Like a sticky-sweet caramel apple.
In liquid form.
Caramel Apples
This recipe reminds me of those gorgeous caramel apples on display at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Until I got my braces, I looked forward to caramel apples every autumn. (After the braces went on, I was probably more upset about not being allowed caramel than gum.)
Ever since I made the (No Sugar!) Cookie Dough Dip, I’d been curious to experiment more with blending dates as a substitute for sugar. I’ve heard people say they think dates have a caramel-like taste, and therefore I figured an apple recipe would be the perfect place to start.
This caramel-apple milkshake manages to capture all the deliciousness of a crisp, juicy apple, dripping with thick caramel sauce.
Caramel Apple Milkshake
(sugar and gluten-free)
- scant 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup pitted dates (such as Sunmaid)
- scant 1/16 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup milk of choice
- 3 tbsp nondairy creamer (I used Silk. You can substitute milk of choice, for a caramel-apple smoothie as opposed to the richer taste of a shake. Or you can sub full-fat canned coconut milk.)
In a little dish, pour a little water over the dates and let them sit for at least two hours. Then blend all other ingredients with the dates and 1 tbsp of the water. (Drain the rest of the water before blending.) Alternatively, you can blend the dates a little before adding the other ingredients. The shake will get thicker as it sits.
Generously topped with Healthy Whipped Cream.
The cream melts into the shake, making it even more rich and delicious. I also drizzled on some brown rice syrup, more for presentation than anything else!
Question of the Day:
Did you ever have braces?
Initially, I was really excited to get my braces on. I even worried I might not need them, because my teeth were always pretty straight. But once the novelty of having braces wore off, I wished I hadn’t needed them. Every orthodontist appointment, I hoped to hear that the darn things were coming off soon!
Yummy link of the day: Healthy Milkshake Recipes.
Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes says
This milkshake looks awesome!
I had braces for about a year in 3rd grade. Being so young, I LOVED them! I looked forward to the orthodontist to change my band colors, especially for holidays. 🙂 But when I got them off, it was nice to have smooth teeth again. 🙂 And I would have hated them if I had to have them in HS…
Jenny says
Despite being a huge apple-lover, I’ve never thought of putting apple into a smoothie and/or milkshake! Great idea… and recipe, as always. 🙂 Drizzling on some brown syrup for presentation was a great idea! It really does take it over the top in terms of looks.
I was completely the same when it comes to braces! I was super excited to get them on and customize the colours in the braces and blah blah because everyone else around me was getting them (in middle school; I lived in Illinois at the time)… then getting them on was no fun and they caused so many problems, and I hated them and couldn’t wait to get them off. (Getting metal bands put on my molars was THE most painful experience I’ve had at the orthodontist’s office, also. Never again!)
I still have to wear a retainer and it bugs me too. Argh, wish teeth just came out perfect and stayed that way… 😐
Ashley says
I have braces right now and I am 25 they suck but I know I will have perfect teeth eventually. All your recipes look so good, maybe one day I will finally attempt one instead of drooling on my keyboard each day I look at your blog.
Qi Ting @ Misadventures of Fat free Baking says
I’ve never had braces though my dentist suggested I did! My teeth didn’t pose any problem to me and still don’t so I’ve never had them done before (also because their pretty expensive here! A few grand at least!) I totally agree about caramel! Its outrageously delicious. And since dates taste like caramel, I think I’m going to add it to some recipes! Maybe oatmeal!
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
I had braces for 2 years in middle school. Actually aside from the adjustments and added difficulty brushing, they didn’t bother me much. I cut my corn off the cob but caramel, as yummy as it is, I never ate it that often.
This milkshake looks good. I bet the applesauce really lightens it up too. Sometimes (ok often) when you drink a milkshake it sits like a ton of bricks in your tummy. I so love Fall and all things apple. 🙂
Gen says
I’ve never had braces….
that shake looks incredible! 😀
Kat says
Shake looks scrumptious! I <3 caramel apple – it's so perfect for fall (and in Florida right now it's in the 70s – finally FEELS like fall compared to the 90s last week!).
