Ingredients

½ cup medjool dates, pitted (about 8-10 dates)

1 cup warm water

1 cup black sesame seeds

1 tbsp agave syrup (you can substitute a sweetener of your choice)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp kosher salt

Directions

1. In a medium size bowl, soak the dates in the warm water. Let them soak until step 4.

2. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the sesame seeds and toast for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Since they are black, it’s hard to tell when they are done. I wait until I get a toasty smell and listen for when they start to make a popping sound. Once they are toasted, transfer them to a shallow plate and allow them to cool to room temperature. Make sure not to cool them in the skillet because the residual heat may burn them.

3. After they cool down, blend the sesame seeds in a high-power blender until they completely break down, and form a gritty paste.

4. Add the soaked dates and blend again until the dates are broken down and mixed in well with the sesame seeds.

5. Add the water that the dates were soaked in, agave, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until you get a smooth, uniform paste. You may need to scrape the mix down occasionally during this process.

6. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge.