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A clear bowl holds freshly prepared date syrup.

Homemade Date Syrup Recipe

Frances Kellar
This easy Date Syrup Recipe (also called silan) is made with just two ingredients — dates and water! Rich, caramelly, and naturally sweet, it’s perfect for drizzling over pancakes, stirring into oatmeal, sweetening baked goods, or adding depth to savory dishes.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Soaking Dates 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Syrup
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 0.33 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups pitted medjool dates
  • 2 cups boiled, slightly cooled water

Instructions
 

  • Rinse your dates, remove any pits and place in a medium bowl.
  • Pour the boiled, and slightly cooled, water over the dates. Soak for at least 2 hours to overnight.
  • Use a masher to mash the dates to extract the liquid from the fruit.
  • Fit a mesh strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheesecloth. Pour the mashed dates over the cheesecloth and squeeze out the remaining liquid. The liquid will appear thin and water. This is okay. Once strained, pour the mixture into a sauce pan and begin to bring it to a boil.
  • Lower to a simmer and simmer date syrup in the sauce pan, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Simmer syrup until it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency. This may take up to about 20 minutes depending on the consistency of stove temperature. Remove from heat to cool before storing in an airtight container.
  • This recipe yields ⅓ cup. Store date syrup in the fridge for about a month.

Notes

  • Soak Time Matters: Dates with thicker skins (like Deglet Noor) may need a longer soak than Medjool to fully soften.
  • Don’t Waste the Pulp: After straining, repurpose the leftover date pulp in energy balls, dessert bars, or even oatmeal for extra fiber and sweetness.
Keyword date syrup, date syrup recipe, homemade date syrup
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