5 healthy, no-bake holidays desserts to enjoy without the guilt and weight gain

It doesn’t matter what sort of a diet you are on. If you have a sweet tooth, you will crave a few spoonfuls of a sweet-something after a meal, especially during the festive season. If it’s Christmas or New Year’s, your self-control levels are likely to be at their lowest, and you might end up indulging in that rich and scrumptious chocolate cake order online - and then comes the guilt of cheating on your diet.

But what if you could indulge in a dessert this festive season without adding to your waistline?

If you are thinking that whipping up a healthy dessert will be hard work, or that these desserts won’t be that tasty, think again. Healthy eating is not about compromising on flavour or taste but choosing the right ingredients. For example, if you eat a cake made of almond flour, olive oil, coconut sugar and low-fat milk, the chances of gaining excess weight will be quite low.

Here are five easy-peasy, delicious desserts using healthy ingredients that you can try immediately - they'll serve a family of four quite sufficiently.

1. Chocolate brownies

You might think that making a healthy version of chocolate brownies is impossible, but anything is possible with the right ingredients.

Mix together half cup each of almond butter and coconut sugar with one-third cup honey, one-fourth cup olive oil (extra virgin would be best), two eggs (or one cup low-fat milk if you want eggless brownies) and half teaspoon vanilla essence in a large bowl. Add half cup almond flour, three-fourth cup unsweetened cocoa powder and one teaspoon baking powder. Whisk until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the brownie batter into a microwave-proof bowl or mugs (the mugs should only be half- to two-thirds full), and cook for two minutes in the microwave (adjust according to the voltage of your device). Check if the brownies are done by inserting a skewer or toothpick. If it comes out clean then it’s ready! These brownies will taste rich and chocolatey, but the ingredients are actually so healthy that you won’t be guilt-ridden after a slice or two.

2. Baked fruits

Depend on the natural sugar and texture of fresh, seasonal fruits and you will immediately have a healthy dessert on your hands. And no, baked fruits don’t have to be dead boring, because you can jazz them up with more healthy trimmings than you can imagine. Wondering how?

Take an apple, deseed and slice it up and then put it in an oven-proof dish. Add half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder, a tablespoon of honey, mix well and top with chopped nuts like almonds and walnuts. Now, bake it until the apples are golden and the nuts are crunchy and enjoy!

source - https://www.firstpost.com/health/5-healthy-no-bake-holidays-desserts-to-enjoy-without-the-guilt-and-weight-gain-7817751.html