While desserts are a delicious way to end a meal, sugar intake can add to empty calories. Most dessert recipes are made with refined flour and sugar. You do not have to compromise on your favorite dishes to cut down on sugar. Healthy desserts can be recreated with wholesome ingredients sans the refined sugar. You can add natural sweeteners like dates, raisins, maple syrup, honey or stevia. Here are some tasty dessert recipes free of refined sugar. Try them at home.
Diet Brown Rice Kheer:
Rinse brown rice and set aside. Get the milk to simmer and skim the extra fat. Reduce the milk. Add the rice and cook until tender. Add chopped almonds, cashews and raisins. Add honey/maple syrup for sweetness. Once cooked, top it with chopped pistachios and a few strands of saffron.
Chocolate & Ginger Cookies:
Most store-bought cookies are loaded with sugar. This cookie recipe is gluten-free and so delicious, that you won’t stop at one. Start by mixing 2 cups of oat flour, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ cup of chopped raw ginger, baking powder, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, 1 flax-egg, and ½ cup melted unsweetened almond butter. Mix to form cookie dough. Cover it with clean film and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours. Form small pieces and place them on a baking tray. Brush them with some melted butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes until the cookies are fudgy. Once done, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Serve these delicious cookies with herbal tea.
Rice Pudding with Spiced Apple:
This rice pudding makes for a hearty breakfast. Use organic brown basmati rice to make this delicious rice recipe. Wash and soak the rice in warm water for 20 minutes. Pour 200 ml of coconut milk in the soaked rice and stir. Add vanilla bean paste, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of raisins, 1 tablespoon of halved cashew nuts and a generous amount of grated nutmeg. Add some chopped Medjool dates for natural sweetness. Cover the dish and allow the rice to cook on medium heat. To make the spiced apples, add cinnamon, star anise, maple syrup and bake until golden. Top the porridge with the baked apples and serve warm.
Regular consumption of sugar can lead to a spike in blood sugar levels. Don’t compromise on your sweet tooth, instead shift your food choices. Indulge guilt-free with these delicious dessert recipes.