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.
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!
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?
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.
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
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!
I mean… “shouldn’t”* 🙂
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…
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!)
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!
I missed corn on the cob when I had braces! This looks like a fall treat :). Nice work girl!
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.
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! 😛