Choosing to eat a vegan diet has become a popular way to sustain the planet, as well as to avoid a number of common health problems. A vegan diet eliminates all animal products from dishes, and often, the strategy requires re-thinking ingredients and using a variety of spices to provide flavor. Even vegans crave a sweet treat now and then, and dentists advise combining healthy, vegan choices with sugar-free ingredients to help maintain a healthy smile. Here are a few recipes that contain no refined sugar.
photo credit http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/no-bake-strawberry-cream-pie/
No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie
Sweet strawberries are always a good treat, and it’s easy to make a healthy treat with them using vegan ingredients. This recipes uses coconut fat, instead of dairy cream, and strawberries to provide a satisfying, healthy dessert:
Crust Ingredients:
- ¼ cup Medjool dates
- ¼ cup coconut chips
- ¼ cup gluten-free oats
Filling Ingredients:
- ¾ cup coconut fat from can of coconut milk
- 1 cup of chopped strawberries
Remove pits from dates and place into processor with coconut chips and oats. Run until a sticky ball forms. Pat the mixture into a tartlet pan and place in refrigerator to set. Whip the coconut cream until smooth and creamy. Place the coconut cream on top of the crust and top with strawberries. Refrigerate until serving time.
Date-Plum Sorbet
Dates and plums give this cool treat a nice sweetness that doesn’t negatively affect the health of your teeth.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups pitted and chopped plums
- 1 cup Medjool dates
- 2-1/2 cup water
- Pinch of salt
- a drop of lemon juice
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Place the mixture into an ice cream churner and churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Remove the ice cream and place into a metal bowl. Place into freezer and chill for 2 hours. Serve in dessert cups.
Orange-Pecan Truffles
This recipe uses dates for the sweetness and is easy enough to whip up whenever you need a treat.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw pecans
- 5 pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 2 to 3 oranges)
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped pecans or almonds and 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut
Place ingredients into food processor and process until the mix forms a soft ball. If needed to create a moist texture, add a few more dates. Form about a teaspoon of the mixture into balls and roll into the nut or shredded coconut. Refrigerate and serve.
Vegan recipes often use sweetening for additional flavor, but you can easily add artificial sweeteners or fruit to provide sweetness without causing the damage to teeth from refined sugar. Try these recipes and you will see how easy is it to satisfy your sweet tooth without the use of sugar in your vegan desserts.
