5 HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS DESSERTS
By Noelle Walker at New Fitness Personal Training
Cooking and eating healthy should be easy and delicious, even when it comes to desserts! Most desserts are filled with fats and simple sugars. Those are ingredients you should avoid if you want to be fit and healthy.
There are food substitutions that you can use that taste just as great as sugar and fat. Examples are:
- Instead of using table sugar and brown sugars, use honey, maple syrup, coconut and stevia.
- Instead of using milk chocolate, use dark chocolate. It has less fat and sugar than milk chocolate.
REAL FOOD TRUFFLES
These are not overly sweet and are high in fat, so one little truffle will give you energy for an entire afternoon without spiking your blood sugar.
Here’s what you need for 50 truffles:
• 2 cups toasted pecans 1 cup coconut oil • 2 cups organic almond butter • 1/2 cup coconut flour • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut, toasted • 1 cup ground chia seeds • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt • 1/3 cup macadamia nuts, ground.
1. In a food processor, grind the pecans. Mix in the coconut oil and almond butter. Mix in the coconut flour and cocoa powder. Blend thoroughly.
2. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the shredded coconut, chia seeds, vanilla and almond extracts and the salt.
3. Form small balls with the chocolate mixture. Roll each ball in the ground macadamia nuts.
4. Refrigerate to harden, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
50 servings
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 186 calories, 17g fat, 19mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 4g protein
APPLE CRISP
Traditional apple crisp recipes call for lots of sugar, flour and butter. Not this one! Enjoy this classic treat with a healthy twist.
Here’s what you need: • 4 organic apples • 1/2 cup golden raisins • 1 Tablespoon coconut flour • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup • 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup coconut oil • 1/2 cup almond flour • 1/2 cup coconut crystals • 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a baking dish with coconut oil.
2. Core and chop the apples. Combine the apples, raisins, coconut flour, maple syrup and lemon juice in the prepared dish.
3. In a bowl, use your fingers to combine the coconut oil, almond flour, coconut crystals, sliced almonds and chopped pecans. When the mixture is crumbly, sprinkle it over the fruit.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is browned and apples are tender.
12 servings
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 228 calories, 15g fat, 9mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 3g protein
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Here’s what you need for 24 cookies:
• 1 cup natural peanut butter • ½ cup coconut crystals • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • ¾ cup blanched almond flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 2 omega-3 eggs • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (look for big ones)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the peanut butter, coconut crystals, vanilla, almond flour, baking soda and eggs. Mix until fully combined.
3. Roll the dough into small balls, place on the baking sheet a couple of inches apart. Press a chocolate chip into the top of each cookie.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
5. Melt the remaining dark chocolate in a double boiler. Dip each cooled cookie in the chocolate, then flip over to allow to cool. To cool faster, place in the fridge.
24 servings
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 139 calories, 9g fat, 41mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 5g protein
PEANUT BUTTER FROZEN YOGOURT
Made with fat free Greek yogurt, coconut crystals and creamy peanut butter, this recipe is a tasty way to cool off.
Here’s what you need for 8 servings:
• 3/4 cup creamy, natural peanut butter (only use peanut butter that doesn’t contain corn syrup or sugar) • 3/4 cup coconut crystals • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup filtered water • 16 oz fat free plain Greek yogurt • 16 oz fat free vanilla Greek yogurt • Banana for topping • Chopped peanuts for topping
1. Prepare your ice cream maker.
2. Combine the peanut butter, coconut crystals and water in a small sauce pan. Heat over very low heat, mixing constantly, until it is all melted together. If the mixture is extremely thick, then add some more water. It should be pourable. Separate 1/2 a cup of the sauce if you’d like to use it as a topping. Set aside and allow to cool.
3. In a medium bowl combine both types of yogurt. Add the peanut butter sauce and mix well.
4. Put in your ice cream maker and allow to run until it reaches ice cream consistency.
5. Top with the reserved peanut butter sauce, banana slices and chopped peanuts.
8 Servings
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 249 calories, 8g fat, 163mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 19g protein.
BANANA CAKE
This cake is unbelievably moist.
For the cake:
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted over low heat • 1/2 cup agave nectar • 3 omega-3, free range eggs • 3 ripe bananas, mashed • 1/4 cup coconut milk, full-fat from can • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract • 2 cups blanched almond flour • 2 teaspoons baking soda • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting:
• 8 oz organic cream cheese, room temperature • 2 Tablespoons agave nectar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract • pinch of salt • 1 Tablespoon coconut milk, full-fat from can
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×11 baking pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine the coconut oil, agave nectar, eggs, banana, coconut milk, vanilla extract and almond extract. In another bowl combine the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until well combined.
3. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden on top.
4. For the frosting: With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Reduce the mixing speed and add the remaining ingredients. Beat on high speed until fluffy.
5. Once the cake is fully cooled, cover with the frosting and cut into squares.
24 Servings
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 169 calories, 7g fat, 158mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 4g protein.
These are all great recipes but know that I did not invent these recipes, but like I said I think they are all great replacements for some of your favourite high fat sugary desserts. Enjoy!
