Healthy Baking and Craving Busters

Although I am doing a sugar free month, straight up sugar has no appeal to me, so sweets/candies aren't something I've tried to find a healthy solution for, I normally go for fruit or dried fruit when I need a 'kick'.

What I do love, though, is cake. Mmm, mm! Especially warm. The thing is, cake is basically sugar, other refined carbs and (usually saturated, or worse, trans) fat. The fat+refined carb combo is impossible to resist for a lot of people, and I am one of them! So when I want a treat, I want cake, but I want it healthy.

Here's what I've found:

• You won't miss sugar if there's plenty of flavour going on; think vanilla extract, citrus juices/zests, peppermint or other extracts, coffee, coconut, fruit, COCOA!
• You can add bulk and sweetness with fruit- notably apple and banana, but also coconut (as flour, or you can mill shredded stuff a bit finer, half way to homemade coconut butter), squash and sweet potato.
• 
• Nuts are a good sub for flour too- ground almonds or even other nuts. It's usually easier to chop the nuts up a bit first, then add to the food processor, unless you've got a Vitamix.
• Plenty of fibre will replace the satiety you would have got from the fat- oats, oat bran, nuts again, coconut, and any of the carby fruits or vegetables mentioned above (banana, sweet potato).
• Cocoa powder in baked goods is so rich and flavourful, I find when baked there's no real need for chocolate chips.
• Eggs and protein powder are another great way to add satiety and body to sugar free/refined carb free desserts.

Of course, if you have no time to bake, look no further than the humble banana when you are desperate for a fix:

Stuffed with PB, this simple combo constantly amazes me with its tastiness and craving quashing superpowers.

Banana softserve for ice-cream cravings (pink variety pictured, but I know other people have found it good with nut butter, coconut and cocoa)

What if you don't like banana?

A really lovely apple with PB or just straight up is a good way to hold off cravings.

If it has to be warm, a small bowl of oat bran or oatmeal is a great way to snack if you are peckish before bedtime, right Heather?

Not to everyone's tastes, but I find strained yogurt or cottage cheese a very filling and satisfying treat. Especially with a teaspoon of cocoa powder and/or a sliced banana.

And of course, last but not least, you can't beat a smoothie. Try adding guar and xanthan gums for a creamier drink.

Recipes to try:

Dainty Pig's Rice Cooker Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Pure2Raw's Lemon Coconut Bars

A Spoonful of Sugar Free's Grain Free Bitter Chocolate Cake

I doubled the recipe as I had a whole sweet potato and two eggs to use, I add a teaspoon of orange extract.

Look at the lovely silky batter:

Before going into the oven:

After:

One little cake:

Chocolate Covered Katie's High Protein Chocolate Cake

Thyme Bombe's Raw Vegan Orange Pistachio Bars

Chiliflake's WILD Blueberry Chocolate Cake

Heather Eats Almond Butter's Compendium of Sugar Free Chocolate Delights

My low sugar rhubarb crumble (contains honey)

I am off today, woohoo! And again tomorrow for St Patrick's Day. I'm waiting for my dip station to be delivered then it's out into the lovely clear sunny day for a run.

I made 'nutella' for my oatbran this morning (1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, 1 T coconut oil, 1/4 cup cocoa, splash of hazelnut liquer). Much better than the original, although it could have done with more coconut or hazelnut oil as it's a bit thick. But it has a wonderful intense flavour. Actually it was a bit rich for me, even at 9:30 in the morning. My boyfriend loved it on toast though:)