Chocolate Date Sauce: My Rich Chocolate Drink Base

I’m a cookie baker, so I’m certainly not going to tell you I’ve given up sugar. I just decided I’d rather save my sugar for my cookies. LOL.

That’s what got me researching sweet treats made without a lot of refined sugar, and eventually I started making this chocolate date sauce. It’s thick, rich, extra chocolatey, and has become one of the most useful things I keep in my refrigerator.

I call it a chocolate date sauce, but I probably use it even more as a chocolate drink base. I make hot chocolate with it, blend it into frozen chocolate drinks, add it to dirty sodas, pour it over desserts, and experiment with all kinds of different flavors.

And here’s what really sold me on this recipe. When I first made hot chocolate with it for my family, they had absolutely no idea I’d sweetened the chocolate base with dates.

I’ve served it to family and friends since then, and everyone has loved it. I’d say this one is definitely a winner.

Why I Started Making Chocolate Date Sauce

When I first started experimenting with treats made without as much refined sugar, dates seemed like an interesting option. They’re naturally sweet, but I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about them blended into chocolate.

Would I taste them? Would there be little pieces floating around in my drink?

Thankfully, neither one was a problem.

My Vitamix does such a good job blending the dates that there’s no evidence of them left in the finished chocolate date sauce. It comes out wonderfully smooth.

I use a full cup of Dutch-process cocoa because I like my chocolate extra chocolatey. I also add Whole Earth Allulose & Monk Fruit sweetener to bring the sweetness up without needing to add regular sugar.

Sometimes I throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips too. They’re completely optional. I’ve made my chocolate date sauce both ways, and both versions are delicious. The chocolate chips simply make an already rich chocolate base a little more decadent.

How to Make Chocolate Date Sauce

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 pitted Deglet Nour dates (I use Sunny Fruit Organic Sun-Dried Dates)
• 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk, plus additional milk as needed
• 1/3 cup Whole Earth Allulose & Monk Fruit sweetener blend, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Handful of dark chocolate chips, optional

A note about the milk: I use lactose-free skim milk because I like keeping the calories and fat down, but you can use the milk that works best for you and your family.

Instructions

1. Add the milk, dates, Dutch-process cocoa powder, allulose and monk fruit sweetener, vanilla, salt, and optional dark chocolate chips to your Vitamix.
2. Run the soup program until everything is completely blended and smooth.
3. Check the consistency. This chocolate date sauce is meant to be a concentrated base, so don’t thin it until it looks like finished hot chocolate. You want it thick but still easy to pour.
4. If it’s too thick, add a little additional milk and blend again until you reach the consistency you like.
5. Taste and adjust the sweetness if needed. Dates can vary in sweetness, so you may want a little more or less sweetener.
6. Pour the finished chocolate date sauce into a covered container and refrigerate.

I keep mine in a large jar with a pouring lid. That way I can pull it out of the refrigerator, pour out however much I need, and put the rest right back.

Vitamix note: This is also one of the recipes that reminds me why I love my Vitamix 5200 so much. It blends the dates so thoroughly that my family couldn’t even tell they were there.

My Favorite Ways to Use Chocolate Date Sauce

This is my favorite part because I rarely use my chocolate date sauce exactly the same way twice.

I intentionally don’t add cinnamon, coconut, orange, peppermint, or other flavors to the main batch. I keep the base chocolatey and fairly neutral, then experiment with individual drinks.

For an easy cup of hot chocolate, start with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of chocolate date sauce for each cup of milk. Heat them together and add more chocolate base if you want it richer.

It’s also perfect for frozen chocolate drinks. Blend the chocolate date sauce with milk and ice, then add whatever flavor sounds good that day.

Then there are my dirty sodas.

I’ll admit my favorite combination may sound a little strange.

I love adding chocolate date sauce to Caffeine Free Coke Zero and then adding orange, coconut, or cherry Torani syrup.

Chocolate and Coke Zero. I know.

I love it.

I’ve even put the chocolate date sauce in Sprite Zero, and surprisingly, it was really good.

Another combination I like starts with plain seltzer water. I add some chocolate base along with coconut and almond Torani syrups for an Almond Joy-inspired drink.

That’s why I don’t flavor the whole jar. If I made the entire batch orange chocolate, for example, I’d be stuck with orange chocolate until it was gone. Keeping the chocolate date sauce simple means today’s drink can be chocolate-orange and tomorrow’s can be chocolate-coconut.

There are plenty of other ways to use it too:

• Stir it into cold milk for chocolate milk.
• Blend it with milk and ice for a frozen chocolate drink.
• Drizzle it over fruit.
• Spoon it over ice cream.
• Add some to a smoothie.
• Pour it over pancakes or waffles.
• Experiment with different flavored syrups.
• Heat it with milk for hot chocolate.

I have a feeling I’ll keep finding new things to do with it.

A Few Tips Before You Make It

Remember that this chocolate date sauce is supposed to be concentrated. If it seems much thicker than hot chocolate when it comes out of the blender, that’s exactly what you want.

The dates matter too. I use pitted Deglet Nour dates, specifically Sunny Fruit Organic Sun-Dried Dates. If you substitute Medjool dates, keep in mind that they’re considerably larger, so I wouldn’t automatically use 16 of them. Start with fewer and adjust from there.

I also recommend tasting your chocolate date sauce before adding more sweetener. Between the dates and the allulose and monk fruit blend, you may find that it’s already sweet enough for you.

And don’t feel like you need to add the dark chocolate chips. I’ve made this recipe with them and without them, and I genuinely like it both ways.

Since this chocolate date sauce contains milk and doesn’t have commercial preservatives, keep it refrigerated in a covered container. For food safety information about refrigerated foods and leftovers, I like to refer to USDA guidance.

This is one of those recipes that started as an experiment and ended up earning a permanent spot in my refrigerator. My family couldn’t tell there were dates hiding in their hot chocolate, my friends and family have loved it when I’ve served it to them, and I love having one chocolate base that I can turn into so many different treats.

And when I do want some refined sugar?

I’ll save it for one of my giant bakery-style cookies. I think that’s a pretty good compromise.

What would you make first with a jar of chocolate date sauce?

Making every house feel a little more like home.

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