Dates cooked down and strained into a thick, dark, fruit-forward syrup. Common across the Middle East and North Africa, where it is used much as molasses is elsewhere.
What it does in a recipe: Dark liquid sweetness with fruit acidity, real body, and enough flavour to stand as a seasoning in its own right. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Date molasses, Silan
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Quick answer
Blended soaked dates
1 cup date syrup = 1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates soaked in 1/2 cup hot water, then blended smooth
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4 ways to replace date syrup
Blended soaked dates
Closest match
1 cup date syrup = 1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates soaked in 1/2 cup hot water, then blended smooth
It is the same fruit at roughly the same concentration, so the sweetness, acidity and body all land in the right place.
MethodSoak for 20-30 minutes until the dates are soft, then blend, adding the soaking water a spoonful at a time until it pours like syrup. Strain if you want it smooth.
Trade-offThicker and slightly fibrous unless you strain it, which adds body to a batter but can look speckled in a clear glaze.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.