Easy Ways to Incorporate Dried Fruits into Any Meal

Easy Ways to Incorporate Dried Fruits into Any Meal

When many people think of dried fruits, typically raisins or even fruit cake come to mind. But there is a whole world of amazing and healthy dried fruits out there that can make adding more fruit to any diet easy and convenient (not to mention delicious!). Sphinx Date Co. tends to be a little biased about the date, of course, as it is so versatile, but there are multiple ways to incorporate all sorts of dried fruits into every day!

Start with a Smoothie — Dried fruit is a great addition to any smoothie along with fresh fruit, juice, milk, yogurt and ice. The dried fruit helps give smoothies a thicker texture and additional levels of flavor, too! Think of combining complementary flavors such as berries with other berries or mixing a variety of tropical fruits together such as mangoes, pineapples and bananas.

Sprinkle them on Salads — Dried fruit can easily be added to salads to give them an extra punch of spring/summer flavor. Dried berries such as blueberries and cherries are delicious atop green salads, while dried cranberries and raisins can be added to creamy chicken or tuna salad mixtures with some chopped nuts or seeds.

Serve them on a Charcuterie Board — Right at home on a DIY charcuterie board with nuts, jams, cheeses, meats, crackers or toasted bread, dried fruit adds another element of flavor and variety to customize this sharable appetizer.

Add them to Energy Bites, Cookies, and More — Bits of dried fruits are a great way to add a burst of real fruit and intense flavor to all types of cookies, energy bites, breads, muffins, scones and more. Generally, the basic recipes of all of these items are not altered by the addition of a handful (approximately a cup) of some dried fruits. Savory dried fruits such as sun dried tomatoes make an excellent Mediterranean style bread when combined with Kalamata olives and herbs.

Jam it Out — Creating jams from dried fruits is an easy process that requires little more than boiling them in some water (or a bit of juice) and adding a touch of sugar. Apricots and peaches are ideal for this process and make a lovely glaze for chicken and pork dishes.

Use them as Sugar Substitutes — Dates in particular have become popular in paleo and sugar-free baking because of their all-natural sweetness and mild flavor. Blending dates or other dried fruits into a “paste” is a great way to use them in desserts. They can also be blended up to use as a layer in between cakes, as well as in parfaits.

When it comes to adding dried fruits into basic recipes, don’t be afraid to get creative and enjoy the process. Sphinx Date Co. encourages home cooks to have fun with experimenting and not stress too much if something doesn’t come out exactly as planned. Shop for Dried Fruit,