I had braces in middle school, complete with headgear (that fortunately only had to be worn at home!)… I hated them but love my straight teeth now 🙂
katie says
LOVE this! Apple yum!
I did have braces from when I was 17-20 !
I am sad to say, my bottom teeth moved a little, I might get braces on the bottom again someday!
Michaela says
Very creative recipe!!
I told my mum you had created a sugar free cookie dough dip recipe and she was delighted! I guess I better head to the kitchen and blend up some chickpeas 😉 She loves the dip soooo much!
w says
This milkshake looks so delicious! Yes, I wear braces and am still wearing them as I type! I just put them on not too long ago and already can’t wait to get them off! I just went for tightening and it hurts so badly right now! Btw, what dates do you use? Medjool?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
As I wrote in the recipe, I suggest Sunmaid. I think they’re delget noor. They seem much softer than the fancy (and more-expensive) ones at places like Whole Foods.
w says
Thanks for your prompt reply and sorry for the dumb Q! I thought sunmaid was a brand and not a type of date so I asked! Sorry!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Oh my gosh, not a dumb question at all!
Yes, sunmaid is a brand. You weren’t wrong at all! The type is “delget noor.” 🙂 🙂
Rebecca says
What a nice fall treat, especially when Indian summer is here. I made some date muffins last year that used soaked and pureed dates and were surprisingly delicious. I had kind of forgotten about using dates that way, thanks for the reminder!
By the way, where do you get your big straws?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
These were from Bed Bath Beyond!
Anonymous says
This looks great. Have you ever made cakepops? They are so cute and yummy. I got a recipe book for making them, but the recipes aren’t vegan and have a lot of processed sugar. Any tips? (:
Amber K says
Have you seen Mama Pea’s vegan cake pops? I made them with gluten-free flour and they rock!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
LOL I’ve done cookie ball pops: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/09/cookie-ball-pops/
But not cake pops. If you google vegan cake pops, a lot of links come up. I’m not sure if they have processed sugar or not, though. Maybe I should make some! 🙂
Amber K says
Looks delicious!
I had to have braces for three years and it was absolutely awful. Getting them tightened was horrible, but so was spending all of that time at the orthodontist’s office! I wonder what I could have done with all of those extra hours…
jayna says
looks delicious!
Nicole @ Giraffelegs says
I had braces….twice…ouch.
Hilliary@HappilyEverHealthy says
Omg this sounds fabulous! I have been wanting a carmel apple now for the past week!
Michaela says
ah no, it seems like my comment has just vanished!
This is such a creative recipe! Seems like one that will win carnivores over 😉
I was wearing braces for a couple of years… I also liked choosing colours and stuff, but besides that, I just wanted them off. And when they eventually came off, my teeth seemed soooo huge and when biting into an apple I felt like my teeth were falling out. So weird. But I like my straight teeth 🙂
Robin says
This looks more than delicious. I can’t wait till the weekend, when I have planned a trip to the organic grocery store to buy dates (among many other things).
I have never had braces. When I was younger I really wanted braces, because of the split between my two front teeth. When I came to the orthodontist, however, he laughed at me because he found it a silly thing to get braces for. At first I was quite angry, but I am glad I have never had braces now. I love my split, it’s one of the things that defines me.
Anna @ The Guiltless Life says
Ooh yummy! I actually had Invisalign and got them a few years ago, in my early 20s. They were pretty easy and barely anyone could tell I was wearing them though I still felt they were a bit obvious. I would recommend those for sure for the new teenagers as I think they came out with an Invisalign Teen or something!
Gus says
I love your blog and especially the drinks/shakes.
I’m going to make this as a reward for finishing everything I have to do tonight.
