Looking for Iron-Rich Desserts? We've Got You Covered with These Four Recipes

Try these tasty and nutritious treats if you're anemic or just want to sneak in a healthy dose of iron into your diet guilt-free.

Anemia is a major public health concern in India, as well as in parts of Asia and Africa. A significant number of Indian children, adolescents, and women are affected by this condition, primarily due to an iron-deficient diet. Iron is a crucial mineral, contributing to immune health, cognitive function, and overall growth and development. If you're fortunate enough to not have anemia, you should be familiar with its common symptoms: dizziness, fatigue, hair loss, brain fog, pale skin, and more.

Improvements are easy to make through a diet rich in iron, which typically includes leafy greens, lentils, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and meat, along with doctor-prescribed supplements. Adopting an iron-rich diet doesn't mean limiting yourself to savory foods; there are plenty of desserts that incorporate this essential mineral in a delicious way.

Til Laddoo

Sesame seeds have 14 mg of iron for every 100 gm.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups white sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 ¼ cup of jaggery (adjust the sweetness according to your preference)
• ¼ cup of roasted peanuts

Instructions:

• Dry roast the sesame seeds in a pan till they turn golden brown and start to pop. Set aside to cool.
• Add ghee in another pan, and then the jaggery to make a syrup. You can either chop it or even turn it into powder in your mixer-grinder so it melts easily.
• Add the sesame seeds, and peanuts and mix. Leave it on low flame for about a minute.
• Transfer this onto a silicone tray or a greased steel plate.
• After it’s cooled, roll it into ladoos of any size.

Bean Brownies

A cup of cooked kidney beans (rajma) contains about 7-8 gm iron.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of soaked and pressure cooked rajma
• ⅓ cup of smooth peanut butter
• 5-6 cups of Cadbury cocoa powder
• ½ cup flour of your choice
• Salt to taste
• 5-6 tbsp of maple syrup
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract (to mask any beaniness)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• ½ chocolate chip or chopped chocolate

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 F.
• This brownie recipe requires no hand mixing, just chuck everything except the chocolate into your blender. You can also use a handheld immersion blender.
• Ensure that the mixture is smooth and has no bean chunks.
• Oil your cake tin or use a silicon cake tray. Pour this mixture evenly and cover it with chopped chocolate/choco chips.
• Place it in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until you get a clean toothpick.
• Eat it warm or cool. Choice is yours.

Nut and Seed Chikki or Gajak

All nuts and seeds are loaded with iron in varying quantities.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups chopped or powdered jaggery
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup roasted peanuts
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions:

• Take a broad, flat pan and roast all the seeds till they are fragrant and take on a slight color. Put them aside to cool.
• Lightly grease a thali.
• Then melt a teaspoon of ghee in a saucepan over low heat, followed by the cupful of jaggery. Stir occasionally to ensure that the jaggery melts evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom.
• Now, add the cardamom powder for some flavoring. Then mix in the peanuts and all the seeds.
• After the above step, you will have to work quickly to prevent the jaggery from solidifying.
• Pour this mixture evenly into the thali, and wait for it to cool down completely.
• Once solid, cut it into squares or rectangles. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Iron Energy Bites

A 100 gm of cocoa has about 18 gm iron.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup Cadbury cocoa powder
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup of coconut flakes or desiccated coconut

Instructions:

• If you want to roast the cashews and seeds, feel free to do so. You can also make a paste out of the pitted dates.
• After the nuts and seeds have cooled down, add them to a blender or food processor along with the cocoa powder and the date paste
• Remember to pulse for a coarse, crumb-like texture. If you blend for too long, you’ll end up with chocolate flavored cashew butter.
• Scoop out the mixture from the blender jar and mold them into balls. Then roll them in the coconut.
• Chill in the fridge to allow all the flavors to meld together.