So You Think You Can’t Have Your Sweets and Be Healthy?

One thing I’ve noticed when talking to folks about their diets is that most people think that if they are going to have a “healthy” diet, they need to completely avoid sweets. The truth of the matter is Yes and No. It really depends on the TYPE of sweets you are eating. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about what kind of foods are on the “healthy” list, and although that isn’t the focus of this discussion, we will focus on some delicious sweet treats that you shouldn’t feel guilty consuming every now and then!

In this blog, I’ll show you three recipes that are simple and delicious and contain no dairy, refined sugars or gluten. Oh, and did I mention delicious? YES, DELICIOUS!

I recently did a demo for a “Forks Over Knives” event and here is what I made:

Apple Pie Bites, Pineapple Strawberry Sorbet and Chocolate Mousse. All delicious, but very different types of sweets. What they do have in common however is that they are vegan, refined-sugar free, dairy-free and gluten-free. And of course, YUMMY!

You will need a food process and a blender to make these treats. Let’s get started…

Apple Pie Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dates soaked in ½ cup water for about an hour to allow them to get very soft
  • 1 green apple (I like Granny Smith)
  • 1 pear
  • 1 cup dried apple (or pineapple)
  • 1 ½ cups pecans (or hazelnuts, almonds or cashews)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded dried coconut
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 TBSP orange zest or 1 – 2 drops doTERRA Wild Orange Essential Oil
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, pulse the dates to finely chop.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and process until everything is mixed together. Stop occasionally and scrape the bowl. The mixture should still have some small chunks (i.e. it shouldn’t be mixed until perfectly smooth!)
  3. Roll into balls & enjoy! (You can also roll them in remaining dried coconut if desired.)
  4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Pineapple Strawberry Sorbet

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of orange juice (or soy milk)
  • 1 cup dried pineapple, unsweetened
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries (or defrosted strawberries)
  • 2 pounds frozen unsweetened strawberries

Directions:

  1. Soak dried pineapple in orange juice (or soy milk) overnight in the refrigerator. Do not drain.
  2. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid (or use a high speed blender).
  3. Select Frozen Dessert program (for Vitamix users).
  4. Switch machine to Start and allow machine to complete programmed cycle, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades. (Total time in a Vitamix is about 45 seconds; the time may need to be longer in a different blender.)
  5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup medjool dates, pitted (about ¾ cup)
  • 2 ripe organic avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 2/3 cup raw organic cacao powder
  • 1 TBSP. pure organic maple syrup (add more to taste, but no more than 2 TBSP. total)
  • ¾ tsp. ground organic cinnamon (or more according to taste)
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise & seeds scraped
  • Raspberries, to serve (or any berry)
  • Toasted hazelnuts, to serve (if desired)

Directions:

  1. Place the dates in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Soak for 20 minutes to soften, then drain & remove skins and pits.
  2. Place the dates, avocado, cacao, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla seeds in a food processor and process until very smooth and fluffy. Stop to scrape the bowl a few times.
  3. Serve the mousse in small glasses topped with raspberries and hazelnuts, if desired.
Remember, moderation is always important; but when you need a satisfying sweet treat, these can do the trick! Enjoy!
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