This may sound too good to be true, but these recipes contain neither flour nor butter. And in the grand scheme of things are far, far healthier than the original versions. This means you can satisfy your sweet cravings without compromising on flavour, texture or satisfaction. They take around 5 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes or less to bake and probably 2 minutes to eat! Minimal fuss, minimal calories, minimal mess. So follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way:
Oat & avocado peanut butter cookies
Ingredients:
1/3 of a cup of mashed ripe avocado
4 heaped tbsp of peanut butter
3 tbsp of honey
1 egg
3/4 of a cup of oats (normal porridge oats will work fine)
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional but great)
1. In a bowl, combine the wet ingredients and put to one side.
2. In a hot, dry frying pan, lightly toast the oats- this should take a couple of minutes. Allow them to cool slightly.
3. Then add them to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Scoop a generous tablespoon of the mix onto a baking tray topped with greaseproof paper and flatten a little with the spoon.
5. Bake at 180 degrees for around 12-15 minutes.
6. When they’re done, allow time to cool on the tray before moving them!
Chocolate fudge brownies
Ingredients:
3/4 of a cup of low fat natural yogurt
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 cup of oats (again, normal porridge oats are perfect)
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp of baking powder
1 handful of roughly chopped nuts of your choice or 1 small bar of roughly chopped fudge or both if you’re feeling indulgent.
1. Toast the oats in the hot, dry pan and allow to cool.
2. Add all of the other ingredients (apart from the nuts/fudge!) to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth. It might look a little runny but don’t worry.
3. Pour the mixture into an 8×8 tin or dish, top with the nuts or fudge and bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.
4. Allow them to cool and set before trying to remove them from the tin, chop into around 9 pieces and enjoy!
It’s possible to make them even healthier too!
– Replacing the chocolate chips in the cookies with a handful of raisins, sultanas or dried cranberries will reduce calorie count.
– As will cutting out the nuts or fudge in the brownies and having them with fresh berries on the side.
– And substituting the sugar with the same amount of Stevia (or any other natural sweetener which pours like sugar) will mean that these brownies come in at a slim 100 calories per chunk!
One Ingredient Ice Cream
This one is a crowd pleaser and can be whipped up to impress friends, hide in the freezer from everyone else, or just to cosy up and enjoy with a film.
Ingredients:
You will only need four bananas and a tablespoon of milk. That’s it!
1. Chop up the bananas into chunks, put them onto a plate and into the freezer for 5 hours, or overnight if you’re really prepared.
2. When they’re frozen, drop them into a blender or a food processor with the milk and blend until smooth. You can eat it like that, or pop it back into the freezer in a sealed tub for a couple of hours and it will be much firmer.
3. If you’re feeling a little experimental, drop in 2-3 teaspoons of cocoa powder and make it into chocolate ice cream. Or add a squeeze of maple syrup, vanilla or almond extract, chocolate chips or fruit. Honey and toasted almonds are also a nice addition. Maybe try adding sauces or pureed fruit and creating a ripple effect, or layering the ice cream with extra bananas in between if you’re a real banana fan! You can definitely afford to get a little indulgent with the toppings too but then again a classic flake might just do the trick. Maybe even have it with a brownie as the base is one of your five-a-day after all.
All of these recipes should help you through those days when nothing but pure unadulterated sweetness will do, without finding yourself at the bottom of a tub of Ben and Jerry’s feeling a little worse for wear and wondering where it all went. If there’s any leftovers make sure to keep the brownies in a sealed tub in the fridge, the cookies in a box in a cupboard and the ice cream in the freezer.
(Photo courtesy of Healing The Body http://www.healingthebody.ca)
Emma Bakel