Valentine’s Day…..a holiday usually filled with love, flowers, gifts and sweets. Oh, so many sweets! The typical treat is a box of chocolates. Not surprisingly, these are loaded with calories! Just 4 pieces of assorted chocolate is close to 300 calories and it’s easy to eat that many or more pretty quickly. Instead, check out some of these Must Try Healthy Valentine’s Day Treats. Our easy and simple Valentine’s Day Desserts recipes with the touch of healthy treat will surely get you drooling.
Healthy Valentine’s Day Treats
4-Ingredient Protein Buckeyes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (120g) peanut flour (e.g. Protein Plus)
- ½ cup (120mL) unsweetened cashew milk
- ½ tsp vanilla crème stevia
- 4 tbsp (56g) chopped dark chocolate
Directions:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Add the peanut flour to a medium bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour in the cashew milk and stevia. Stir until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 24 balls, and place each ball on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add the dark chocolate to a small microwave-safe ramekin. Microwave on HIGH for 15-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each one, for 30-45 seconds or until all of the chocolate has melted. Be careful not to overcook the chocolate!
- Working with one peanut butter ball at a time, press a toothpick into the center until it goes all the way through. Dip the ball into the melted chocolate, and shake off the excess. Place the ball back onto the prepared baking sheet, and slide the toothpick out. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls and chocolate. Let the chocolate on the buckeyes set for at least 20 minutes before serving or transferring to an airtight container to refrigerate.
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles
Ingredients:
- 1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ c unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 16 small raspberries, clean and dry
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cocoa, applesauce, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Divide the chocolate mixture into 16 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a ball; then flatten into a circle. Place a raspberry into the center, and fold the chocolate up around the sides. Roll back into a ball, and place on a sheet of wax paper. Repeat with the remaining chocolate and berries. Chill until ready to serve.
Note: For a vegan version, substitute agave in place of the honey.
Coffee Loaf Cake with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients:
For the Cake
- ½ c nonfat milk
- 2 tbsp instant coffee crystals
- 2 c whole wheat pastry or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ c maple syrup
- ½ c plain nonfat Greek yogurt
For the Drizzle
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp agave
- 6 ½ tsp nonfat milk
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9×5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cake, add the milk and instant coffee to a small bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or unsalted butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup and yogurt, thoroughly mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk mixture, stirring just until incorporated, beginning and ending with the flour. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts and the milk mixture in 2 equal parts.)
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the drizzle, stir together the cocoa powder, agave, and milk in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of the cooled cake.
Notes:
- For the gluten-free flour, I used as follows: ¾ c brown rice flour, ¾ c millet flour, ¼ c almond flour, ¼ c tapioca flour, and 2 tsp xanthan gum.
- You may also substitute all-purpose or regular whole wheat flour in place of the whole wheat pastry flour.
- If the top of the cake begins to brown too quickly in the oven, lightly cover the top of the pan with foil. (Check on the cake after about 30 minutes to make sure!)
- To drizzle, transfer the glaze to a small zip-topped bag, snip off a tiny corner, and gently squeeze it out over the cake.
Glazed Strawberry Pie
Ingredients:
For Filling
- 6 cups strawberries
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Red food coloring
- Fat-free frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)
For Crust
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup fat-free milk
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Directions:
- To prepare Oil Pastry for Single-Crust Pie: In a bowl stir, together flour and salt. Combine milk and cooking oil. Add milk mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir with a fork until dough forms; form into a ball. On a lightly floured surface slightly flatten dough. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond edge of plate. Fold under extra pastry; crimp edge as desired. Prick bottom and sides of pastry generously with the tines of a fork. Bake in a 450°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack.
- To prepare the filling: Place 1 cup of the strawberries and the water in a food processor bowl. Cover; process until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to boiling; simmer 2 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch; stir in berry mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in enough red food coloring to tint a rich red color. Cool to room temperature.
- Fold remaining strawberries into cooled mixture; pour into pastry shell. Cover with plastic wrap or foil; chill for 3 to 4 hours. If desired, serve with whipped topping.
TNT wishes everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day with these Healthy Valentine’s Day Treats !
For more nutritional information and your Free Consultation, contact us today.
Email: information@tntgetfit.com
Phone: 704-549-9550
Recipes courtesy of Amy’s Healthy Baking and Eating Well.
https://tntgetfit.com/low-calorie-valentine-treats/
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