Valentine’s Day Tooth Friendly Sweet Treats

10 Feb Valentine’s Day Tooth Friendly Sweet Treats

Valentine’s Day is near, so it’s not uncommon to see chocolates and sweet treats everywhere in the store. Don’t let temptation get to you; even if you have a sweet tooth, you can still eat healthy (or healthier). You would be amazed to see, and taste, how easy it is to make a healthy item into a sweet treat. So this year, ditch the store-brought candy that is loaded with sugar and ingredients you can’t pronounce. Instead, make your own healthy Valentine’s Day treats, there’s no better way to control what goes into your food and body. You can also ensure that your delicious creation is filled with love, and there’s nothing better than that!

If you want to eat healthier this Valentine’s Day, check out these guilt-free recipes that are better on your stomach, and on your teeth. Be sure to invest in some Valentine’s Day molds to match the season!

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil (cold-pressed is best)
• ¾ cup palm (coconut) sugar or maple syrup
• 1 ½ cup cacao chips (they look like chocolate chips)
• 4 tbsp. raw cacao powder
• 4 pasture-raised eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 cup rinsed black beans
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp. Himalayan pink salt
• 1 ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk

optional:

• ½ cup chopped nuts (your choice)
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• 2-4 tsp psyllium husk powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and dust an 11 x 8 pan with coconut oil and cacao powder. You can also use a heart-shaped cupcake pan and make brownie heart bites.
3. Make sure your black beans are rinsed well. Place beans and eggs into a food processor and blend until creamy.
4. Place blended beans and eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add in all ingredients.
5. Mix well by hand, or with an electric mixer, until smooth and creamy.
6. Do a taste test! Adjust if needed.
7. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy when done!

Heart-Shaped Cacao Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

• Package of strawberries (sky really is the limit here though)
• 4 Tb melted coconut oil
• 2 Tb of maple syrup
• 3 Tb of raw cacao powder (unprocessed, raw chocolate)
• 1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:

1. Clean your strawberries. You can make them into a heart shape by taking a sharp paring knife and cutting a V-shaped notch on the top. By doing this you can remove the core, and trim the sides to reveal the heart shape.
2. Make your own raw cacao sauce by combining ingredients into a bowl. Mix well.
3. Lay out your heart-shaped strawberries on wax paper on a baking sheet or pan, and drizzle the cacao sauce over the strawberries. You can also dip the strawberries into the cacao sauce.
4. Place in refrigerator until sauce hardens, then enjoy!

Cacao Avocado Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 large, ripe avocado
• ½ cup of Medjool dates
• 1/4 to 1/8 cup of coconut milk
• 1 ½ Tb honey or maple syrup
• 2 ½ Tb raw cacao powder
• A pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Directions:

1. Cut and scoop avocado out of its skin. Dispose of skin and seed.
2. Place avocado flesh and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor, and blend.
3. Add more coconut milk if you need more liquid to facilitate blending.
4. Blend until smooth.
5. Do a taste test! Adjust if needed.
6. Can eat right away, but tastes best after chilled in refrigerator for a few hours.