Top 3 Scrumptious Dessert Recipes You Must Try

A question all desert lovers want the answer to: can baked goods be made ‘healthier’, and still just as tasty? I believe they can, and I’ve got the recipes to prove it. Although the health industry advises steering clear from sugars and trans fats present in cake, cookies and chocolate, everyone still needs to get their sweet fix somehow.

These 3 scrumptious dessert recipes are not only free from refined sugar and flour, but take less than an hour to make with everyday household ingredients. You can eat these guilt-free goodies at home, take them to work, or even parade them around your next family function!

1. Sweet Potato and Carrot Cupcakes with Honey and Walnut Frosting

If you’re a fan of carrot cake, these moist, cinnamon-spiced cupcakes among these dessert recipes are sure to fill your sugary void whilst keeping you well within your dietary macros. Sweet potatoes when baked add a distinct moistness to baked goods, that may require an additional 30 minutes in the oven to ensure the cupcakes cook through fully.

Thanks to mother nature, sweet potatoes already possess a natural sweetness, that is furthered by coconut sugar in this recipe. Not only is this starchy vegetable a superfood, but sweet potatoes provide essential nutrients that support your immune and digestive systems, and improve eye, skin and muscle health.

Ingredients

The cupcake batter

• 220g oat flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1-2 finely grated large carrots
• ½ medium sweet potato, pureed (or 1 banana)
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50ml soya milk
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp cinnamon

The frosting

• 3 tbsp (fat-free if you prefer) Greek-style yogurt
• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 350 F and line your cupcake tin with cases.
2. For the batter, start by whisking the eggs before adding the puree, grated carrots, oat milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl before gradually stirring in the wet mixture. Avoid leaving dry patches of oat flour in the mix. (blitz with an electric whisk if possible!)
4. Transfer the batter to the cake pan. Bake for around 20-30 minutes, or until the cupcakes are cooked through in the centre.
5. Once cooked, let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
6. Mix the Greek yogurt, honey and vanilla extract together. Add topics such as walnuts and a dash of cinnamon if you’d like. Drizzle with honey, then serve!

• Calories per serving (per cupcake): 136 kcal
• Macros: 21.1g carbs, 5g fat and 3.6g protein

2. Avocado Double Choc Chip Cookies

These 20-minute double-choc cookies are made with a surprising ingredient; among these dessert recipes, avocado. This savoury fruit is also not only a superfood, but it’s an undervalued ingredient in healthier baking recipes. These cookies are soft inside with a crumbly exterior, their texture inherited from the natural, velvety consistency of avocado. If the taste (and the mention of chocolate) isn’t enough persuasion, the nutrient density of this stoned fruit will increase your satiety, improve your body’s function and provide a metabolic boost.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado, finely mashed
• 100g coconut palm sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 50g dark raw cacao powder
• 40g coconut flour
• 50g dark vegan chocolate, roughly chopped (I used nomo)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large, wide oven tray with parchment paper.
2. Combine the finely mashed avocado, coconut palm sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda.
4. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined, then gently stir in the dark chocolate pieces.
5. Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, add one heaped tbsp of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the top a little bit and add a few more chocolate pieces on top if desired.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the top has set (don’t over-bake!). Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes on the baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

• Calories per serving (1 cookie): 171 kcals
• Macros: 26.4g carbs, 6.8g fat, 3.4g protein
  

3. Extra High Protein Yogurt and Oat Cinnamon Rolls

These yogurt and oat cinnamon rolls really taste like the real thing, only free from refined flour, sugar and guilt. Using your preferred yogurt as a key dough ingredient for this dessert recipe causes the protein content to increase, furthered by half a cup of protein powder.

Each roll contains 12g of protein, and only 167 calories per serving! If you’re a gym goer, these rolls could function as your pre-workout protein snack, or a post-workout pick me up. If protein isn’t a priority, the powder can be omitted.

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat flour
• 1/2 cup protein powder (not whey!!) *can omit*
• 1 cup vanilla coconut yogurt (or Greek yogurt / your preferred)
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp oat milk

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine half the oat flour (1 cup), protein powder and yogurt in a mixing bowl (medium sized) and mix until a sticky mixture forms.
• Lay dough onto a floured surface (slowly using the rest of the cup of oat flour) and knead for about 2 minutes.
• Use a rolling pin to shape the dough into a flat, thin rectangle.
• In a small microwave bowl, melt butter, cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract and the coconut sugar. Stir until combined and all melted through, then spread evenly over the flat dough.
• Roll dough into a long tube shape and cut into around 10 rolls.
• Place the rolls onto the baking sheet, and cook for around 15-20 minutes.
• For the glaze, combine Greek yogurt, cinnamon, oat milk and honey and drizzle on top. Then plate up, and serve!
• Calories per serving (1 cupcake): 167 kcals
• Macros: 23g carbs, 4g fat, 12g protein

By baking your own guilt-free dessert recipes, you can be in control of the ingredients and reduce the temptation to indulge in store-bought desserts. As a result, the sweet stuff never needs to be off limits!

These dessert recipes don’t only satisfy your sweet tooth, they possess nutrient-dense ingredients that have the ability to improve your physical and cognitive health. Whether it be cake, cookies or pastries, dessert can still be made healthier and just as delicious from your very own kitchen.