6 Healthier Chocolate Dessert Options For Easter

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”

― Charles M. Schulz

 

Wow hasn’t the start of this year gone quickly, I was shocked when a friend asked me last week if I was going away for the Easter long weekend. Who knew it was here already and how have I not managed to eat an Easter bunny yet?!?

With my continued paleo experiment now heading into week 4, I was wondering what deliciously healthy treats I could make this year that weren't too far outside the confines of the diet. So, they're just a little outside, afterall its Easter! Thankfully, I found some of the most mouth watering healthy chocolate recipes around. Now, even if you're not following the paleo way of eating (no grains, no sugar) I believe these recipes are healthier than your average chocolate cake. Why?

No processed sugar – these recipes’s all use raw honey for the sugar component. Not ideal and not recommended in large quantities every day, but for special occasions, honey is natural sweetner. Make sure you choose raw unprocessed honey.

No butter – Each recipe has a coconut oil option. Refer to my post on coconuts for the reasons this is good for you!

Dark chocolate – Dark chocolate and cacao are loaded with antioxidants and minerals. White and milk chocolates are full of sugars and have a lower cacao content making them lower in antioxidants and worse for you.

For those of you who arent chocolate fans, I have added 2 delicious fruit based recipes.

Here they are. Scrumptious

Mini Coconut Flour Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Egg-Free)

Author: Kimi Harris @ TheNourishingGourmet.com 

Recipe found at http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2013/03/mini-coconut-flour-chocolate-chunk-cookies-egg-free-and-the-most-helpful-tip-ive-heard-on-coconut-flour-baking.html

Serves: 24 cookies

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 27 mins

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• ½ cup butter (or coconut oil), at room temperature
• ¼ cup honey (I bet maple syrup would work as well)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup coconut flour, lightly packed into the measuring cup, with a knife dragged over the top of the cup to remove any extra
• ¼-1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks (made by cutting baking chocolate into small pieces or chunks)

Instructions

1. In a small, heat proof bowl, add the chia seeds and hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes to create a chia “egg”. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the butter and honey, and using a hand mixer, mix until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and chia “egg”, and mix until combined.
4. Sift the coconut flour to remove any lumps. Keep back about 3 tablespoons of the coconut flour, add the rest to the medium bowl and mix.
5. Let sit for 2 minutes. Check the texture of the dough. Is it firm but slightly sticky, like a regular cookie dough? Don’t add any more flour, if so. If the dough is really sticky, add more coconut flour in, and wait another 2 minutes before checking again.
6. Once the dough is the right texture, stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Using a teaspoon, form little balls, press into small flat founds, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for about 12 minutes in the middle of the oven, or until the edges and/or bottom of the cookies are very lightly browned.
9. Remove from oven, and let cool for about 10 minutes on the sheet.

Notes

The author used salted butter, if you use unsalted, add a bit of salt to the recipe.

The next 2 recipes are from the unrefined kitchen and I would highly recommend taking a look at the site.

Coconut Flour Brownies (with secret ingredient–zucchini!)
 http://www.unrefinedkitchen.com/2011/08/22/paleo-coconut-flour-brownies-with-secret-ingredient-zucchini/

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt the butter or oil in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa powder and remove from heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, honey, salt, baking powder & vanilla.
3. Pour cocoa/butter or oil mixture into the egg mixture and mix well.
4. Add flour and whisk until there are no lumps (I find using a hand mixer works great).
5. Add zucchini and mix well.
6. Fold in nuts (if using).
7. Pour into a 9×13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-18 minutes. (It took mine 15 minutes to be done.)

If you stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean, they're done!

Notes

I used coconut oil and cacao, not cocoa. They are essentially the same, but cacao is less processed and has more antioxidants. It is however, alot more bitter than cocoa, which has a milder, sweeter flavour. Because of this, I added about 2 tablespoons extra honey to balance it out. You could add a little stevia if you didnt want to use more honey. You may even enjoy the bitterness if you like dark chocolate.

