Many people can be deterred from following a healthy lifestyle because they assume they will have to sacrifice their favourite foods and, for some, that means imagining a life where they must forego dessert.
They do not realise that, by simply making a few subtle changes, they can still indulge in their favourite sweet treats on a regular basis while experiencing none of the guilt associated with them. Whether you are looking for something special for the entire family or a quick snack for one in front of the television, you are sure to find a suitable, delicious and satisfying dessert amongst our list of guilt-free recipes.
Image Source: @thebarefoothousewife
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Chocolate Mousse
Image Resource: @mixedandmeasured
This creamy chocolate mousse is a healthy alternative to typical mousses laden with fat and sugar but is just as indulgent. The avocados used in place of dairy products mean that this dessert is bursting with the antioxidants and essential fatty acids required for a healthily functioning body.
This recipe takes very little time to prepare and is, therefore, perfect for those chocoholics battling a sudden craving for something sweet. This delicious chocolate mousse is suitable for those following a vegan or gluten-free diet.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 40g cacao powder
- ¼ cup raw organic maple syrup
Ingredients
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp stevia
- Splash of almond milk
Halve the avocados and remove the stones before scooping out the flesh and placing in a blender. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and combine until smooth. Place the cacao and stevia in the blender and blitz together until the cacao is evenly distributed throughout the mousse.
If you find the mousse is too thick simply add a splash of almond milk and blend for another thirty seconds. Repeat this process until you reach your desired consistency. Scrape the mixture from the blender and serve either chilled or immediately if you cannot wait.
Carrot Cake Bites
Image Resource: @love.fitness.nj
This recipe is perfect for busy individuals who often reach for junk food out of convenience. The combination of naturally occurring sugars and carbohydrates will boost your energy levels meaning that these carrot cake bites are the perfect way to beat that mid-afternoon slump. These delicious balls of goodness are ideal for preparing in advance for an on the go snack that can be easily transported.
This recipe is suitable for vegans and can be made gluten-free by simply swapping the rolled oats for a gluten free variety.
Ingredients
- 4 Medjool dates
- 40g raisins
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Ensure that all stones have been removed from the dates and place them in a blender along with the raisins, maple syrup and vanilla and combine until the dates have broken into smaller pieces. Finely grate enough carrot to fill one cup and add to the blender along with the spices, oats and coconut flour. Blend until the mixture sticks together easily.
Place the shredded coconut in a shallow bowl. Scoop out a chunk of the mixture from the blender using a teaspoon and roll the dough between your fingers until it forms a ball. Coat the ball in the shredded coconut and set aside before repeating with the remaining mixture.
Keep the carrot cake balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a perfect go to snack or freeze a batch to enjoy over a longer period.
Peanut Butter Cups
Image Resource: @monakvammen
This recipe is a healthy alternative to the peanut butter cups laden with sugar that we all know and love. They are easy to make and consist of just three ingredients so you will not have to break the bank in order to make these deliciously rich and satisfying bites of heaven.They can be made quickly on a morning and popped into the freezer so that they are ready to eat when you return home.
Try to use at least 80% cacao for this recipe in order to reap the full range of antioxidants and health benefits associated with dark chocolate. You could make these cups using other nut butter, although we would recommend either almond or peanut for this recipe. Ensure that you choose a good quality natural nut butter that has no junk added to it.
Ingredients
- 50g good quality dark chocolate (at least 80% cacao)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
Ingredients
- 1 jar of natural peanut butter
Place one teaspoon of peanut butter into the middle of six muffin cases spread out on a baking tray. Put 50g of dark chocolate into a bowl and place the bowl into a pan of water over moderate heat. Once the chocolate begins to melt, add the coconut oil and stir until a smooth chocolate liquid is formed.
Carefully spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases, ensuring an even coverage on top of the peanut butter. Place the tray into the freezer and leave to set for a couple of hours before devouring. If you find dark chocolate too bitter, why not try adding a little raw organic maple syrup to the mixture to sweeten it slightly.
Nice Cream
Image Resource: @datesandfigs
The Nice cream is an incredibly simple yet delicious alternative to ice cream that is easy to make and amazingly versatile.Made using frozen bananas, you can enjoy this guilt-free dessert at any time a craving strikes as it is so quick to prepare (just like a Banbury cake!).
Simply peel a couple of bananas and keep them in your freezer for a delicious dessert that will satisfy your taste buds and provide a multitude of vitamins and minerals. This healthy alternative to ice cream is completely dairy free making it suitable for vegans.
Ingredients
- 3 frozen bananas
- 100ml almond milk
- 40g blueberries
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 3 tbsp raw organic maple syrup
Or
- 3 frozen bananas
- 100ml almond milk
- 4Medjool dates
- 4 tbsp natural peanut butter
- 3 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp raw organic maple syrup
Peel three bananas and chop into smaller pieces before placing in the freezer for a few hours. Once the bananas are frozen, place them in a blender along with the almond milk and combine until a smooth and creamy consistency similar to ice cream has been reached. This forms the base of your ice cream and from here you can add ingredients to recreate healthy versions of your favorite flavors.
