These taste just like gingerbread but they’re waaaay better for you. Why gingerbread because: It’s Christmas this month! This month! That’s so soon. I LOVE Christmas, I love the time spent with family friends, how everyone is in a good mood, Mariah Carey’s Christmas album playing on repeat (haha, no shame)… and the food.
Want to have tasty things to eat over the weekend and into the week ahead? I’ve got you covered with this collection of healthier sweet treats. All of these recipes contain no or little refined sugar, are low in the unrefined alternatives and are full of flavour. I’ve made the list in order of easiest to most difficult in terms of skill and effort. At the very bottom you’ll find a new twist on my maple lemon tarts – this time with raspberry chia jam as well!
If you hadn’t guessed yet chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favourite combinations. You can see this in this smoothie, this cheesecake slice and lots of other things I’ve forgotten to mention. I’m also all about skillet cookies for dessert at the moment, this is the third time I’ve made one in as many weeks. It’s becoming an issue.
This lightly coconut flavoured custard is dairy free and has a silky texture. It’s the perfect thing to have with crumbles, in a trifle or with your christmas pudding. It also has the plus of being far lower in sugar than regular custard.
I love all kinds of pancakes, from delicate French crepes to the fluffy American style. These are a quick and easy version of the latter and they have chocolate in them so you know they’re going to be good. Plus they are free of added sugar and full of protein to keep you full for longer. Add some fruit and a scoop of yoghurt and you’re good to go.
This cake is gluten free and uses a mixture of polenta and nutrient filled nuts to add texture and flavour. Blood oranges are one of my favourites, i love the variation you get in colour and they have such a beautiful flavour with a slight bitterness which balances this cake nicely. This is a cake, so it’s not health food but we all need cake sometimes and this one is full of real ingredients and amazing flavour.
Cookies. Is there a better word to hear when you’re feeling a little snacky? I have quite a few cookie recipes that I rotate but these guys have fast become a new favourite. They just have such a good texture and so much flavour. Soft chewy oats, the crunch of peanuts and melted chocolate… I can’t possibly need to say anything else to convince you to give these a shot!
Sometimes you just need cupcakes, right? But sometimes you don’t want to throw all your good intentions out the window. These little gems are a great mid-ground, they are still sweet but are made with fantastic whole food ingredients and are filling enough that you can stop at one (if, like, self control is a thing you have a handle on). They remind me of those delicious hazelnut gluten free cupcakes with the white chocolate icing and nut brittle that many Melbourne cafes stock. Except these use much less sugar, and are a mixture of buckwheat flour and hazelnut which ups the nutty taste. Fraser believes the pralined nuts on top make these ones, I think it’s the light but creamy vanilla, ricotta and cream cheese icing. Either way they are a delicious indulgence.
This is one of those recipes where the whole thing is almost in the title. But it’s very good. Really creamy and tasty with loads of nutrients. It’s also exactly what I need to eat at the moment as work has started again and I all of a sudden need to eat breakfast way earlier and thus stay full for longer. This does the trick.
Chocolate waffles that are light like a sponge cake inside with a crispy exterior, it’s like eating a little disk of chocolate sponge. This is my third waffles post. Is that ridiculous? I just really loves waffles… and not just waffles themselves but the waffle maker too. It just makes the best toasted sandwiches… I need to experiment with more food types in the waffle maker. But back to waffles. Waffles and chocolate. Chocolate waffles. These are gluten and refined sugar free. They’re actually not that sweet at all but have a bitter chocolate flavour that works well with the slightly nutty buckwheat. As they are just a little sweet the flavours of the waffle are brilliant with fruit toppings and maple syrup.
