can ensure its freshness. The sealable bags it comes in are designed to help preserve its flavor and texture. After each use, tightly seal the bag to prevent moisture absorption, which could lead to clumping. With the right storage practices, you can extend the shelf life of date sugar and enjoy its natural sweetness in your recipes for an extended period.

Is Date Sugar An Industrial Product Or Can It Be ConclusionAt Home?

Date sugar is an industrial product due to production precision. There are various recipes for making this date derivative at home with varying results. But homemade date sugar may turn into a hard substance over time. This is due to improper packaging, water content or date variety used.  

Unhealthy method: Date powder is made by making a paste from raw dates, which is then mixed with maltodextrin. This mixture is dried in the oven and ground into powder. Maltodextrin reduces the stickiness of the sugar, preventing clump formation. The proportion of date paste to maltodextrin determines the quality of the sugar. 

Healthy method: Date fruits are harvested at the right stage when they contain the right amount of moisture. Or they may be oven dried if their moisture content is not at the right level. Dried pitted dates are diced and ground to make fine sugar. Date sugar production is semi-automated to minimize hand involvement.


Conclusion

Date sugar benefits come from its inherent sweetness, rich nutrient contents, the way it’s produced and variety of uses. It can replace sugar, honey or any other sweetener. For drinks we recommend using date syrup instead. 

Do you use date sugar for cooking or baking? Please share your experiences with us?

FAQ

2 thoughts on “Date Sugar Benefits: An Amazing Natural Sweetener

  1. Rupesh says:

    Hi, Good Morning

    This is Rupesh from “Rupesh Agri Exports”, AP, INDIA interested in DatesPowder.

    Would appreciate if you could share me more inputs on the product.

    Request you to Please quote me the best price for approx volume of 15- 20 Tons.

    1. Daniel Solo says:

      Please fill out an inquiry form. A member of our sales team will contact you soon.

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