Have you heard of mesquite powder? It’s made from the ground pods of mesquite trees and has a wonderfully sweet – yet complex – flavor that is somewhere between vanilla, caramel, and malted milk balls. Delicious in smoothies, hot drinks, ice-creams, and baked goods, mesquite powder is great to have on hand!
A few years back, I decided to try making a caramel using just mesquite and water. The results were exciting. While it wasn’t as sticky as a typical caramel, it was thick and syrupy enough to hit the “caramel neurons” in my brain. (By the way, this is yet to be confirmed by an MRI, but I may have more “caramel neurons” than average.) Plus, this mesquite caramel had two advantages: it was both simpler to make and healthier to eat than a butter and sugar-laden variety.
Before we get too excited, let me just clarify that – while there is no added sugar in mesquite powder since it’s literally just ground up mesquite pods – chemical analysis of the powder does show it to be about 40 percent sucrose. As such, I probably can’t say that this caramel is entirely “sugar-free.” I can say that it is definitely significantly lower in sucrose than your typical table-sugar caramels, however, and has a more unique flavor, to boot. Its high fiber content may also be helpful in preventing blood sugar spikes, though – according to the website linked earlier – more research is needed.
This is the easiest caramel you’ll ever make. You just need mesquite powder, water, a small saucepan, and a spoon. Once the mixture starts to bubble, it’ll be ready in about five minutes. Drizzle it over ice-cream (I know, kind of negates the low sugar aspect), over your morning porridge (one of my favorite ways to eat oatmeal) or enjoy with stewed or baked apples. It’s also a wonderful way to dress up a bowl of cold cereal! Plus, it’ll keep for several days in the fridge and doesn’t harden or solidify, meaning it’s always drizzle-ready.
A couple notes about the recipe:
-While mesquite has a sweet flavor, it also has a bit of bitterness to it – the kind you would experience when eating chocolate or coffee. I love this aspect and think it lends the caramel a deliciously deep flavor. In fact, I experimented with adding a bit of maple syrup to the mixture just to see how it would turn out and ended up preferring the version with no added sweetener. That said, my palate may not be your palate. If you want to add a touch more sweetness and end up with a slightly stickier texture, add 2 1/2 teaspoons of maple syrup to the water and mesquite.
-This recipe makes 1/4 cup of mesquite caramel. You can also halve the recipe if you want to make less.
-I’ve marked this recipe as peanut and tree-nut free, since it does not contain any peanuts or tree nuts. However, mesquite is a legume, so I am not sure about the safety of eating it if you have a peanut allergy.
Mesquite Caramel
- 4 tablespoons raw mesquite powder
- 1/2 cup water
Directions:
Combine the mesquite powder and water in a small saucepan. Mix well, then heat to a boil over medium heat. Continue reducing, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes syrupy and has reduced to 1/4 cup, about five minutes. The texture will change slightly as it cools, becoming thicker and more syrupy.
Enjoy warm, or let cool and store in an airtight container. Drizzle over porridge, ice-cream, fruit, etc.
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