No-Bake Brownies and Healthy Mini-Cakes
I promised to begin posting some of our favorite healthy desserts, so today I have two for you. Both recipes fit the bill for when you need something sweet, but don't want to sabotage your healthy eating lifestyle.
The Brownies are of the gooey sort; if you like yours more like cake, this may not be the recipe for you. (You could always add 1/4 cup of almond flour to the recipe and see if that makes it more cake-like, but I haven't tried it so I don't know if it will.)
One of my daughters is a true chocaholic and these brownies pass her taste test AND satisfy her chocolate cravings, yet they're free of refined sugar and white flour--I call that a winning recipe. :)
Raw (No-Bake) Brownies & Frosting
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla
Place walnuts, dates, cacao and vanilla in a food processor and process until a ball of dough forms. (Process well--until smooth)
Place brownie batter into an 8 x 8 in. baking dish and press down to form a consistent thickness.
Frosting
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
Mix cacao and coconut oil by hand or in blender until emulsified. Frost brownie. Freeze for 10 minutes and then cut into squares and enjoy!
The following recipe would work as a donut if you have the pan for it. If not, just make muffins as we do. The glaze topping is optional, but it adds a wonderful touch. You won't believe how sweet it tastes--with no sugar!
Paleo Mini-Cakes (Muffins)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Mix all together. Bake in muffin cups @ 350 F. for 10-15 minutes, or until brown. Add glaze topping. (optional)
Glaze Topping
1 banana
2 Tablespoons milk
Microwave 30 seconds and then mash up banana and milk. Add another dash of milk, if necessary, to bring to glaze consistency. Use a knife or pastry brush to glaze muffin tops.
You could also sprinkle cinnamon or chopped nuts, (or even chocolate mini-chips) over the tops of muffins after glazing, if desired. My favorite is finely chopped nuts.
In a hurry?
If you absolutely must have something sweet but don't have time to make something, my go-to solution is organic dark chocolate. Trader Joe's has some good selections. A small piece of chocolate, which I sometimes slather peanut-butter over, is a craving-quencher that is very low on sugar but high in antioxidants. You may be surprised to find that one or two bitefuls is really enough to give you that feeling of having indulged in something decadent, but without the guilt. Try it!
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10 comments:
Forgot to mention that the brownie recipe can be doubled or tripled; and we like them straight from the fridge. :)
Those both sound delicious!
Will you try to make them, Donna? :)
Maybe for your next tea party!
I like the fact that it is 'no-bake' since I try not to use my oven during the hot summer months. However, I do not like dates, so if I try these, I will have to substitute them for something else. I will check out the prices for the ingredients when I go grocery shopping...on a tight budget. Thanks for sharing.
These delicious morsels seem to be Gluten Free. My daughter would thank me for this recipe. She needs a Gluten Free diet for her health.
Yummy sounding sweets! I guess I need to find a Trader Joe's :)
Deb, the cocoa masks the dates pretty well, but you could try soaked raisins. Just be sure to soak them really well.
I know what you mean about not using the oven during the summer. ;)
Mary, yes, I'm sure your daughter would be able to enjoy these.
And Anne, even Kroger has some good organic dark chocolates available (in the natural foods department) so try your local big-chain grocery. I do like Trader Joe's, though!
What is your recipe for a healthy ice cream? I know you told me the ingredients but I forget and I'd like to know amounts, too.
Hey, Carol,
I'll do a post on healthy ice creams!
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