10 healthy desserts to love for Valentine’s Day

Low-Cal Desserts to Help Celebrate the Holiday Healthier

If you and your valentine are looking for deserts but don’t want to cheat on your diet, there are ways to get around that. Often, people trying to lead healthy lifestyles cut out desserts altogether, but once in a while it is okay to allow yourself a treat.Otherwise, you may overindulge out pure diet frustration. At least this way, you get to skip the guilt ridden binge and enjoy some chocolate and fruit as well.

You can do the traditional dark chocolate covered fruit, dark chocolate covered almonds, or you can try some of these low-carb and low sugar pastries below. They will allow you to celebrate the sweetness of your valentine’s day without the unattractive bloating afterward.

 1. Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup of your favorite flour substitute
• ¾ cups brown sugar or stevia
• ½ cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 container of applesauce
• 1 oz.dark chocolate chips
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients separately then combine.                                                                                                                                                               Bake at 350º for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

A low fat Icing: Try mixing melted carob or dark chocolate with Greek or low fat yogurt depending on your taste preferences.

For a cute presentation, cut the cake into hearts or skip the icing and  make a powdered sugar heart on top instead with a stencil. Either fill in a heart with powdered sugar or create the outline of one.

2. Strawberry Muffins

Adapted from a Fit Sugar recipe, this is a gluten and dairy free recipe for all serious strawberry lovers.

•  1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour or your favorite flour substitute
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ¼ coconut milk
• 1 tbsp applesauce
• 6-8 large chopped strawberries
• 2 egg whites

Mix together the wet and dry ingredient separately and then combine. Add the strawberries last and then fill the cupcake tins 1/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and then bask in the dual scrumptiousness of the scent of warm muffins and sweet strawberries.

3. Sweet Potato Brownies

A Recipe from Drew Manning of Fit2Fat

1 peeled sweet potato – bake at 350º for 30 minutes and then mash it

• 3 whisked eggs – add to sweet potato
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup Truvia
• ½ cup melted coconut oil

Mix together                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         In a separate bowl:

• 3 tbsp coconut flour
• 2 ½ tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt

Combine the two bowls then pour into a greased 8×8 pan
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes and enjoy your paleo friendly treat.

4. Chocolate Muffins

 

• 1 ¾ cup oats (blended/grounded until smooth)
• ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup Truvia
• 3 eggs whites
• 1 container or ½ cups applesauce
• ½ cup Greek or low-fat yogurt
• 1 ½ tbsp. vinegar
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips

Bake at 350º in a lined cupcake tin for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean

For a soft, gooey muffin, fill it with Katie’s, of Katie Covered in Chocolate, healthier version of nutella. Just cut a hole in the top of your muffin after they have cooled and fill with the hazelnut spread. Afterward, replace the top of the muffin to fill the hole.

5. Yogurt Parfaits

This one doesn’t require a recipe. Just take your favorite low-fat or Greek yogurt and add raspberries or blackberries (note: other fruits work too but these are lower in sugar than others), some granola if you wish, and enjoy. Note: this can be an entire day’s worth of sugar for some people so try avoiding other sugar intakes throughout the day and enjoy this at night to celebrate.

6. Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup ground oats or your favorite flour substitute
• ¾ cups dry oatmeal
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/3 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup Truvia or other sugar substitute
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup soy milk or almond milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ over-ripened banana, cut up
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (or carob chips)

Optional: ¼ cups your favorite nuts chopped up                                                                                                                            Mix together the dry and wet ingredients separately and then combine. Bake at 350º for 8-12 minutes.

7. Baked Pear with Berries and Granola

Instead of pie or a berry cobbler that is loaded with sugar, carbs, and empty calories try this substitute. It has all the characteristics of a parfait but with the added fiber, tartness, and warmth from the baked pear so you get a nice combo dessert

• 1 peeled pear cut in half lengthwise
• ½ cup Truvia or other sugar substitute
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup raspberries
• ½ cup granola
• ¼ cup flour

Cut the pear in half lengthwise and use a melon baller to remove the seeds and core, leaving a hollow dip in the pear.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Coat the outside of the pear in flour and sprinkle the halves with sugar and cinnamon.                                                                                                       Bake it in a pie pan at 350º for 15-20 minutes or until the pear is tender.                                                                                                                            When it’s done, add raspberries and granola in the dip of the pear.                                                                                                                                    Optional: serve with sorbet, frozen yogurt, or low-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt.

8. Chocolate Monkey Bites

For those who love Reese’s peanut butter cups, this recipe is a healthier alternative from the blog Katie Covered with Chocolate — think Reese’s cups but with banana and a slight taste of coconut and vanilla.

9. Carob Balls

This is a recipe my mom forced to eat when I was younger. I am now glad she did because when an event calls for chocolate, these are the perfect low-sugar substitute.

•  1/2 cup almond butter
• 2/3 cups carob powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¾ shredded coconut
• optional: ½ cup raisins or ½ cup chopped nuts

Heat the almond butter and add carob and vanilla to the mixture.
Allow to cool in the fridge
Once chilled, form into balls, and roll in shredded coconut.
Store in the fridge and enjoy

10. Strawberry Shortcake

Nothing is cuter for valentines than baking your sweet strawberry shortcake. However, nothing is more filled with sugar and empty calories than it either. For a healthier version of this favorite dessert, try the Mayo Clinic’s low-fat and low sugar rendition of it.

• ¾ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• ¼ cups all-purpose plain flour
• 2 ½ tbsp. low-sodium baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ cups trans-free margarine (chilled)
• ¾ cups fat free milk (chilled)
• Fresh, sliced strawberries

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients separately, and then combine to form a dough                                                                                                         Flour your dough generously and kneed until smooth.                                                                                                                                                                    Roll the dough out and cut into ¼” thick rectangles and place the rectangles onto a greased baking pan.
Bake  at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden.                                                                                                                                                                                   Top the cakes with strawberries and yogurt of your wish.