Every special occasion, breakup, last-minute gift, or indulgent moment has a chocolate solution. The Mayan people believed that chocolate was "food of the gods." That makes sense because a great piece of chocolate has the power to take you to another world.
It's difficult to resist the craving for chocolate. There is almost no reason to dislike the well-known dessert given its flavor, scent, and melty bliss as it touches your mouth. There is evidence that chocolate can lower blood pressure, promote heart health, and enhance brain function. One little issue: The natural chocolate we're talking about is frequently coupled with processed sugar, unhealthy fats, and other flat-belly no-nos in cakes, bars, and candies, making chocolate one of the foods to stay away from when trying to lose weight.
Here is the golden rule when it comes to chocolate: the more bitter, the better for your health! Stick to chocolate with at least 70% cacao and a few additives when buying your goodies. Choose the unsweetened variety and add your own healthy, nutrient-dense sweeteners (such as fruit or maple syrup) to your sweets to make them seem anything but healthy.
And even while you already know eating it makes you happier, scientists are hard at work figuring out whether dark chocolate is related to greater mental health. According to some promising studies, those who admit to eating dark chocolate are less likely to experience "clinically meaningful" depressive symptoms.
Dark chocolate provides minerals like iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese along with disease-fighting flavonoids. It's crucial to remember that not all dark chocolate is created equally. Choosing chocolate with at least 60% cacao is advised by experts. In addition to ensuring that you are consuming a high source of antioxidants, doing so will help you consume fewer additives, such as cream and sugar, which may have an unfavorable impact on your health and weight.
Chocolate-Covered Stuffed Dates
You can quickly enjoy an ooey-gooey delight with just three ingredients! Medjool dates can be stuffed with anything, from cashew butter to peanut butter, and then covered in melted super-dark chocolate.
This delicacy is guaranteed to become a go-to because of the date's distinctive sweetness, which will counteract the chocolate's unappealing bitterness. One of the healthiest natural sweeteners available, dates are high in fiber.
Chocolate Avocado Mousse
One avocado, two tablespoons of cacao or cocoa powder, and one tablespoon of maple syrup can be combined to make a chocolate mousse that is packed with nutrients for you and a friend to enjoy. It's a fluffy, light way to fulfill your chocolate appetite without adding any unnecessary unhealthy fats or artificial sweeteners.
Protein-Packed Chocolate Milkshake
Ice cream and milk combined to make milkshakes, which used to be a common childhood delight before people started to worry about calories and sugar, They might not be the ideal choice now that you want to prevent gaining weight.
Use a frozen banana, nut butter, chocolate protein powder, and almond milk to create a healthy version of this traditional dessert. It will transport you back in time without the dreadful guilt trip.
Hazelnut Chocolate Dip
The chocolate hazelnut dips that line grocery store shelves are well-known and adored by many. But did you know that sugar, not chocolate or hazelnuts, is typically the primary ingredient in most of these dips? Instead, make your own by blending ground hazelnuts that have been shelled, chocolate powder, and dates or maple syrup.
Without that faulty ingredient list, it is just as rich and indulgent.
No-Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
There isn't a more satisfying late-night treat than milk and cookies. However, instead of retiring to bed with a bloated stomach, have a cup of almond milk and some grain-free chocolate chip cookies.
2 cups of almond flour, 1 tablespoon of coconut flour, 1/4 cup of coconut oil, 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 cup of dark chocolate chips should be combined to make 'em. A batch is on your way that will make you forget they are healthy!
Hot Chocolate
It is so straightforward but so memorable! Not simply on chilly winter days, hot chocolate is delicious. Simply bring coconut milk or almond milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Add cocoa powder and coconut sugar while stirring constantly until thoroughly blended and the flavor is to your satisfaction. If you're in the mood for an especially warm bed, feel free to add a little cinnamon or nutmeg! These kinds of spices can even speed up your metabolism and maintain steady blood sugar levels.
Chocolate-Covered Banana Pops
Bananas that have been frozen after being covered in melted chocolate are the primary component of chocolate-covered banana pops. However, you can take it a step further and coat the chocolate-covered bananas in coconut flakes, almond shavings, or Goji berries before freezing them.
This will give them a little more flavor and texture and encourage you to choose one of these over an ice cream pop that is loaded with sugar.
Coconut Chocolate Energy Balls
When you start to crave something sweet in the middle of the day, energy balls make a terrific portable snack. Roll the mixture of softened dates, oats, cacao, unsweetened shredded coconut, chia seeds, and coconut oil into balls.
Put them in the refrigerator to solidify, then take them with you on trips to work, school, or other destinations.