I never wore braces, but so many people have, and at one point in life, I was kind of disappointed that I was going to miss out on this. But then on a skiing trip, my friend skied into a tree and her braces stuck to the back of her lip and her dad had to rip them free. It was horrifying and since then, I’ve been glad I didn’t have braces 🙂
kaitlin @4loveofcarrots says
I never had braces but I really really wanted them when I was younger so I used to try and make them with a paperclip and gum! It never stayed in place for longer then a few seconds!
Becky @ Skinnyfat Girls says
Wow, that’s definitely not a combination of ingredients I would have thought of, but it looks scumptious! I’ve been wanting to experiment with dates as a sweetener but can only ever find the kind with added sugar. I guess I need to shop somewhere besides H-E-B for once. 🙂 Did you find that they really add a caramel flavor?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
They add a very nice sweetness. I don’t know if you can say they make the recipe overly caramel-y (maybe if you added twice the amount?), but I do see why people say dates taste like caramel. They have the same sticky-sweetness.
Molly says
i had braces and i felt the exact same way you did about them!!! The idea of them were cool (since when is having braces cool?!?! i was that much of a loser i guess) but then i got them..and they hurt..and were ugly..and i wanted them off. haha
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
Oh my goodness; this looks delicious!
I had braces all throughout middle school & was so happy to get them off! I probably should admit this (?!) but I still wear my retainer at night… 10 years later!
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
I mean… “shouldn’t”* 🙂
Vanessa @ L'épice de la Vie says
I had braces for 3.5 years. It was awful! And when my brother got braces a few years later, my mom ended up getting them too so she was way more lenient with him than she was with me.
I know, totally unfair. LOL. The one and only time I did break a bracket was while eating something that was not on the banned foods list. Go figure…
A Tablespoon of Liz says
This looks so good! I love using dates as a sweetener. I never had braces. I always wanted them though. (I was such a weird kid!)
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
my first reaction to the title of this post: “OH NO SHE DID NOT.” Caramel apples are my FAVORITE thing ever! Ok other than cake and ice cream. Not being able to have caramel was definitely annoying when I had braces. I also hated that I couldn’t have Starburst candies – I LOVED starburst in middle school!
Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather says
I missed corn on the cob when I had braces! This looks like a fall treat :). Nice work girl!
Jillian says
Ohh I love caramel apples so I can’t wait to try this! I always wanted braces. My little sister had them and she always got cool multicoloured bands on them. So when I was 18, (waaaay too old!) I went to my dentist and told him that I was certain that one of my teeth was moving and was not straight. So I finally got them, just on my bottom teeth. But the novelty definately wore off, I went back soon after and asked them to take them off….they hurt a lot! But still when I see people who have them I think its so cool. Lol.
Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner) says
That looks SO AMAZING!! Caramel and apple are totally the best fall combo!! Except maybe pumpkin and chocolate/peanut butter 😉
I had braces for SIX LONG YEARS and that was quite enough! 😛
Dalai Lina says
Five years, Katie. Five flipping years and in the last 10, my teeth started moving. I wished I had never stopped wearing my retainer!!!
Aine @ Something to Chew Over says
Oh wow, this looks so good! I could really do with a milkshake 🙂
I never had braces, I’m pretty lucky with my straight teeth!
Cait @ Cait hates Cake says
I sure did have braces and hated them! I had to get a new retainer made recently. The ortho was kind enough to give me the invisalign tray as a retainer instead of the old metal wire one. It’s great cause I can use the tray to whiten my teeth – bonus! But yeah, braces were not fun.
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
What a excellent idea for fall! It sounds and looks fantastic 🙂
Ragnhild says
Um yea, this sounds great!! Ive tried to make apple smoothies in the past using whole apples- but they have ended up to “grainy”. Good idea to use apple sauce instead!
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
I’m going to have to make my own version on this! Mmmmm! …..Never had braces, I got porcelain veneers for my 21st birthday from my parent though. BEST.PRESENT.EVER!
