Indulge Your Sweet Tooth With Some Easy, Tasty Sugar-Free Recipes

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth With Some Easy, Tasty Sugar-Free Recipes

It’s really hard to resist that last gulab jamun and gujia, isn’t it? I have a sweet tooth and with cravings that I cannot resist, I try to make healthier options at home.

These are some recipes that I make when the sugar rush hits me. What’s more, they don’t have sugar! So bye-bye, calories.

Also Read: A Healthy Diet Could Slow the Onset of Memory Loss: Study

Beetroot Kalakand

I'd seen a version of this recipe and I decided to give it a twist to make it a tad healthy.

What You Need:

• 100 gms of peeled and grated beetroot. Be sure to remove the juice from the beets.
• 30 gms of paneer
• 50 ml low-fat milk
• 50 gms of jaggery (most recipes opt for sugar, but I use jaggery because its healthier)
• 1 tablespoon of ghee
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• Slivers of almonds and pistachios (optional)

Making the Beetroot Kalakand

Grease a tray in which you will pour the kalakand to set.

1. Take a heavy-bottomed kadhai and add ghee.
2. Add the grated beetroot and sauté till it softens a bit.
3. Add the milk and let the beetroot cook in it till it completely softens.
4. Add the jaggery and crumbled paneer. Adding jaggery will release a bit of water, but it also adds a caramelized texture.
5. Cook till the sides leave the pan.
6. Add the cardamom powder and give it a mix.
7. Pour this in the greased tray and let it set.

If you want, you can also make balls of this mixture to give it a different look.

Also Read: Five Reasons Why Beetroots Are Just the Healthy Kick You Need

Dates Power Energy Balls

Dates are a power house of energy. And this one is my to go for energy snack! Trust me you don’t need Diwali to indulge in this sweet. You can indulge in it almost every day and they are a powerhouse of nutrients. Trust me these make a superbly delicious snack and a perfect Diwali sweet. It is totally healthy and good for your body.

What You Need

• 250 gms of dates de-pitted
• 250 gms of walnuts
• 2 tablespoons each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoons of freshly powdered flax seed
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Making the Date Energy Power Balls

1. Take all the ingredients except the dates and the olive oil in a blender. Make a fine powder of it.
2. Hand crush the dates and mix it with the powder.
3. Add the olive oil to this mixture and roll out in between your palms as dumplings.
4. Store them in an airtight container.

Also Read: Dates, Apricots Better Than Starchy Foods in Lowering Diabetes

Makahana Kheer

Makhana, also known as lotus seeds is a superfood that is packed with loads of energy. This desi snack is back in vogue. Low in cholesterol and easy to satiate those hunger pangs, these make a very healthy snack.

Makhana kheer is something that I started to make to replace the rice kheer because this was a healthier option and it is delicious. Plus the boys really love it!

What You Need

• 300 gms of makhana or lotus seeds (these are also known as foxnuts)
• 1 litre of low fat milk
• 2 tablespoons of crushed jaggery or jaggery powder
• ½ tsp of cardamom powder
• Slivers of almonds and pistachios (optional)

Making the Makhana Kheer

1. Take a deep vessel and add milk in it to get to a rolling boil. Turn the flame on sim and break the makhana’s into smaller pieces and add them to the milk.
2. Let it simmer on low flame for about an hour. Do not cover it. If you feel the milk is less add more to adjust the consistency.
3. Once the seeds are soft, add in the jaggery powder and stir for 10 minutes.
4. Add the slivers of almonds and pistachios and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the cardamom powder and give it a quick stir.
6. This kheer can be served as hot or cold kheer.

Also Read: Flavoured, Packaged Makhana - Gimmicky or Healthy? Experts Answer

Dates and Peanuts Ladoos

Ditch those sugary sweet ladoos and opt for this super healthy snack. I use these as a post work out snack as well to get the energy levels up. Easy to make and super delicious, you won’t have to worry on binging too.

What You Need

• 200 gms of dates de-pitted. Chop
• 200 gms of peanuts
• 1 tbsp. of organic ghee

Making the Dates and Peanuts Ladoos

1. Dry roast the peanuts till they are slightly crisp. You can choose to keep the peels of the peanuts too.
2. Chop the dates into small pieces.
3. Mix these two ingredients in a blender.
4. Add 1 tbsp. of hot ghee to bind the mixture.
5. Apply some ghee on the palms and make round balls.
6. Store them in an airtight container when they cool down.

(Pratibha Pal spent her childhood in idyllic places only fauji kids would have heard of. When she's not rooting for eco-living or whipping up some DIY recipes to share with her readers, Pratibha is creating magic with social media. You can view her blog at www.pratsmusings.com or reach to her on Twitter at @myepica.)

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Also Read: Handful of Nuts Daily Can Boost Memory in Elderly