In a morning toast rut? Hey, it happens to the best of us. There’s only so many times you can have peanut butter on toast, even if it’s a decadent homemade nut butter, before this most perfect toast topping starts to feel overdone. Lucky for you, date butter — a simple combination of salted butter and dates — is about to switch up your morning routine.
This pairing works so well because of the stark contrast between salty butter and the candy-like sweetness of dates. Butter is incredibly creamy and fatty, and that richness cuts right through the almost intense saccharinity of dates. While other sweet sources like honey or maple syrup may also achieve a similar flavor effect, they won’t blend together in quite the same way that chopped dates and butter do which adds a whole new layer of texture depending on how chunky you leave the dates.
So to make this at home, start with good quality salted butter that’s at room temperature for easier spreading and mixing. Life hack: If you’ve ever wondered why butter tastes better in restaurants, it’s probably because they’re keeping it at room temp. Then simply add in a handful of finely chopped Medjool dates (other varieties will work too, but Medjool tend to be softer ) and stir it all up to combine. When you spread a little spoon of this onto freshly toasted bread, the butter will melt slightly and the date chunks will add little pops of unexpected flavor in each bite you take.
Take your date butter toast to new levels
So now that you have the basic butter-date combo down, it’s only the beginning — there are many ways to customise date butter. Try adding a sprinkle of sea salt flakes on top — yes, even though you’re using salted butter. The amount of salt in salted butter varies, but there’s generally enough to enhance the flavor without overwhelming it. This means you’ll get away with adding a bit more to it, and the little crunches of salt flakes will offset the caramel-like bursts of dates in the most fantastic way. Or, if you like spices, a dash of cinnamon or ginger will bring warmth which would be especially nice for colder mornings. Looking for heat instead? Just a little pinch of cayenne or chili will go far. Or if you want a fresher and lighter experience, some fresh herbs such as a few small leaves of finely chopped thyme or basil will really elevate the spread.
Of course, any toast connoisseur knows that bread matters too. While date butter will be rich and delicious on even the most basic loaf, you can really give it a moment to shine if you spread it on heartier breads like sourdough or whole grain. Or, if you can get your hands on it, a walnut bread with its subtle nutty notes would complement the caramel flavor of dates perfectly, because nothing goes better with dates than nuts.
