Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

chocolate

Chocolate Covered…

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Strawberries…

Almonds…

Dried Apricots…

Pecan Turtles…

First, melt some unsweetened chocolate on LOW heat…

Dip your fruit or nuts and freeze for 10 minutes on parchment paper…

Serve and Enjoy!

The unsweetened chocolate compliments the fresh, sweet fruit beautifully. Besides, it is good for you!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite thing dipped/covered in chocolate? Try it in unsweetened chocolate!

Personally, I love anything dipped in chocolate, but the chocolate-covered almonds have been my favorite lately.

On-the-Go Bitter Chocolate Cakes

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Warning: The following is for hard-core chocolate lovers.

My Grain-Free Bitter Chocolate for One was a hit. Who knew that so many people enjoyed bitter chocolate?

The only problem is, how can I make and eat a cake when I am in hurry or need a snack traveling?

Solution: make mini cakes (aka cookies) ahead of time!

Grain-Free Bitter Chocolate Cookies

~These pillowy clouds of chocolate are grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, oil-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Serves 1, but feel free to double, triple or quadruple the recipe as needed.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Tablespoons of squash puree, like pumpkin, sweet potato, or butternut squash
  • splash of vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • water
  • Optional: unsweetened chocolate chunks, nuts, coconut, mint extract, fruit pieces
Preheat oven to 375*. Mix all of the above ingredients together. Then add a splash of water until it reaches the consistency of a thick pudding. Place batter on cookie sheet by tablespoons full. Top with optional ingredients, if using.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cookie’s bottoms are nice and brown.
Makes a lot of cookies for only 120 calories. You also get the added health benefits of the antioxidant-loaded chocolate and the vitamin-loaded squash!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you ever get intense chocolate cravings?

I find that I always crave straight-up unsweetened chocolate when I am out of town. These cookies would be a great thing to pack for trips!

 

High Protein Cookies

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I’ve made High Protein Cookie Dough…

So the logical thing to do is make High Protein Cookies! Duh!

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High Protein Cookies

High Protein Cookies

~These cookies are high in protein because of the garbanzo beans. Don’t shy away from it, though, because it tastes fantastic! Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and, of course, sugar-free

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, well-rinsed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup nutbutter (I prefer making it a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough by using peanut butter)
  • 1/4 cup nondairy milk (I used almond milk. Water will probably work, too)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. First, drain and wash chickpeas well. Make sure they are well-washed so that the cookie dough doesn’t taste like beans.
  2. Add all the ingredients except chocolate into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Adjust liquid as needed. Stir in chocolate chunks.
  3. Drop dough by Tablespoonfuls on an un-greased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake at 400* for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are nice and brown.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/06/15/high-protein-cookies/

These cookies make fabulous “protein bars.” I eat them before and after I work out. For my taste buds, they are perfect because I love bitter chocolate and non-sweet peanut butter. However, those who do not like unsweetened things may not like the flavor. I suggest adding a mashed banana to the batter. Not only would it taste fabulous, but it would add a bit of sweetness.

 

Health Benefits
  • Chocolate: Click HERE for a post I did about all the benefits of chocolate.
  • Chickpeas: Click HERE for a post I did about all the benefits of chickpeas.
  • Peanuts: These legumes are full of protein with 7g per ounce. They also have a great monounsaturated fat content that helps your heart and brain. Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries. It also has a high antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day: 

After you work out do you crave carbs, fat, or protein? Do you crave sweet or savory?

I am always hot and sweaty after I work out, so I crave cold drinks like smoothies or a V8.