Who says pleasure has to feel guilty? here are a few healthy desserts you’ll find yourself craving!

Once we become familiar with the effects of sugar it at times becomes difficult to delve into our favourite desserts guilt-free. But there are numerous ways you could go about it. And while at it, explore a whole range of new flavours.

In each of these dishes, we replace the evil sugar with a nicer, healthier substitute. Check them out!

Stuffed Baked Apples

Preparation Time: 100 minutes; Serves 7 people

Ingredients: 7 large apples, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup ground up walnuts, ½ cup dried raisins (unsweetened), 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons finely powdered cinnamon, 2 tablespoons vegan butter cut into small pieces, ground sea salt.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Remove the core of the Apples using a paring knife. Ensure that you don’t dig into the base of the Apples when you do this. You could remove the base with the help of a spoon. The apples are now little apple cups.

3. Mix together oats, walnuts, raisins adding butter until it becomes sticky.

4. Place the apples in a deep pie pan and pour a cup of water into the pan. Fill the apple-cups with the filing to the top. Do this for all the Apples and then cover the entire dish with an aluminum foil.

5. Bake this for an hour or until fork tender.

You could serve this all by itself without any other interesting sauces.

Use the sugar in the Apples to your advantage. Once the Apples are baked, they become soft and delicious. This dish is an easy contender for the regular Apple pie. Go grab yourself a baked Apple without all the crust aka guilt.

Apples though sweet are nothing like sugar. Besides, they are a great source of phytochemicals, vitamins C, minerals. Every ingredient in this dish only packs more nutrition into the Apple, literally.

Choco-Ginger Cookies

Warm, chewy, and delicious chocolate dipped ginger cookies! They’re vegan and there’s a gluten-free option.

Preparation Time: 90 minutes, Serves 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon aluminium free baking powder, 1 ½, teaspoon finely ground up ginger, ¼ teaspoon finely ground allspice, ⅛ teaspoon powdered cloves, chocolate chips, sea salt, 12 tablespoon defrosted vegan butter, room temperature, 1 cup pure maple syrup, ¼ cup molasses, 1/4 cup Aquafaba (chickpea juice), ½ cup dark choco chips

Instructions:

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Do until all of them have combined well with one another.

2. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Make sure that the butter breaks down when you do this. Don’t worry about it getting too creamy. Add the flour mix here and bear the mix until combined well. Put this in the refrigerator for about an hour for it to set.

3. Preheat the oven to about 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Scoop up a tablespoon of the dough and roll into a ball. Do this for all the dough at hand. Place these balls on the cookie sheet leaving room for them to spread.an inch space between two lumps should without just fine.

5. Put the treat in the oven for about 15 minutes. Make sure they are firm touch before you pull then of the oven. Allow them to cool down.

6. Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl using a microwave. Make sure they are smooth and creamy. It should happen within about 3 ½ to 4 minutes. Now that your cookies have cooled down, dip them in the chocolate and place them on a piece of parchment paper to dry out. Make sure to work fast so you are able to finish in time before all the chocolate hardens. And if it does, just reheat in the oven and continue.

Unlike other cookies, these are a little low on the sweet quotient, but they are warm and yummy! The spices when combined together give then an earthy flavour that is irresistible. The maple syrup sweetens them just so and the spices compliment this sweet with the warmth perfect for the winters. Ginger fits so perfectly well for a winter snack, considering it is loaded with all its cough and cold relieving properties. Done right, they are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

You could do the same with gluten-free flour. But remember that your cookies might turn out a tad bit gritty. Only the texture changes, the flavours are just the same. But remember that they won’t be exactly like the olives with the all-purpose flour.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Nibbles

Preparation Time: 110 minutes; Serves 2 people

Ingredients: 2 large ripe bananas, ¼ cup nut butter of your choice, ¾ cup baking chocolate, 1 ½ tablespoons cold-pressed coconut oil.

Instructions:

1. Use parchment paper to cover a baking pan. Slice the banana thin and lay out half the number of pieces on to the baking sheet.

2. Spread a layer of butter on the slices and sandwich this with another banana slice. Freeze the pan for about 30 minutes or whenever you find them totally frozen.

3. Melt your coconut oil by placing in a warm water bath. Stir the chocolate into the coconut oil until it is smooth and rich. Scoop out teaspoons of the choco-coco and spread it on to each banana bite.

4. After doing this, place the banana sandwiches dripping with choco-coco back on the pan and freeze it for another hour.

5. Make sure to thaw it for a few minutes before you serve.Relish!

A perfect snack for the sweet-toothed chocolate lover. These little bites are the perfect snack for after dinner dessert, without breaking your Paleo diet.

Paleo Choco-Chip Cookies

Preparation Time: 40 minutes; Serves 24 cookies

Ingredients: 2 cups almond flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup almond butter, 3 tablespoon honey, 1 large free-range egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup chocolate chips, sea salt.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl mix together almond flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a hand mixer, blend together almond butter, honey, egg, vanilla. Add this to the large bowl and whisk them together.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and then one tablespoonful of the prepared batter on to the baking tray.

5. Bake until the cookies turn golden brown. You should watch it happen within 13 – 15 minutes.

Grilled Peaches with Honey

Preparation Time: 10 minutes, Serves 2 people

Ingredients: 4 peaches, pitted and cut into halves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to high. Brush on a thin layer of olive oil on to the cut peaches and place them on the grill. Make sure you place the cut side down.

2. Grill them until they turn golden brown or caramelized. It should happen within 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the peaches over and allow them to turn soft and warm through. It should take about 2 minutes.

3. Arrange the grilled peaches on to a serving plate and drizzle with honey.

Once you taste them, you will surely be repeating the top three steps many times over.

Chocolate Mousse

Preparation Time: 75 minutes; Serves 2 people

Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados/ butter-fruit, 3/4th cup heavy cream, ½ cup melted chocolate chips, ¼ cup honey, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup unsweetened chocolate curls

Instructions:

1. Leave out the chocolate curls, combine all other ingredients using a food processor. Blend them until they are smooth and lump free.

2. Pour the mix into small glasses and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes to an hour.

3. Garnish with dark chocolate curls and serve!

Hurry up and give these recipes a try before you give up on that healthy diet you have been trying to stick to! And see if you really miss them sugary desserts.