Sugar free sweets for the kid's soul!

Sugar cravings are hard to tame and especially difficult when you are trying to lose some. But that’s the thing about dessert, it demands to be eaten! If you are looking to chance upon a dream cake that is as healthy as it is sinful, you're at the right place. Here’s five recipes to satiate those unannounced sweet cravings, without the guilt and all those calories!

A moist, decadent bread, this recipe is a surefire winner when you’re looking to serve something other than cakes!

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup pureed dates
• 4 ripe bananas, pureed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup fine wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven and grease your loaf pan before you start on with the recipe.
2. For the date puree- In a saucepan, simmer 1 cup chopped dates with 1/2 a cup of milk (till the dates soften). Cool, and grind into a smooth puree.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Fold in the eggs, vanilla extract, the dates and banana puree and mix well. Sift together the flour, soda and salt together and fold into the banana mixture. Pour the mixture into your greased loaf pan and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 45 minutes.
4. You can also swirl in crushed walnuts, peanuts, raisins, or any other dry fruit of your choice to the batter.

The Baker’s test: Prick the bread with a knife, if it comes out clean, your bread is ready to be popped out of the oven.

What can be more wonderful than feeding your kids heaps of sugar free sweets like fresh home made jam? It is healthy, delicious and takes almost no time at all!

• 2 cups fresh fruit (Berries/ mango/ Pineapple)
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 2 tbsp Chia Seeds (Chia seeds add texture and consistency to your jam)
• Water/ Honey as required

1. Blend your dates with some water, be careful or it will become too runny.
2. After they have sufficiently broken down, add in your fruit, chia seeds, and blend to a jam like consistency. If the mixture starts to harden you can break it down with water.
3. If it turns out too tart, sweeten it with a tbsp or two of honey. Serve your sugarless homemade jam sandwiches and watch your kids devour them for breakfast!

(Source: The Blender Girl)

The occasional, unexpected chocolate bar cravings can be handled swiftly and surely with this healthy recipe.

• 2 cups melted jaggery
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 1 cup rolled oats lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup cranberries/ raisins
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Grease a tray with butter or line it with a baking sheet. Mix all the above ingredients into a gentle simmer.
2. Turn off the heat and spread the mixture on your greased tray. Let it cool and harden before cutting into bars. Wrap in cling film, can be stored for a week!

Tip: You can make your own variations by using different dried fruits too! Do let us know how they turn out!

Ingredients

• 1 glass of cold milk
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup blueberries

1. Whisk all the ingredients into a smoothie and tip into a glassful of ice cubes.
2. Garnish with blueberries and a sprig of mint! A healthy way to ensure you kid has their fill of anti-oxidants in a fun cool way!

How amazing to serve up a storm of guilt free healthy brownies when your child is back from school, screaming hungry! Whip these up in batches and store them for when you deserve a lazy afternoon minus the worry of cooking up evening snacks.

• 4 cups chopped dates
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup boiling water
• 200g unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark cocoa, sifted
• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 250g dark chocolate cut into small chunks
• Preheat oven to 160°C and grease/ line a cake pan with baking paper.

1. Put dates in a large bowl, add baking soda and boiling water and stir to combine. Add butter and stir until melted.
2. Mash softened dates and stir in the eggs, walnuts and vanilla until well combined.
3. Fold in the cocoa, flour and baking powder. Next up, swirl in dark chocolate (unsweetened) chocolate. Smooth into prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares. When stored in an airtight container these stay for weeks!

(Recipe inspired by: Annabel Langbein)

Go on Supermommy,  set up that dessert platter!