CVLUX Magazine | #LUXlife — Thrive not Deprive: 5 Healthy Dessert Ideas

Apr 16

Apr 16 Thrive not Deprive: 5 Healthy Dessert Ideas

Raise your hands if you've ever deprived yourself of a dessert...not in an attempt to be healthy, but to look good at some pre-planned Vegas pool parties for the summer?! If we're being honest here, then everyones hands are probably up. While it's a great thing to eat healthy and only indulge on occasion, making smart dietary choices doesn't mean you have to skip out on all of the fun (or leave your family without the goods either.) Today we give you 5 ways to satisfy your indulgent side while keeping calories and refined sugars to a minimum, we'll call it a WIN-WIN after DIN-DIN.

Chia Seed Parfait

Chia seeds are one of our favorite super foods and their expansion in water gives them added hydration benefits! This easy dessert can also double as breakfast for those on-the-go mornings. For 2-3 servings, combine 3 tbsp Chia Seeds with 3/4 cup coconut milk and add flavorings of choice such as Vanilla extract, Stevia, Maple Syrup, Lemon zest, or Pomegranate juice. Let sit for 30 minutes (or overnight) and then layer with granola and fresh fruit (or dark chocolate chips!)

2 Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

Fast forward to summer days with these low-guilt coconut macaroons that use only T W O ingredients! Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you whisk one egg white and stir in 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut. Scoop 1/2 tbsp spheres onto a cookie sheet covered in nonstick spray and bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Broil for 1 minute if you'd like them darker, but be careful because these bonbons burn fast!

Dark Chocolate Detox Bites

We're all about stretching the health benefits of tannins to the MAX. Found in red wine and dark chocolate, daily consumption of these antioxidant sources can greatly decrease your chances of cancer and heart disease. Enter: these Dark chocolate detox bites. We found this recipe on a new favorite blog: The View from Great Island. You can find a detailed recipe for these visually pleasing and satisfying treats here.

Riesling and Vanilla Poached Pears

Fruit: Nature's original dessert. This poached pear recipe is a healthy way to impress your friends after dinner or a decadent way to treat yourself. It's also super versatile, tasting just as good hot, cold or room temperature. We love this recipe including riesling and vanilla that we found at From the Kitchen. Our suggestion? Replace the cup of sugar with stevia.

The Classic: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Speaking of dark chocolate, we couldn't leave out chocolate covered strawberries. Easy to make and incredibly indulgent these treats are the perfect size to satisfy your cravings . Melt dark chocolate chips (we like Ghiarardelli) and dip large organic strawberries…it's sort of similar to rocket science but we think you understand the idea. For added texture dip again in crushed almonds! Yum.