Shop bought desserts and often homemade options can be laden with refined sugars and lacking in goodness. If you want to have something sweet after dinner, but without the guilt, then here are 3 firm favourites in my house for a ‘healthy dessert’.
Kids love these sweet treats too so maybe something to try with kids / grandkids as part of a family meal.
These recipes use only whole-foods with plenty of nutrition and health benefits.
Have a go and see what you think!
Avocado banana chocolate mousse
Feeds 2
This a rich dessert which will feel very filling and naturally sweet; it contains lots of fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and can be topped with health promoting berries or protein packed nuts.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 ripe avocado
- 3 tbsps cacoa powder
- Toppings: berries, cacoa nibs, honey, nuts.
Method:
- Mix the banana, avocado and cacoa powder in a blender till creamy.
- If the bananas are very ripe you won't need any extra liquid, but if you want the mousse softer, add a few tsps of water to the mixture.
- Serve in little ramekins or bowls, and add suggested toppings as you wish.
Rhubarb, berry and apple crumble
Feeds 4 people in one sitting, or you can pop into 4 small ramekins and freeze for convenient dessert portions.
This is a delicious alternative to normal fruit crumbles. The sweetness in this crumble comes from blended dates and the medley of fruit, all of which have plenty of antioxidants. This recipe includes immune boosting and warming ginger, alongside blood sugar balancing oats and a small portion of natural fat in the form of butter or coconut oil.
Ingredients:
- 12 medjool dates - remove stones
- 2 cups fruit - rhubarb, berries, apple. You can use frozen or fresh. Make sure the rhubarb and apple are cut into small chunks.
- 1 piece of fresh finger or 1/2 tsp ginger powder - cut the piece into tiny pieces
- 1 juiced lemon
- 1 large cup of oat flour (just pop the oats in a grinder or blender to make them into a course flour).
- 6 tbsps butter / coconut oil - or a mix of the two.
Method:
- Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes or so to soften them. Blend and make them into a paste - date paste.
- To make the fruit mix: add the chopped fruit to a saucepan, with the ginger, half of the data paste and lemon. Simmer for 15 mins on a low heat so the mixture blends and the fruit cooks gently.
- To make the topping: heat the fats, and once liquid stir in the oat flour and the other half of the date paste. Mix this into a smooth topping.
- Add the fruit mix to 3 - 4 small ramekins or 1 larger ramekin - depending on whether you want small small portions or one large dish to be shared in the same meal.
- Put in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees - or until the topping turns a nice light brown colour.
Fruit jelly
Enjoying jelly can be for adults too! The 'gelatin' found in jelly comes from animals' connective tissues, and contains proteins and antioxidants that can support the health of the digestive system, bones, skin and joints.
Ingredients:
- Fresh juice - ideally juiced at home or buy juice 'not from concentrate.
- Gelatin powder - ideally buy gelatin from grass fed animals for a pure product such as this one from Planet Paleo.
- A glass jar, or some jelly moulds.
Method:
Decide how much jelly you want to make (one serving or a few servings to last a few days).
- Heat the juice in a pan so it warms up, but doesn't boil.
- Add 2 teaspoons of unflavoured gelatin for 1 cup of jelly.
- Stir well so the gelatin dissolves into the juice mix.
- Pour into moulds and let these set in the fridge.
