Smoothie Question: In your chocolate smoothie recipes that call for soaked dates, how long do you soak them for? And, what kind of dates do you buy?
Also, do you think organic cocoa powder would be a good substitute for raw cacao powder?
Thank you!
Answer: I usually soak my dates for at least 1 hour. Some dates come super soft already and don't need prior soaking. Other dates can be crystallized. This could be partially due to the age of the dates.
I like to buy halawi dates, as they are usually soft and pliable and have a caramel flavor. Plus, they are not as expensive as the Medjool dates. Medjool dates are the top of the line of all dates.
A tasty treat is to wrap a date around a raw almond. Simply delicious! Just make sure to remove the pit before biting down.
Organic cocoa powder would work just fine to replace raw cacao. The flavor is pretty much the same.
For another tasty chocolate smoothie option, use carob. It is a lot cheaper then cocoa or cacao. You can buy carob raw or roasted.
Since carob is sweeter than cocoa, make sure not to use too much sweetener.
Happy Blending!
DaNae
The contents are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This website is for sharing knowledge and information from the research and experience of DaNae. She encourages you to make your own health decisions based upon your research and discussion with your own qualified professionals.