BriAnne says
I am new to your site and I LOVE it! I’m just curious, when you say you use a non dairy milk, what do you use? Thanks!! Can’t wait to dig in!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Hi BriAnne! 🙂
Unless a recipe specifically calls for canned coconut milk, you can probably use ANY milk you wish. I use Silk unsweetened almondmilk or Blue Diamond almond milk for almost all the recipes, but I think any would work.
Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola says
Ohh this looks delicious and so perfect for Fall!! And yes, I had braces in middle school! I hated having them and was so so excited to get them off!
Kristin @ STUFT Mama says
I’ve never tried the whole date thing as sweetener. I’m going to have to give it a shot since this looks absolutely delicious! 🙂 Oh braces- ugh. I had them TWICE. I begged my parents to get them for me when I was young and then had to have them on again in highschool. Then I begged my parents to let me get them off early. It felt like I had them my entire middle and high school years. ha!
Nathalie says
Wow, this looks awesome! Too bad if I want applesauce here, I have to make my own. And apples are way expensive =<
Note about your comment you said you left: I checked and I didn't see any comments in my spam box on my blagh. I dunno if it auto-deleted or what, but I'm not sure why it would be identifying your comments as spam in the first place =/ Weird.
To the braces question: Yep, I had 'em. My upper canines were stuck way up high for a long time so they used the braces to kinda pull them down. And I had to get peridontal reduction. Meaning they took off some of the excess gum tissue I had for some reason, around my front teeth. Now I have a pretty good smile, but there's still a gap that won't stay closed, hehe. It's just part of my smile at this point.
emma says
“Chocolate Covered Katie” Recipes from a vegan kitchen….. Classic 🙂 I can’t wait for he day that it sits upon my bookshelf 🙂 xxx
Liz @ Southern Charm says
I have been lucky enough to never have braces. Funny, I wanted them as a kid. Everyone else had them so it seemed like the cool thing to do. Now I’m SO HAPPY I didn’t have them and consider myself EXTREMELY lucky!!
LizAshlee says
Wow, a caramel apple milkshake…what a great idea..very creative!:)
Happy Monday!:)
Sadie says
I’ve had braces since the beginning of 6th grade! I’m now in 9th grade and I still have them! I *supposed* to get them off at the end of November (but I doubt that I will).
Claire says
I know how you feel! I’ve had mine on for 3 1/2 years, and I still don’t have an end-date from the orthodontist. 🙁 Hang in there! Remember it’ll all be worth it in the end. I have to remind myself of that too sometimes. I hope you get them off in November though!!
Ashley says
That is fall in a glass! YUM!
Jo says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it – but I think I’m going to try adding some apple cider to the mix- I sure love autumn!
Veggie V! @Veggie V's Vegan Adventure says
Yum! I love using blended dates instead of sugar. It’s been an awesome replacement for me so far. I even made vegan turtle like candies with just dates, pecans and chocolate melted with coconut oil. Mmmm….Plus, I’ve been putting apples in just about everything these days – thanks to a trip to the local apple orchard (and a couple of soon-to-expire coupons). I’m trying to perfect an apple pie smoothie recipe right now. But since you offered up this carmel apple milkshake/smoothie, I might have to take a break from the apple pie and go for the carmel apple 🙂
Tara says
Aw man, braces were the worst!! I hated how I missed out on corn on the cob for 3 years. It was the thing I requested the night I got my braces off!
Katie @Nutrition In A Peanut Shell says
Aww I thought the date made the syrup :C
This still looks super good…I’m definitely thinking about bulk date buying tomorrow 🙂
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
It looks great! I love the messy drizzles of caramel over the top!
And congrats on having all your recipes on the FG most viewed or most favorited page…you should be so proud of yourself, Katie!
