Sweet Snacks with No Added Sugar

Is it possible to enjoy a sweet snack if you’ve given up refined sugar? Absolutely! I wanted to share with you the ways I’m satisfying my sweet tooth without going for the traditional sugary snacks like cookies and cakes.

This first recipe is so easy, it’s kind of a crime to call it a recipe. All you need are Medjool dates and any kind of nut. (My favorites are Marcona almonds or pistachios) Simply remove the pit from the date, then stuff it with several nuts. Salty and sweet all in one bite!

Next, I’ve been making Chocolate Cherry Smoothies. The key ingredient in these smoothies is coconut water. I’ve gone cuckoo for coconut water lately. It’s low in all natural sugars, but I love the sweet taste. Not crazy for coconut water? I still think you’ll find you enjoy this smoothie. Since you add cocoa powder – not chocolate – you need a base with some natural sugars to sweeten the smoothie. Coconut water does the trick.

To a blender, add one cup of coconut water, one cup frozen cherries and one tablespoon cocoa powder. If you’d like, add two tablespoons coconut milk. If you aren’t a big coconut fan – leave it out.

Do you have a sweet snack with no added sugar I should try?

Carrot Frites

In case you didn’t take middle school French class like I did, ‘carrot frites’ translates as, “carrots so good you will burn your tongue because you’ll be eating them just as soon as they come out of the oven.” Or maybe ‘frites’ means fried – but that can’t be right because these carrots are baked.

Actually, I was trying to make carrot chips and failed. These aren’t crunchy like a chip should be. Instead – they are the same lovely texture as a French fry.

After making these several times, I’ve decided they are the perfect food. They don’t require a plate at all. I just pull them out of the oven, then shove them in just as quick as I can while they are still hot. Try them and see if you don’t have the same reaction.

Carrot Frites

Carrot Frites

Ingredients

  • 6 large carrots
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Optional toppings: sea salt, cinnamon, cardamon, chili powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Use a food processor and slice carrots into long pieces.
  3. Toss carrot slices with the olive oil (you control the amount) and spread flat on a jelly roll pan.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn slices over, rotate pan, and bake an additional 15 - 30 minutes. Be sure to check the smaller pieces as they will cook more quickly and are apt to burn.
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Linked to Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange and Tasty Tuesday & to The Green Phone Booth

Stuffed Eggplant

Now that we are integrating the Paleo way of eating, I’ve been looking for recipes that are heavy on the vegetables, but that integrate some meat. I used to make these stuffed eggplants with 1 1/2 cups brown rice mixed with a beaten egg and about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning to make a meatless Monday entree. Here’s how I made the recipe using Italian sausage and organic ground turkey to make it Paleo.

Stuffed Eggplant

Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggplants
  • olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
  • 1 14 oz can organic tomatoes
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 lb ground turkey
  • 1/2 lb Italian sausage, removed from casing
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut eggplants in half. Using a spoon, hollow out eggplant, leaving a 1/2 inch shell. Sprinkle shell with salt, turn over and allow to drain for about 30 minutes. Chop the remaining eggplant. Reserve 1 cup chopped eggplant for this recipe, keep the remaining chopped eggplant for another recipe.
  2. Preheat oven to 375.
  3. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
  4. Add shredded carrots and sweet potato and continue to cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved 1 cup chopped eggplant and cook until all ingredients look soft. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.
  5. In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, ground turkey and egg. Once the vegetables are cool, mix thoroughly with the ground meat mixture.
  6. Stuff the eggplants with the meat and vegetables. Place the eggplants in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake the eggplants for 1 hour.
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Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

To celebrate the successful end of our Organic Costco Meal Plan Challenge, I used what we still had on hand and made these homemade chocolate peanut butter cups to celebrate our success. And what a way to celebrate – really delicious and super close in taste to a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup – but I controlled the ingredients!

These would make an excellent addition to a picnic because they are easiest eaten by hand!

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oat flour
  • 1/2 cup organic evaporated cane sugar
  • 3 tablespoons organic butter
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Stir together the oat flour and sugar. (to make oat flour, simply grind 2 cups oats in a blender.)
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth. Stir in the oat flour and sugar mixture.
  3. Press the peanut butter mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan.
  4. Melt the chocolate chips. Smooth over the top of the peanut butter mixture. Store in refrigerator.
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Chocolate Molten Cake

These puff up really nicely but need to be served right away, because they do fall – like in the photo. However, it is so rich and delicious puffed ~ or unpuffed ~ you won’t mind!

Chocolate Molten Cake

Chocolate Molten Cake

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (a good dark chocolate would be delicious)
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup organic evaporated sugar cane
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons almond meal
  • additional 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450. Grease (8) 1/2 cup ramekins.
  2. Melt the butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips over a water bath.
  3. In a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar and salt with the whip attachment. Whip until it has tripled in volume - approximately 8 minutes. Add the melted butter and chocolate mixture and the almond meal and stir just to combine.
  4. Divide the batter evenly amongst the ramekins. Drop about 10 - 12 chocolate chips into the center of each ramekin. This will provide the molten center.
  5. Bake the cakes for 10 minutes. Serve quickly before they fall.
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