How To Make Your Favorite Desserts Healthier

A sweet dessert is always a great way to end a meal but just because you are trying to eat healthier, does not mean that you cannot have your favorite treats.

All it takes is some tweaking and changing up some of the original ingredients with healthier ones. Here are some ways you can make your favorite desserts healthier but just as delicious.

Substitute The Sugar With Other Sweeteners

It is not a dessert if it is not sweet, but some dessert recipes call for too much sugar which can contribute to several health issues. However, that does not mean that you have to give up your favorite sweet treats because all you need to do is substitute the sugar with other sweeteners like honey or agave nectar.

While these sugar substitutes may be pricier, these natural options contain more vitamins and minerals, so you are not just consuming empty calories. They are also easier to digest and helps to keep your blood sugar steadier than regular sugar.

Another sweetener you can try is real fruit like dates or bananas but before you incorporate it into a recipe, do some tests to see if it holds up well.

Switch Out Plain Flour For Different Types Of Flours

Another tip to making desserts healthier is to switch out the commonly used all-purpose flour with a different type of flour with more nutrients.

Depending on the recipe, you can easily substitute plain flour for whole-grain flour, oat flour, or even nut-based flour. Chances are, you will not taste much difference, but you will end up with a much healthier dessert.

However, it is best to read any warnings from the original recipe to see if it is okay to substitute the flour. You might not get the same results if you decided to use oat flour instead, so do some research on how different flours can affect your sweet treats.

You can also look at what health benefits different flour substitutes can give you to find the one that works best for you.

Use Dark Chocolate Instead Of Milk Chocolate

Some of the world’s best desserts are chocolate-based because there is just something about the decadence of chocolate that makes for a great sweet treat.

However, some may feel guilty about consuming too much chocolate, especially in their desserts but that does not mean you should leave them out. All you need to do is just switch out your milk chocolates with something darker.

Dark chocolate has proven to have several health benefits such as helping to increase antioxidants for the skin and adding more fiber and iron for your body.

Dark chocolate with a cacao percentage of 70% and higher also have less fat than milk chocolate because they do not contain as much sugar. Some brands like Cadbury even make dark chocolate that is specifically used for baking.

Use Coconut Oil Instead Of Butter

You have probably heard of the trick to substitute butter with some sort of oil, but the wrong type of oil might not hold up as well as butter because of the different structures. This means that you may not get the desired result, especially in terms of visuals.

If you would still like to substitute your butter, you can try using coconut oil. It is like butter in that it is solid at room temperature, but coconut oil contains less sodium.

Another health benefit of coconut oil is that it contains a healthy saturated fat called lauric acid which can help with weight loss and lower cholesterol.

Substitute Cream With Evaporated Skim Milk Or Greek Yogurt

There are desserts like cakes and scones that call for heavy cream which can contain too much fat. If you are looking for a healthier alternative to the ingredient, you can try evaporated skimmed milk or Greek yogurt.

Both substitutes have a similar consistency to heavy cream but with lower fat content and they will not affect the taste of the dessert.

When using either evaporated milk or yogurt to substitute heavy cream in your desserts, just use the same amount the original recipe calls for.

However, it is important to note that this trick will only work if the heavy cream is used in the batter or dough itself. This means that it will not work as a substitute for whipped heavy cream that is used for decoration.

So, don’t give up on your favorite treats and desserts, just make some simple changes to make them healthier. Here’s a great example of how to make brownies healthier.