Ashley says
Let me get this straight you made a MILKASHAKE, thats SUGAR FREE and APPLE flavor!!! That sounds like it could be come very addicting for me. Oh well ill just have to risk it 🙂
BroccoliHut says
Oh yes, I had braces…twice. Suffice it to say that I counted down the days until I got them off!
Amry says
Yum, I can’t wait to try this recipe Katie! I LOVE caramel covered apples and would yearn for them when I had braces! I had them twice, for a total of five years. Lucky me. The first time was during middle school and my second time was a five years ago, after college. I think all the extra dental care involved with having braces was completely worthwhile. I like being able to smile and feel good about it. It’s amazing the difference that smiling to other people can make! Apart from missing out on certain foods, braces didn’t bother me very much. They made me look young though, and my voice is also youthful sounding, making me seem like a teenager when I was in my twenties. I didn’t like it at the time, but now I don’t mind. Thanks for the recipe :o)
Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free says
When I was little, I wanted braces sooo badly! I thought they looked so “cool” with all the fun colors. Yeah…well…had them for two years. I didn’t look bad at them. but they hurt! First night I had them on, they hurt so incredibly badly (think I had reaction to metal?) that I had to go to the emergency room for medication. I was sick for two days after that. ugh….
Abby says
Looks amazing! You always have great recipes Katie! I once had braces… got them off… and now my front teeth are crooked again. Oh botha.
Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen says
My favorite candies in the world as a kid were actually those caramel covered green apple lollipops…i haven’t had one since I got braces ten years ago.
Kaila @healthyhelperblog! says
That looks delicious! I would love an apple in shake form!
Jenn says
I never had braces, but I probably should of! Now I am 28 and broke and there is never really going to be the right time for me to get my teeth sorted out. Bugger. Oh, and thanks for a lovely new recipe. This excites me very much!
Danica @ It's Progression Not Perfection says
I had braces in high school, for about a year and a half. I didn’t like having braces but it was totally worth it–it helped me gain a lot of confidence in my smile : )
Janiek says
Oh man, this shake looks good!
I plan on making your cookie dough OR pb&chocolate no bake cookies very soon and i was wondering if it is ok if, when i make them, i post it on my blog and link back to your blog. So, is that ok with you?
Ps. I’ve been a long time fan of your blog ,keep up the awesome work!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Aww thanks! I’d be honored to be mentioned on your blog :). I do ask that you please don’t post the actual recipe, though, but post a link to it instead. I have big plans for my recipes in the future, so I need to keep them on my site. But I would love to read your post!
Janiek says
I won’t 🙂 and I’ll let you know when i review on my bloggie 🙂
Christine says
I love this shake! I didn’t have any creamer so I used 2 frozen light coconut milk cubes – delicious! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Coconut milk ice cubes? Genius!
Lindsay @ biking before bed says
I was so excited to get braces because everyone else had them! I loved getting the rubber bands wot match the seasons and the holidays. The novelty was short lived though.
deisegal says
I got braces a bit later in life – I’m 30 now and still have another 6 months or so with them. I probably could have done with getting them years ago but my head was just not in the right place. I’m shortly due to get surgery as part of the treatment and I am a mixture of scared/excited about it.
For me the “thought” of having braces was much worse than the reality but I know I would have kicked and screamed if I’d been told when I was younger that I had to get them (as it was, the dentist just said “up to you if you want them” which was much better for me as I felt I was getting to make up my own mind. I’ve had a few down days with them but out of 15 months so far it hasn’t been so bad! (I got behind my teeth as well so people who don’t know me have no clue I have them, sooooo worth the extra money)
I’m
Jessica @ Jess Go Bananas says
I remember wanting braces for such a long time! The same with glasses! I had both and now wonder what on earth I was thinking!!!
