Bhawna Gupta is a food blogger who promotes healthy food habits and designs recipes which are delicious, yet healthy. She has compiled a list of five of her favourite desserts which you can try at home without worrying about the calories. They are free from any refined sugar or saturated butter and get their dose of sweetness from healthier substitutes like jaggery and rock sugar (mishri). One bite, and we are sure you will be craving for more.
1. Chocolate Brownie:
These healthy dark chocolate brownies are the real deal. Even though they get their sweetness from jaggery, they give normal chocolate brownies with refined sugar intense competition. We think they even win!
Recipe for Chocolate Brownie:
Ingredients: ½ cup dark chocolate (100% dark, no added sugar), 1 cup wheat flour, 1/2 tbsp. baking powder, ¼ tbsp. baking soda, ½ cup jaggery powder,1/2 cup milk (lukewarm), 1tbsp cocoa powder, pinch of salt, ½ cup unsalted homemade white butter, 1 tsp. vanilla essence, nuts of your choice
Method: You can replace the wheat flour with oats flour as well.
- Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 min. Melt the dark chocolate using double boiler method.
- In a bowl put butter, melted chocolate and whisk well. Add flour, baking powder, soda, jaggery, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla and combine the mixture.
- Add milk slowly and fold the batter. The batter should not be too running or too thick. Add your favourite nuts and grease the baking tray. Pour the batter in the baking tray.
- Bake the brownie for 25 min at 180 degree.
- Enjoy this yummy healthy brownie
2. Mango Tarts:
With the mango season here, a mango dessert is an absolute must have!! And the thick and creamy mango curd on these divine tart treats would make you fall in love instantly. Providing instant comfort, it’s the perfect post dinner indulgence that will be loved equally by kids and adults. Enjoy it chilled.
Recipe for Mango Tarts:
Ingredients: 1 cup oats flour, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup mango puree, 1 cup powdered rock sugar (mishri), ½ cup ghee, 2-3 tbsp. custard powder, 1 cup milk
Method:
For Tart shells
- In a bowl put oats flour, a pinch of salt and ghee and make dough which is not too soft and not too thick (add 2-3 tbsp. ice cold water if required) and refrigerate the dough for 15 min.
- After 15 min, take out the dough and knead once again and make small balls as per the size of your tart shells and roll the dough in form of chapatti and place the same in the tart shell.
- Take out the extra dough and put the tart shell to bake at 150 degree till they turn golden brown. (~10 min)
Mango filling:
- In a pan put milk and add rock sugar (mishri) powder and mix, heat it till it boils, then add custard powder and mango puree and let it cook till it thickens (stir continuously to avoid it sticking to the pan). Let it cool for 10 mins
- Pour the filling in the prepared tarts and refrigerate for 4-5 hours
- Enjoy chilled mango tarts
3. Chocolate Vanilla Cake:
Imagine the perfect combination of vanilla and dark chocolate. A mixture of light, fluffy and moist vanilla with a decadent melted dark chocolate. This is what we call true bliss. Beautifully balanced, textured and flavoured, this cake is best enjoyed with a hot cuppa joe, and friends and family around you to share it with.
Recipe for Chocolate Vanilla Cake:
Ingredients: 1 cup oats flour, ½ cup yogurt, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1tsp. vanilla essence, 3/4 cup jaggery powder, ½ tbsp. baking powder, ¼ tbsp. baking soda, 2 tbsp. melted dark chocolate
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree for 10 min. In a bowl add yogurt, olive oil and vanilla. Whisk for 5-7 min
- Add in all the dry ingredients and whisk the batter
- Now take out half the batter and add melted chocolate and mix well. Keep the other half of the batter in a greased baking pan
- Add the melted batter chocolate on top of the vanilla batter and make designs with a toothpick. Bake the cake for about 30-35 min at 180 degrees
- Delicious chocolate vanilla cake is ready
4. Strawberry-Oats Crumble Bars:
This yummy and healthy snack is filled with the richness of strawberries and the crunchiness of oats crumble. A perfect snack to keep your hunger pangs away.
Recipe for Strawberry Oats Crumble Bars:
Ingredients: ½ cup wheat flour, 1 cup quick oats, 1/3 cup homemade white butter, 1/2 cup jaggery, vanilla, 1/2 tbsp. baking powder, a pinch of baking soda, 6-7 medium strawberries, 1tbsp corn flour, 1 tbsp. lemon zest.
Method:
- Pre-Heat the oven at 180 degree for 10 min.
- In a bowl add wheat flour, oats, jaggery, baking powder, soda and butter. Mix well to form a crumble. Grease baking tray and put the crumble and cover entire baking tray.
- Now for strawberry mix, put diced strawberries in a bowl, add 2 tbsp. jaggery, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix well and put this mixture over the crumble and bake for 15-20 min.
- Let it cool down, cut in bars and enjoy.
5. Chocolate Cranberry Muffins:
A guilt-free afternoon or post-dinner dessert. Chocolate Cranberry muffins loaded with cranberries will definitely satiate your sweet tooth. The final sprinkle of desiccated coconut isn’t for presentation alone, it actually gives it a punch of rich flavour.
Recipe for Chocolate Cranberry Muffins:
Ingredients: 1 cup oats flour, 1/2 cup jaggery, 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, ½ tbsp. baking powder, ¼ tbsp. baking soda, 1 cup milk, ½ cup olive oil, vanilla, 1 cup dried cranberries, dried unsweetened desiccated coconut (optional).
Method:
- Pre-Heat the oven at 180 degree for 10 min
- In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients except cranberries
- In a separate bowl add wet ingredients, now sieve the dry ingredients mix in the wet bowl and fold the batter. Add milk if the batter is thick. The batter should be running
- Add cranberries and fold again. Grease the muffin tray with oil and pour the batter. Add cranberries on top if required
- Bake the muffins for 30 min at 180 degrees
For more such healthy and delicious dessert recipes and other meal ideas, you can visit Bhawna’s Instagram handle where you would find not only healthy desserts but also small tips and tricks to make your other meals super healthy too.
