Hi friends!
I don’t post a whole lot of dessert recipes on here. I have in the past but to be honest, I stick to the tried and true staples (like these cookies, our favorite apple crisp, and our beloved butternut squash loaf). For cakes and pies and anything else, I turn to other vegan recipe creators. Baking isn’t my strong suit! Most of the dessert I enjoy on the regular isn’t complicated. I have a major sweet tooth but I rarely will bake a random cake. Instead, I enjoy mug cakes or recipes that lean on the healthier side. I have greatly minimized my sugar intake and I find that the below are just enough for me. Since I cannot go a day without dessert, it’s better this way. LOL
I want to share my go-to choices to curb my sweet tooth. Some are more decadent and others are SIMPLE. But at the end of the day, all of them are satisfying.
One thing I do: I treat my dessert like an event. Honestly. I usually wait until my kids are asleep and I can really savor it. It is something I look forward to every night. But okay, here we go.
1. Banana Nice Cream
Let’s start with a classic. Bananas blended with a little oat milk, a date, and vanilla extract is just divine. And the best part is that you can add whatever you want into it. Sometimes I add unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate. Sometimes I add frozen strawberries. Sometimes I added some toasted walnuts and date caramel swirl. Or mini chocolate chips. Or some mini chocolate chips & mint extract. Or some sprinkles! Whatever you want! Endless options.
2. Oat Mug Cake
My very favorite dessert at the end of the day is an oat flour mug cake. I have shared a version of this on the blog here, but have since made a healthier version (and lately, instead of coconut sugar I use date syrup and instead of nut butter, I use PB2). If you REALLY wanna take it to the next level, add some of that simple banana ice cream and you are liiiiiving it up. The recipe for that plus my chocolate date sauce drizzle is in my eBook!
3. Frozen Cherries or Grapes
Okay, so here’s a simple one but this is what I do some nights. Frozen cherries are like candy. Same with grapes (though I prefer cherries). Very refreshing in the summer, too.
But I also just wanna say… fruit. FRUIT FRUIT FRUIT. I enjoy bananas, nectarines, berries, pears, melon, peaches, tangerines, oranges… whatever is in season. I eat lots of fruit every day. It’s the best sweet snack ever.
4. Berries & Chocolate Chips
A cup of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are my favorite) with a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips. Simple and delicious.
5. Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie
My favorite sweet tooth smoothie is frozen banana, strawberries, almond milk, 1-2 dates, and 1-2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder. It tastes like Neapolitan ice cream to me!
6. Dates
Dates are so versatile but aside from as is, I like to make date candy. I shared a recipe here. If you don’t follow me on IG yet, I do share a lot of one-off recipes so be sure to give me a follow so you don’t miss out.
7. Oat Cookies
Simple oat cookies are not only great for me, but my kids love them. Minimal ingredients = thumbs up. Recipe in the eBook.
8. Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup
Okay, hear me out on this last one. High Carb Hannah shared this idea once and it really does “taste like pancakes” just as she said. If I am craving dessert in the middle of the day, I tend to stick with this. Just a little maple syrup goes a long way. I simply dip my baked potatoes in it. OMG. It’s delicious.
For more budget-friendly recipes and information on how to save money on a plant-based diet, download my eBook: My Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Kitchen.
