Healthier Peanut Butter Caramel Dip
This healthier peanut butter “caramel” dip is the perfect fruit dip for fall. Creamy peanut butter blended with salted medjool date caramel and topped with course sea salt makes a delicious dip for crisp apples, spread for fall pancakes, or ingredient in baked goods and bars!
If you follow me on instagram (and if you don’t, you should), then you know that I am a big advocate for serving your fruits and vegetables in a way that is enjoyable. The more you enjoy the color on your plate, the more color you are to add more of it into your diet and that is always a win win.
Gone are the days of suffering through that colorful portion of your plate! While some of that enjoyment can be added through the preparation itself, it can also come through pairing your colorful foods with fun flavors, dips, or dressings like this healthier peanut butter caramel dip.
A delicious twist on the classic caramel fruit dip that gets served every fall, this peanut butter “caramel” dip is filled with the natural caramel like flavor of medjool dates… and has no actual caramel in sight! With the popular salted caramel flavors during the fall, this is the perfect healthy fall recipe to make.
I love to use mejdool dates as a natural sweetener in recipes because, when blended, they take on a delicious caramel like flavor that can be easily incorporated into a variety of recipes. If you are looking for a fun fall fruit dip, this peanut butter caramel recipe is the perfect dip to make.
Let’s get to the recipe:
Why you’ll love this healthy peanut butter caramel dip:
It’s always nice to have a few recipes in your back pocket that can help friends and family get a little more color in their diet and this recipe is a great option. I think this peanut butter caramel dip will be the perfect dip to make this fall because it's:
Filled with caramel flavors… but without the caramel!: Yes. You read that right. All of the “caramel” flavor in this recipe comes from the natural flavor of medjool dates that blend down into a smooth, caramel like consistency.
Loved by all ages: This dip is loved by adults and toddlers alike. With its naturally sweet flavor, it’s the perfect fruit dip to serve on an after school snack board for a healthy snack idea that your kids will love.
Naturally sweetened: All of the sweetness in this dip comes from medjool dates and maple syrup.
Can be used in a variety of ways: I wrote this initial recipe as a dip but it can be used well beyond that. Switch up the foods you pair it with, use it as a spread, or mix this dip into other recipes for a delicious addition of subtly fall flavors!
You’re going to love this easy fruit dip. Now let’s get into the ingredients you will need to make it!
Salted Caramel Medjool Date Protein Balls
Ingredients you’ll need:
This fruit dip comes together quickly with just a few simple and nutritious ingredients.
All you’ll need is:
Milk: Use any milk of choice. This is just to thin out the consistency a bit.
Peanut Butter: I preferred one that had a little bit of salt in it to give this caramel dip more of a salted caramel flavor but you could use any nut butter of choice
Medjool dates: Using pitted medjool dates will cut down on prep time but you could also just remove the pits from whole dates.
Salt: this gives the dip more of a salted caramel flavor and balances out the sweetness of the medjool dates and maple syrup.
Maple syrup: Use 100% maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Added to taste.
Course sea salt: For topping and to drive home the salted caramel flavors of fall.
That’s it!
How to make peanute butter caramel dip:
This peanut butter caramel dip is ready to enjoy in just a few simple steps which makes it the perfect recipe for an after school snack board or to serve on a breakfast and brunch table.
Here’s how you’ll make it:
Step 1:
Add all of your ingredients to a food processor, personal blender cup, or high power blender.
Step 2:
Blend until the fruit dip is smooth and has an almost peanut butter like consistency. If needed, use a spatula or a spoon to scrape the ingredients down the sides of your food processor and keep them near the blades. You can adjust your liquid amount if needed to help with blending.
Step 3:
Pour the peanute butter caramel dip dip into a small bowl, top with crushed sea salt to taste, and serve with apples, french toast sticks, or other pairings of choice. Enjoy!
What to serve with peanut butter caramel dip:
This medjool date dip pairs well with so many different flavors. A few ideas are:
Fresh sliced apples, strawberries, or other fruit:. All of the classic fruits that pair well with caramel dip would pair perfectly with this peanut butter caramel dip as well!
Graham crackers: You can use traditional graham crackers or sweet thins.
Pancakes, waffles, or other baked goods: Swap the peanut butter for this peanut butter caramel dip instead.
Stir into yogurt: Add some protein by blending this dip with greek yogurt.
Mix into protein bites or bars: You can blend this dip into protein bites or bars as a binder for the rest of the ingredients.
The options are endless!
Recipe FAQ:
How should I store this dip?
You can store this caramel peanut butter dip in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
What is date caramel?
Date caramel is simply dates that have been blended into a caramel like consistency. It can be made in a variety of ways and blended with your own preferred ingredients like coconut milk, regular milk, maple syrup, honey, and other flavors.
What if I don’t have maple syrup?
Feel free to swap the maple syrup for honey or any other sweetener that you prefer! I like to use maple syrup to enhance the fall flavors.
Do I have to use peanut butter?
I found that a salted peanut butter worked the best in this recipe but you could certainly swap it with almond butter, walnut butter, or any other nut butter that you prefer!
Other healthy fruit dip recipes you will love:
Peanut Butter Yogurt Fruit Dip
Blended Cottage Cheese with Peanut Butter
3 ingredient date caramel
Healthier Peanut Butter Caramel Dip
This healthier peanut butter caramel dip is the perfect fruit dip for fall. Peanut butter blended with medjool dates and maple syrup then salted to perfection makes a delicious dip for crisp apples or spread for fall pancakes.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Top with a sprinkle of course ground sea salt and serve with apples or fruit of choice
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Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!