Katie says
Your recipes are great and your photos of them even greater, but your blog banner (the first thing the reader sees and the aesthetic tone-setter for the blog) looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint 10 years ago. I know this sounds like an insult and will probably be taken as such, so I apologize, but I only intend it as constructive criticism from an outside source. I just feel like with the skills you clearly have in making things look pretty, you could revamp it and so easily give the whole blog a makeover.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I do appreciate constructive criticism (even if it does hurt my feelings… I like the header!). However, I have so much I want to do and only so many hours in the day. I’d rather spend my time making sure my actual content (recipes and photos) are good than worrying about the header. In an ideal world, I could just pay someone to make my blog look all professional, but hopefully people will understand I’m not a pro and am trying to maintain this blog by myself, and hopefully no one will stop reading my blog simply because they don’t like the header!
Sarah says
Hi Katie! I have a question about the cookies ya posted- the no bake ones. I don’t have a food processor (yet!) but the closest i can think of is my Vitamix- would i be able to use that? Thanks a million 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I think so… I know a lot of people make fudge babies in the vita. When I tried, it was very sticky, but maybe I did something wrong because a LOT of other people make them that way all the time. So I bet these could be done that way too!
Sarah says
UPDATE: ok, vita is NOT the way to go. It didn’t pricess the raisind or the nuts really well. So i got huge chunks of raisins that didn’t taste too good. Maybe i nedd to geta food processor, anyhow i’ll try this milk shake fo’ sho’ 🙂
Sarah says
sorry for the bad typing- what i meant to say was that the vita did not process the raisins. and i meant to say i n-e-e-d to get a processor- my total bad
Rachel (tea and chocolate) says
Wow I’m really intrigued by this recipe. Caramel apple milkshake? Sounds amazing! I’m putting dates on my shopping list for sure.
I had a permanent retainer for three years, and braces for four years–a year and a half longer than they said I would have it in! I was not happy. But my teeth are straight now, I’ll give them that. 🙂
shannonmarie (rawdorable) says
It may be cold, but it’s perfect for fall. I had wanted to comment on today’s post. It says that the comments are closed. The same thing happened on the chocolate post the other day. Anyway, I just wanted to say that my family makes room for ice cream year round. Your frozen treats look delicious as always. Love the pics.
Chocolate and pumpkin? I just saw a recipe for pumpkin hot chocolate in my Rachael Ray e-newsletter. Is that what you’re making, or something even better? 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Ooh no, but now I want to make that!
Actually, I made the most amazing pumpkin chocolate cookies today, but tomorrow’s post will be for muffins.
A. Non! says
The absolute ultimate natural caramel apple is this:
Smush up dates. A food processor is fine. You want a sticky paste. Add water only if you really, really need to.
Wrap date smush around apple. Put stick in apple. Eat.
You will not believe how delicious this is, and how much it tastes like a caramel apple, even though it’s only dates. Looking at the recipe, you may think you want to add salt or vanilla or creamer or something, but try it with only the dates first–it’s amazing. (Though I haven’t tried this with Sun-Maid; I generally buy organic medjool or barhi, so YMMV.)
In the meantime, I’ll try your smoothie; it’s a great idea–but I have a hard time not adding frozen bananas to shakes, so we’ll see what happens. Thanks!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Yum, that sounds really good!! Thanks for the yummy idea! 🙂
shea says
i did have braces. but only for like 9 mos.
LucyNut says
I just tried this deliciousness, I can honestly say it was great. It was very thick and creamy.
Joanna says
This was delicious! I didn’t have creamer so I used a half cup of unsweetened almondmilk. Dates are so versatile. 😀
Shannon @ Healthiful Balance says
GIRL you are a genius! 😀
Cynthia Corral says
I got my braces off at age 16 in 1983… and went right from the orthodontist to the mall where I bought the hugest caramel apple. It was the best caramel apple I’ve ever had in my life.
Pure2raw twins says
omg this looks too good to be true!!!
Arin says
I tried this recipe today and it was delicious! (The only change I made was blending in some ice to make it colder.)