Limit yourself to only two or three of them to avoid overindulging.
All-Natural Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Unquestionably, the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter were meant to be together. You can prepare these small treats with no guilt by using dark chocolate with a cacao content of at least 70% and all-natural peanut butter that contains no additional additives.
Half a teaspoon of dark chocolate should be used in a muffin pan that has been oiled. Once the chocolate has hardened, add the peanut butter. Place the peanut butter in the refrigerator for approximately an hour, then top with extra chocolate. Get them out and have fun!
Chocolate Bark with Nuts and Fruit
Greek yogurt is the ideal snack for health freaks. It can also be turned into a fake chocolate bark and is rich in calcium and protein. First, mix a cup of Greek yogurt with cacao and a tiny bit of honey. Spread the mixture thinly on parchment paper after that.
Sliced strawberries, blueberries, and almonds should also be added. Freeze for at least an hour. You can break the bark once it has frozen and savored the delicious chocolate inside.
Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
A chocolate pretzel has a smooth, crunchy texture and the ideal balance of sweet and salty flavors. This delicious delight will definitely satiate your taste buds!
Though some tastes can be rather addictive, be careful to only buy a small amount of them to control your portion sizes. These tiny delicacies should be enjoyed slowly.
Chocolate Dipped Fruit Slices
The simplest chocolate delight just needs two ingredients: your preferred fruit and melted dark chocolate. Everything goes nicely with chocolate, from strawberries and bananas to mango and pineapple!
Combine the recommended portions of fruit with your preferred servings of chocolate if you find it challenging to include them in your diet. Strawberries, bananas, apples, pears, and, if you're a bit too adventurous for your own good, carrots can all be coated in melted dark chocolate.
Fruits' inherent sweetness means that you won't miss milk chocolate's sugar level. Every taste will combine everything.
Chocolate Oats
In my book, eating chocolate for breakfast is a surefire success. You can easily give your oats an energy boost and keep you satisfied by mixing 1 tablespoon of chocolate, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, and 1 teaspoon of hemp seeds into them.
Superfoods high in antioxidants like cacao, chia, and hemp will keep your skin radiant and your digestion in check. Add fruit to the top of this bowl of goodness to make it feel even fresher.
Homemade Chocolate Bar
There may be a variety of health advantages to chocolate's antioxidant potential. More advantages are present in foods with higher cocoa content, such as dark chocolate. It's vital to read the label because dark chocolate could also be lower in fat and sugar.
You may make healthier versions of those interesting chocolate candy bars that have been around for as long as you can remember! You can see what I mean by making this Healthy Snickers Bar recipe from Detoxinista.
Quick and Easy Freezer Fudge
With this fudge, you may achieve a strong chocolate flavor with the ideal quantity of sweetness. 1 cup of coconut oil, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of full-fat coconut cream, and 3/4 cup of cacao powder can be used to make fudge.
All you have to do is combine, pour onto a square dish, and freeze for at least one hour. Due to the possibility of a melty mess from the coconut oil, it is best served straight from the freezer!
Chocolate "Nice" Cream
A brilliant method to satisfy a sweet tooth is to freeze bananas and make healthy ice cream from them. You experience the same ice cream-like velvety smoothness without any of the extra fat or sugar.
You can top it with dark chocolate chips, sprinkle on melted chocolate, mix it with cocoa powder, or even do all three of these things. (No one is observing.) Bananas are high in potassium and fiber, and studies show that they can speed up muscle repair.
Healthy Fudgesicles
Pour the "lovely" cream recipe from recipe #16 into little plastic cups and secure them with popsicle sticks.
Then, remove them to take with you after refreezing them for at least an hour. Nothing needs to be cleaned up after eating this portable snack; just throw away the stick and cup!
No-Bake Brownie Batter
You may enjoy the decadent taste of brownie batter but healthified by using a basis of mashed black beans, pumpkin purée, or a baked sweet potato!
Simply combine the aforementioned base with cacao powder or melted dark chocolate and a sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup.
Guiltless Chocolate Truffles
The ideal luscious truffles to fool your taste buds into thinking they are the real thing are made with dates, almonds, and chocolate. You can blend them, form them into balls, and then roll them in additional crushed nuts, coconut flakes, or cacao powder.
A tasty chocolatey snack with more nutritional advantages than a typical chocolate truffle is created by combining the sticky texture of dates with raw chocolate and almond butter. Two dozen Medjool dates should be blended and mashed, along with a half-cup of nut butter and a few tablespoons of raw cocoa powder. They should be fully combined. After that, form them into tiny balls. For a little more crunch, cover the exterior in crushed nuts.