Try throwing 40g blueberries and some vanilla essence into the blender and blitzing for thirty seconds before serving and topping with maple syrup for a deliciously sweet and fruity guilt free treat.
Alternatively, you could try blending peanut butter and dates with the chunks of frozen banana before adding cacao powder and maple syrup and combining for another minute to recreate a creamy chocolate and peanut butter flavour.
Mug Cake
Image Resource: @alaex24
This delicious treat is exactly what it says on the tin, a cake in a mug! This literally takes just a few minutes to make and, therefore, makes the perfect midnight snack.
This healthy, high protein alternative to a cake will help stave off cravings for junk food and could even be used as a quick breakfast idea for those who fancy something sweet on a morning.
Mug cakes are incredibly versatile and, once you have mastered the basic recipe, you can experiment with what flavour you create by adding in different ingredients and toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 scoop protein powder (flavour of choice)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp raw organic maple syrup
- Toppings of your choice
Peel one banana and separate it into smaller chunks. Place the chunks of banana into a mug and mash into a pulp using a fork. Once the banana is mashed, crack one egg into the mug and mix until a batter-like consistency is formed.
Add the maple syrup and one scoop of protein powder (we would recommend using either chocolate or vanilla flavour to start with) and whisk together until smooth. Place the mug containing the mixture into the microwave and cook on high for 2 and a half minutes.
Simply remove the mug from the microwave and top your mug cake with fruit, nut butter, chocolate spread or a combination of all three for a delicious and guilt-free dessert that takes just minutes to make.
Blueberry and Cinnamon Pancakes
Image Resource: @veggiesthenewblack
Although commonly thought of as a leisurely breakfast, blueberry pancakes also make a delicious dessert due to their light, fluffy texture and deliciously sweet taste. This healthy take on the classic dish uses almond flour instead of regular white flour, meaning that these pancakes are high protein, gluten free and full of the essential fatty acids required to maintain a healthily functioning body.
Ingredients
- 60g blueberries
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp almond flour
Ingredients
- ¼ cinnamon
- 3 tbsp raw organic maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
Combine the eggs and almond flour in a jug and whisk until smooth before adding 40g blueberries and the cinnamon to the mixture. Add one tablespoon of coconut oil to a pan and melt on a medium heat before pouring the batter into the pan to form a couple of small round pancakes. Flip the pancakes over using a spatula after a few minutes and repeat until the pancakes are golden brown on either side and cooked through.
While the pancakes are cooking, place the remaining 20g blueberries and coconut oil in a pan and cook on a low heat, occasionally stirring, until the two ingredients have merged to form a sauce. Place the pancakes on a plate and generously pour the blueberry sauce and maple syrup over the stack before serving.
Raspberry Cheesecake
Image Resource: @twopurplefigs
This recipe is perfect if you have a special occasion coming up and want to enjoy a satisfying dessert without caving to foods that are detrimental to your health.
This healthy alternative is suitable for those following a gluten-free or vegan diet as this cheesecake contains no dairy products and is made primarily from nuts, meaning that it is bursting with protein and essential fatty acids.
This healthy alternative is suitable for those following a gluten-free or vegan diet as this cheesecake contains no dairy products and is made primarily from nuts, meaning that it is bursting with protein and essential fatty acids.
Although this cheesecake is a little bit more time consuming than the other featured recipes, this deliciously creamy and satisfying dessert is worth the extra effort.This recipe also works well if you substitute the raspberries for other berries or nut butter.
Ingredients
- 200g dates
- 120g walnuts
- 180g cashews
- 100g raspberries
Ingredients
- 50ml fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 coconut oil
- 150ml full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
Place the cashew nuts in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak uncovered for one hour.Ensure the stones have been removed from the dates and place in the blender along with the walnuts, combine until the mixture easily sticks together.
Lightly grease a muffin tin using coconut oil and scoop one tablespoon of the date and walnut mixture into each slot, packing it down using either your fingers or the back of a spoon. Place the tray in the freezer to set.
While the cheesecake crust is in the fridge firming up, drain the cashew nuts and place in a blender along with the coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and maple syrup.
Blitz the ingredients together until smooth, add a little more lemon juice or coconut milk as required if the ingredients are not mixing well.
Blitz the ingredients together until smooth, add a little more lemon juice or coconut milk as required if the ingredients are not mixing well.
Once smooth, add the raspberries to the mixture and blitz for thirty seconds before dividing evenly on top of the crusts.
Once the filling has been evenly distributed, smooth the top of each cheesecake using a butter knife and place the tray back in the freezer for five hours.
Using a butter knife, loosen the individual cheesecakes until they pop out of the tray and either serve immediately or set aside for ten minutes to defrost slightly before eating.
It’s okay to indulge and give your sweet tooth a treat once in a while. It just helps that these recipes will save you from the hassle of thinking about the calories and how much fat it would leave your body. Healthy eating is the best way to go, especially with desserts!
