Naturally Sweetened Desserts

You are what you eat. And while being as sweet as pie may sound pleasing, white sugar is anything but sweet. Nevertheless, delicious desserts can be part of a healthy lifestyle. By baking with more whole foods and less refined sugar, you can have your cake and eat it too!

Natural sweeteners

Many natural foods can be used to make cake, ice cream, muffins, and more without a pinch of refined sugar.

Fruits and veggies

Certain fruits and vegetables have an inherently sweet flavour, and when whipped into silky purées, act as natural sweeteners. Choose from crisp autumnal apples, luscious tropical mangoes or bananas, or the butterscotch-flavoured flesh of Medjool dates.

Or use earthy, vegetal purées made from cooked beets, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, or carrots. These veggies add moisture and density to baked goods while packing an added fibre bonus.

Syrups and honeys

And of course, there are nature’s syrupy sweets with benefits: maple syrup and honey. Made from tree sap, maple syrup is a potent cocktail of antioxidants. Similarly, raw honey has a high level of antioxidants and also contains antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with the following healthy desserts. The natural sugars can be high in these treats, so watch your serving size!

Recipes

• Sticky Fruit and Oat Squares
• Fudgy Beet Cake
• Apple Caramel Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta
• Frozen Banana Ice Cream Truffles
• Upside-Down Baby Apple Cakes