Date syrup

Dates are cooked to extract their juice, which is then strained and simmered until it becomes thick and pourable. It has a dark, fruity sweetness with a caramel-like note.

Drizzle a teaspoon over porridge, yoghurt or overnight oats just before serving. It also mixes easily into warm porridge, so you can use less refined sugar or honey.

You can replace some of the sugar, but date syrup adds moisture and a darker flavour, so it is not a direct, like-for-like swap. Reduce another liquid in the recipe slightly to compensate.

Whisk a little into a mustard dressing, or brush it over carrots or aubergine towards the end of roasting for a sticky, sweet finish. Add it sparingly to balance sharp or savoury flavours.

Keep it tightly sealed in a cool, dark cupboard and use a clean spoon. If the packaging says to refrigerate it after opening, follow those instructions.

Use honey, maple syrup or golden syrup in a drizzle or dressing, but expect a different flavour. In baking, remember that any liquid syrup adds moisture, unlike granulated sugar.

Yes. NHS guidance counts sugars in syrups as free sugars, so treat date syrup as a sweetener rather than as a substitute for whole dates.

Yes: date syrup has 8 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 0.4 g in treacle or molasses.