The final product is a dessert that is high in protein and fiber. These dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan truffles are an alternative. If you're making them for someone who has a nut allergy, you may replace the nut butter with seed butter to make them nut-free.
Not a huge dating person? Consider replacing coconut milk with creamier truffles. Use 7 tablespoons of coconut milk and 9 ounces of dark chocolate. Warm the coconut milk and combine it with the finely chopped chocolate. After letting the mixture chill for a few hours, divide out little truffles with a melon baller. It's as simple as it seems.
Vegan Chocolate Donuts
Who says you can't enjoy a doughnut at any hour of the day? Doughnuts may have originated as a breakfast treat. Try these Half Baked Harvest Vegan Gooey Chocolate Doughnuts for the perfect after-dinner treat with about half the sugar of store-bought varieties.
Pure Dark Chocolate
Keeping things straightforward is not inherently bad. Nothing needs to be prepared or mixed. You can have chocolate if that's all you want. The secret to maintaining plain chocolate as a healthy option for a snack or dessert is choosing the proper sort.
A 75-gram bar of dark chocolate with 90% cocoa has 500 calories and 8 grams of sugar. While it's not a good idea to consume an entire bar of chocolate at once, it's comforting to know that only eating half of it won't undermine your efforts to eat more healthfully.
Reading the nutrition label is all it takes to perfect guilt-free chocolate.
Recognize that a serving size almost never equals the entire bar. Chocolate bars are cut into pre-measured squares for this reason. To be sure you're not consuming more sugar and calories than you might think, stick to the number of squares the manufacturer specifies as a serving.
Banana Chocolate Ice Cream
Four ripe bananas should be cut up and frozen. Place the frozen slices in the food processor and pulse until they are creamy, about a few minutes.
Add a couple of tablespoons of melted dark chocolate while they're mixing. Two tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter would be fantastic additions if you're feeling up to it. Put the blended, creamy mixture in a covered basin, cover it, and freeze it for a few hours. You now have ice cream with banana and chocolate.
In comparison to regular ice cream or dairy-free ice cream, this straightforward recipe offers more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Because fruit serves as the dessert's foundation rather than milk or plant milk, it is also a little bit more filling. It has a considerable texture that is possibly even creamier than the typical pint of ice cream.
Chocolate Covered Nuts
An excellent method to satisfy a chocolate craving while consuming more protein and minerals is to consume chocolate-covered or dark chocolate-dusted almonds. Chocolatey nuts have a pleasing crunch and a delightful flavor, making it simple to unintentionally consume an excessive amount of them.
You may not need as many nuts as you think in one serving. To avoid mindlessly snacking on this wonderful treat, search for pre-portioned single-serving packages if you decide to use chocolate-covered almonds to satisfy your appetite.
Chocolate Yogurt Parfaits
Yogurt substitutes made from plants or with low fat are always available in simple and sugar-free varieties. If you're like most people, it's probably difficult for you to understand why someone would like plain, tasteless yogurt.
In actuality, this yogurt serves more as a canvas. It can be used to make curries or tzatziki sauces by adding spices to it. They can also be used to prepare desserts.
Add some cocoa powder to your plain yogurt or yogurt substitute. Add some berries or bananas on top. Add some toasted oats on top for a bit of crunch. Make a parfait of your own. These parfaits can be eaten for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack. You'll stay fueled and feel fuller for longer thanks to the yogurt's high protein content and the fruit's fiber.
Chocolate Superfood Squares
If you don't have time to make a healthy snack to tide you over until lunch or dinner when your chocolate hunger strikes in the middle of the day, you might end up indulging in chocolate.
Mid-Day Squares were created for this purpose. Our organic chocolate bars fulfill your sweet tooth without overdosing on unnecessary calories by using ingredients like raw chocolate and nut butter.
Loaded Chocolate Oats
Purchase a box of plain oatmeal packets with 100 calories. They are dull by themselves. They are tasty, healthful snacks that can be completely tailored to your preferences with a little imagination. Simple oats should be prepared with some almond milk. Add some cinnamon and ginger to them. Add a few chips of dark chocolate. Add some fresh blueberries or strawberries to your oats to give them taste and nutritional value.
Oatmeal can also be kept simple by including some unsweetened chocolate powder. In the end, you get something that resembles a high-fiber, incredibly substantial chocolate porridge. Thanks to the oats' heartiness, it will fill you up much more than chocolate pudding.
Oats are a fantastic breakfast food or dessert that will reduce your desire to eat during the night because they help to maintain your blood sugar constant throughout the day.