Who isn’t looking forward to Easter thinking about some favorite delicious treat? Gorging on cakes, chocolate and other special desserts is one of the main appeals of this holiday. However, if you would like to avoid weight gain and the ensuing guilt, you can replace traditional desserts with healthier treats that are at least as delicious as the original recipes.
1. No-bake chocolate brownies to replace carrot cake
Ingredients for the base
- 500g soaked, pitted dates
- 2 cups pre-toasted hazelnuts
- 5-6 tablespoons raw cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- a pinch of salt
For the cream
- 250 g soaked, pitted dates
- ½ cup raw cocoa powder
- 100g coconut oil
- 1 cup almond milk
Preparation
Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in the oven preheated to 180°C for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Once they have roasted to golden brown, remove the tray from the oven and set aside for the hazelnuts to cool, then transfer them into a blender and grind to a crumbly consistency. Add the pitted dates, cocoa powder, maple syrup and salt and mix thoroughly in the blender. Pour the resulting batter into a small (27*20 cm) baking dish and place it in the fridge to rest.
In the meantime, process the ingredients for the cream in a blender until smooth, then spread them on the cooled base. Sprinkle the top with chopped hazelnuts, then chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
2. Easter bird’s nests to replace muffins
Ingredients for the nests
- 1 ½ cups puffed rice or quinoa
- 1/3 cup raw cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
Ingredients for the eggs
- 1 cup cashews
- 100g melted cocoa butter
- ½ cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- The juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon vanilla powder (or flavoring)
- A pinch of salt
Preparation
First, prepare the nests: transfer the coconut oil, cocoa powder, almond butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan and heat for about 5 minutes. When the mixture has melted to a silky-smooth consistency, add the puffed rice or quinoa and stir thoroughly. Remove from the heat, set aside to cool slightly, then pour the dough into a muffin tin, form small nests, and refrigerate to rest.
Now prepare the eggs and/or bunny figurines: blend the cashews to a creamy consistency. Then add the cocoa butter, vanilla powder, maple syrup and salt and mix for 3 more minutes. Divide the resulting mixture into two parts, add the raspberries and strawberries to one part, then mix for 2 more minutes. Then pour the mixture into egg or bunny-shaped silicone molds and place in the freezer. Mix the lemon juice and turmeric into the other half of the mixture, then pour into a separate silicone mold and also place in the freezer.
After assembling the bird’s nests, store them in the refrigerator until serving.
3. Banana bread to replace sweetbread
Ingredients
- 6 ripe bananas
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar or a low-calorie sweetener
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla flavor
- 2 cups oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Transfer all ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into a bread pan and sprinkle with dried fruits, dark chocolate pieces or hazelnuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then cool and enjoy on its own or with some fruit or cream.
4. Homemade almond and peanut butter balls to replace chocolate eggs
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons low-fat peanut butter (can be replaced with oatmeal, but in this case more maple syrup is needed to achieve the desired consistency)
- 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
- ¾ cup chopped dark chocolate or raw cocoa powder
Preparation
Use a blender to mix the almond butter, maple syrup, peanut butter and maca powder. Shape small balls from the resulting creamy mixture and chill them in the refrigerator for an hour or so to set. When they have cooled, roll them in melted chocolate, cocoa powder or coarsely chopped hazelnut and place them back in the refrigerator until serving.