These brownies are so yummy. You really dont taste the zucchini. They're very moist too. 


Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
 http://www.unrefinedkitchen.com/2011/08/17/dark-chocolate-almond-butter-cups/

Yield: 16-18 cups

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp arrowroot
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup store-bought dark chocolate chips (divided)

Directions:
1. Melt 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips in a double boiler. Line a mini-muffin pan with 16-18 mini-muffin papers.
2. Brush bottoms and at least half-way up the sides of mini-muffin papers with a basting brush. Put in fridge.
3. Mix together almond butter, salt, arrowroot and vanilla together in a bowl.
4. Take mini-muffin pan out of fridge and divide almond butter mixture evenly among cups.
5. Melt remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in double boiler.
6. Spoon chocolate on top of almond butter mixture and spread to cover completely.
7. Return to fridge until chocolate hardens. Store in fridge in a container. Enjoy!

Creators Notes:
The very first batch I made into 12 cups–boy were they rich! The second batch I made into 16 cups and the third batch I made into 20 cups…so it just depends on how much chocolate and almond butter you want per cup.

Apple Pie with Cinnamon Cream 
Recipe sourced from the Spoonful of Sugar Free website
http://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/11/11/day-9-apple-pie/

Pie Directions:

Pecan Crust:

• 2 cups pecan meal (make your own by finely grinding pecans in a food processor)
• 4 large dates
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons water
• pinch salt

Blend dates in a strong blender or food processor until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine until well-mixed. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan and press the mixture evenly to the bottom and sides. Bake at 375* for 10-15 minutes or until browned.

Apple Filling:

• 8 sweet apples, like fuji or gala, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the apples with the water and cinnamon. Layer the apples slices in the pie crust. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes, covered, or until apples are soft. Increase heat to 425* and bake for 10 minutes uncovered or until the top is slightly browned.

Whipped Cinnamon Cream:

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Place your can of coconut milk in the fridge and leave overnight. Open the milk the next morning, and do not shake. The top of the can should be thick, scoop this out. About halfway through you should reach a point where the cream turns to water. Do not scoop out the water.
Whip the cinnamon and vanilla into the cream until well-combined.

Notes and tips

Argh. I made this recipe and let me tell you, it was a disaster from start to finish, but the final product was still yummy. My mistakes and how to avoid them are below

1. Don't use a blender to blend the pecans into meal. I couldnt find a part to my processor so I tried the blender, there were giant chunks of pecans, but I think that would have been fine if it was all that went wrong :)
2. Don't burn the base. Yep, I did. Some people don't mind that burnt flavour in their food, I personally am not one of them. I hate it, so the base wasnt my favourite although I could still taste that it would have been beautiful otherwise.
3. Read the recipe and leave the coconut milk overnight. I had it in the fridge for 4 hours but it wasnt very thick, I don't think it had separated properly.

Despite this, it was still nice and I will definately give it a go... following my own advice of course.

Banana Muffins

Source The Nourishing Gourmet
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2012/04/banana-muffins-wbanana-chocolate-chip-option.html

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed, ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
5 eggs
1/4 cup honey (or more or less depending on your taste preference)
3/4 cup sifted coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
(optional) 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with muffin papers.
2. Combine mashed bananas, applesauce, eggs and honey in a large bowl.
3. Add coconut flour, almond flour, salt and baking soda to the bowl and mix until well incorporated.
4. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
5. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full of batter.
6. Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until muffins are slightly browned and don’t indent when gently tapped. (My last batch took 30 minutes.)
Yield: 14-17 muffins

My notes:
These muffins are delicious, I've been making them for a few years now. They're moist and soft and they've always been a big hit amongst my friends.

Peanut Banana Ice cream
Recipe from Amy Crawford,  http://theholisticingredient.com/

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
1 tbs peanut butter

Directions

Blend frozen banana and peanut butter together to make icecream!

This ice cream tastes so so so good. Is it naughty to say I put it ontop of the coconut zucchini brownies?? :)

Have a great easter weekend

Chris