Craving a delicious treat minus the sugar hit? Try these sugar-free dessert recipes; they’re indulgent, decadent, delicious and practically guilt-free. Enjoy!
Words Clara Van Duivenbode
Take pleasure in these zero-guilt sugar-free dessert recipes
Eating sugar-free is an emerging trend with short and long-term health benefits. These include weight loss, increased energy levels, reduced food cravings and improved natural blood sugar levels. That being said, there’s no reason to miss out. Why not have a spin at one of these sugar-free dessert recipes before your next dinner party? You won’t have to tell guests twice to take home leftovers.
Chocolate and Avocado Mousse
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe avocados, peeled and stoned
- 3–4 tbsp runny honey, to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g raw cacao powder
Method
- Place the contents of the avocados in a food processor and blend until smooth
- Add 3 tablespoons of honey with the vanilla and cacao powder and blend again until completely combined. Taste and add more honey if necessary.
- Spoon the mousse into 8 shot or sweet wine glasses and place them into the fridge for at least one hour before serving.
- Serve with desired toppings, such as fruit or almonds.
Recipe sourced from Gordon Ramsay. Find more sugar-free dessert recipes at gordonramsay.com
Raw Raspberry and Coconut Cheesecake
Serves 12
Ingredients
Base
- ½ cup (45g) desiccated coconut
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup (70g) raw almonds (walnuts or pecan nuts will work too)
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 cups (280g) raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours in hot water (4 hours in the fridge or overnight)
- ½ cup (125ml) coconut oil
- ½ cup (150g) honey
- 200g coconut yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup (140g) raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)
To Serve
- Fresh or frozen berries
Method
- Line the base of a 20 cm spring-form cake tin with baking paper.
- Blend all the ingredients for the base in a food processor until well combined. Press firmly into the prepared cake tin ensuring that the base is even and level. Place the tin in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Warm the coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan over low heat until liquid. Whisk well to combine.
- Drain and rinse the cashew nuts. Place in a food processor with the coconut oil, honey, yoghurt, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Spread half of the filling over the base and smooth with a spatula.
- Add the raspberries to the remaining cheesecake filling and blend on high until smooth. Carefully spread over the first layer of filling and smooth with a spatula. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- To serve, remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it before removing from the tin, then run the knife under hot water and cut the cheesecake into slices.
- Serve garnished with freeze-dried or fresh raspberries.
Recipe sourced from Kayla Itsines. Find more sugar-free dessert recipes at kaylaitsines.com
Sugar-Free Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- oil, for greasing
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 50 g cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100 g butter, cubed
- 100 mL semi-skimmed milk
- 3 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 250g sweet potato, finely grated
- 1 large very ripe banana (approximately 125 g), mashed with a fork
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm/9in loose-based square cake tin with baking parchment.
- Mix the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
- Put the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring regularly. Take the pan off the heat and stir the milk into the melted butter. Add the eggs, sweet potato and banana, stirring vigorously.
- Pour slowly into the flour mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to form a thick batter. Pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake is risen and just firm to the touch.
- Serve warm or leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares.
Recipe sourced from the BBC Good Food. Find more sugar-free dessert recipes at bbc.co.uk/food/recipes
