Simple three ingredients date shake, naturally sweetened, creamy and rich. A much healthier form of date shake than the one you usually get.
A super easy recipe, that can be enjoyed in the afternoon or as a treat after dinner. Date shake also shows up a lot on our table during the holy month of Ramadan. Date shake is the best kid-friendly power boosting drink.
Date Shake
Nutritious and healthy date shake. Sweet dates and creamy vanilla-flavored milk are blended together to get this date shake or date milkshake. This rich healthy drink is naturally sweetened and can be easily made vegan and dairy-free.
Date shakes are well known as a Palm Beach dessert, I’ve never been there or having their shake but this version of date shake has been in the region for more than a century I guess. My mother and her mother made date shakes during Ramadan.
I just love those creamy, sweet and cold date milkshakes especially after a long fasting day. I used to put tons of sugar into my date shake, one tablespoon per cup to say the least. I know this is crazy, but this is actually how we rolled.
After adapting a healthier life style I modified this recipe a lot. First I started using honey to sweeten the milkshake, then I moved on to natural sweeteners such as monk fruit. Now I do not add any sugar except for the one that comes naturally with dates.
If you look up date shake recipes online you can find most of them made with ice cream and the healthiest are made using frozen banana. Although the frozen banana idea is very good, and would have been a great alternative to honey I had a problem that my kids do not like banana in any form but to be eaten as is. They do not like banana bread, pudding or any sort of desserts or drinks with banana.
This shake is actually one of my kids’ favorite especially on hot days. Talking about kids, I am trying to teach my kids- and myself as well – to set goals. Setting goals is a very important life skill that I did not practice or have learned when I was little and I am not talking about reaching those goals, we are still in the process of setting life goals and trying to be realistic. Wasting time is something that is underestimated in most of the Middle East region although it is highly highlighted in Islam.
So here I am sitting with my 3 kids right before the holy month starts, trying to teach them about the importance of Ramadan and that we should not waste our time especially in Ramadan, I used this comparison that if a millionaire lost $10 will he even notice it? the answer should be no, the next question was supposed to be what if a person only has $70 or $80 will he notice that he lost 10 of them. To make it clear for you, I wanted them to realize that we might only have 70 or 80 Ramadans in our lifetime so it will be a great loss for us to waste 10 of them, as simple as that!!
Now, when I asked the kids about the millionaire, they looked at me and said you know mom, it really depends, the personality of the person really matters and also the situation like when and where he lost that money .. what happened and the circumstances.. I was like 😱.. what is the matter with you boys?!! the answer should be simply ” he will not notice the $10 as he already has many”. Seems that their life is not as simple as mine was 30 years ago 👶 .
Although their lives might not be as simple, yet they enjoyed this simple recipe of date shakes and it got their approval immediately.
Date Shake FAQs
What are dates benefits?
Dates are very nutritious. In the middle east, dates are believed to be the most nutritional fruit in nature. Despite their calories, dates are high in antioxidants, fiber, several vitamins and minerals. Source
How many calories are in a date fruit?
It depends on the type of dates. The most common varieties here in the United States are either deglet noor or medjool. A serving of 3.5 ounces of dates can range anywhere from 277 to 282 calories. Source.
Date shake notes:
- It is sweet and if it is not sweet enough for any of them I always offer honey on the side for more sweetness. I just need to dissolve the honey in a warmed tablespoon of milk then added it to their shakes.
- I have two kids who are obsessed with dates since they were little, so for them I add more dates or cubed dates in the cups for more deliciousness and sweetness.
- I add vanilla which gives this drink a dessert-like aroma and enhances its sweetness so much, making it very desirable for everyone in my family.
- For my third kid, I strain the milk so there are no visible residues from the dates as he enjoys it that way and I do not add more dates for him.
- So it is your call strain or not, add extra dates or not, really it is all up to your liking. I do not add sugar or any other sweeteners to my date shake, being a sweet tooth, really this surprises me and here is a trick I use, I soak the dates until they are so soft, to get all the sweetness I can get from them, also adding the vanilla powder makes it taste much better and makes you feel there is more sugar in it.
- You can make this vegan by using any kind of milk, like almond milk.
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Other date recipes on the blog
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Healthy, no sugar date shake
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dates – 4 or 5 soft Medjool dates pits removed.
- 1 cup milk , use almond or cashew fro vegan shake. Note1
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Optional but highly recommended.
More add ins:
- More dates for the cups if you like. Cinnamon, nutmeg, nut butter…etc
Instructions
- Soak the dates in the milk for as long as possible to get all the sweetness out. I soak mine for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- In your blender, blend the date with the milk and a dash of vanilla powder if using.
- In the serving cups add more dates at the bottom and pour the milk over.Note2
- Serve cold.
Best and healthiest date shake I’ve found online.. just added some ice cubes and it was perfect.
Jake, thank you so much, I am happy you liked it.
Fun recipe! Gotta make a date to make this. 🙂 Thanks!