I picked up some more dates and applesauce at the store so I could make it again. And, I am thinking of trying some caramel apple oatmeal tomorrow.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I actually froze my almondmilk and applesauce for like 20 minutes, pre-blending… and the second time I made it, I just put it in the fridge for a day prior to drinking (which also made it thicker).
Caramel apple oatmeal sounds insanely delicious!
Ashlee says
I had braces from 3rd grade until 9th grade. I had everything from the rubber bands on the front of my teeth to correct my bite to a retainer I’m still supposed to wear to this day. Note: “Supposed to” is the operative phrase in that sentence. Thankfully I never needed head gear or any of those terrible spacers I saw that kids had to wear.
I used to have fun with my braces. I loved picking which colors of rubber bands I would get on my brackets. I’d get green and gold for my school colors, green and red for Christmas, orange and black for Halloween, you name it! My old standby was neon green and hot pink!
It’s safe to say there was a lot of room for improvement with my teeth when I was little, and by the time I got to middle school I wanted those braces off like nothing else. I am thankful that my parents could afford to have me wear those things for so many years, though. A lot of kids in my town weren’t so fortunate. I love my smile now and it was all worth it.
P.S. Thank you very much for all these great recipes! I’ve always had a tough time eating meat morally, and I’m also lactose intolerant, so having all these options for great tasting recipes is wonderful!
vicki says
if you soak raw cashews w/an equal amount of dates for 1 hour and then blend together w/a few teaspoons of the soak water, a little salt and vanilla, you will swear you are eating caramel.
Claire says
Still hoping every orthodontist appointment that she’ll tell me she’s taking them off. It’s been 3 1/2 years now!! Agh! She said in the beginning that it would be a year and half to two years. So much for that. This looks awesome though…may have to try it to satisfy my caramel cravings…more because I can’t have dairy rather than I can’t have them because of braces. You can always suck on the chewy things. 🙂
Alanna says
Ahhhh-mazing! I found this by accident when looking for the whipped cream cereal post, and it was just the ticket at the end of a crummy day. I couldn’t believe how thick it got without a frozen banana! Only downside is my blender didn’t fully process the dates, but that might be because I was impatient and didn’t wait more than 2 hours for them to soak, and it left me with little yummy chewy pieces at the bottom of my glass. 🙂 I added cinnamon, and even using unsweetened applesauce, it was perfectly sweet from the dates. Great recipe! As an aside, I noticed it’s missing from the milkshake recipe page (https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocolate-covered-recipes/milkshakes/) in case you wanted to add it. 🙂
Emily says
This looks amazing! Quick question. Do I have to use dates?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Feel free to use another sweetener; the dates give a caramel-y taste, though.
Allie says
does brown rice syrup taste anything like caramel? I want to make my own (healthy) caramel but I don’t know how…
Tanya @ Playful and hungry says
Yummy – this looks great! I suppose the dates yield a great caramel flavor? Might try this!
Elizabeth says
It does taste like a caramel apple! I don’t know why I am so surprised, but I am! haha
Heidi says
Holy fantastic! Just like a caramel apple….yummo!! I added a couple ice cubes and some whip cream on top and am singing like a fool 🙂
rachael says
having the shake right now. only soaked the dates for 10 minutes and it still came out AWESOME. used soy milk instead of creamer. YUM!!! Genius.
Heather the Non-Vegan CCK Lover says
I think I have you all beaten…I had braces for SIX AND 1/2 YEARS. Yup! Got them on the day before 5th grade started and got them off 2 months into 11th grade. I really disliked them, but I needed them. I had multiple teeth issues (big gap in front, overbite, etc); I’m really thankful my parents were able to afford it! Now my smile is beautiful! 😀 Even when I had them, I’d sometimes eat “bad” foods/treats…I just had to clean my braces out well afterwards. lol Katie this shake looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!!
Monu Teena says
I have tried the apple date milkshake see : http://recipespassion.blogspot.com/ bi must try yours thanks for sharing 🙂