Desserts don’t always have to be laden with butter, ghee, and sugar. If you’re trying to keep your health in check, especially your heart health, then following the doctor’s orders, eating well and exercising are just some things you must do. If you have a sweet tooth but are also trying to maintain your health, it doesn’t mean you need to give up on the good things in life. With some thoughtful planning and research, you can add sweet treats now and then to your diet. Here are some heart healthy and uncomplicated, easy sweet recipes that you can turn to instead:
Cantaloupe Lime Sorbet
Ingredients:
- 907 gm chopped cantaloupe
- 200 gm sugar
- 120 ml water
- 120 ml lime juice
- 1 tbsp lime zest
Instructions:
- Bring water and sugar to a boil, and stir to ensure all of the sugar dissolves.
- Reduce the heat and let this syrup simmer and reduce to half its original volume. Let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, blend cantaloupe, lime juice, and lime zest in a blender until you get a smoothie-like consistency.
- Then strain this mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove all of the fiber.
- Mix the syrup and the cantaloupe lime juice in a freezer-safe container.
- Chill in the freezer overnight, then put it in an ice cream mixer to get the sorbet consistency.
- Otherwise, you can break the ice using a fork every few hours.
Banana Mousse
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp milk
- 360 gm yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend well.
- Transfer into serving dishes and refrigerate. Garnish this banana sweet recipe with some berries and chocolate shavings if you want.
Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies
Ingredients:
- 180 gm whole wheat flour
- 180 gm maple syrup or a sugar-free alternative
- 180 gm Cadbury Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 80 gm sugar-free cherry jam
- 80 ml water
- 75 ml oil
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease a cake tin with some oil.
- Beat oil, egg, and the sweetener until smooth and creamy.
- Sift and mix whole wheat flour, Cadbury Cocoa Powder, baking powder, and salt together.
- In a saucepan, bring water and the cherry jam to a boil.
- Add this to the egg and oil mixture, then fold in the flour into this. Mix until there are no streaks of flour left.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then cool completely.
- Slice into squares and enjoy.
Yogurt Parfait
Ingredients:
- 720 gm plain Greek yogurt
- 640 gm fresh berries or fruit of your choice
- 315 gm sugar-free granola
- 1-2 tbsp honey
Instructions:
- Create layers with granola, berries, and Greek yogurt, then drizzle with a tablespoon or two of honey.
- Make sure that all of the ingredients are well-chilled.
- You can replace plain Greek yogurt with vanilla yogurt, and honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
Oats Kheer
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 240 gm rolled oats
- 240 ml water
- 480 ml milk
- 3 tbsp sugar or sugar-free sweetener
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- Pinch of saffron
- Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and raisins for garnish
Instructions:
- In a pressure cooker, toast the oats in a tablespoon of ghee until slightly golden and fragrant.
- Add milk, water, sugar, saffron strands, and cardamom powder to this and give it a good mix.
- Shut the pressure cooker, and let this mixture cook for 1 whistle on medium heat.
- Once the pressure releases naturally, give it a stir. If it seems too thin, then give it another pressure. If it’s too thick, then dilute it with some more milk.
- Garnish with some toasted nuts and raisins.
- You can have oats warm or cold.