Low-Sugar and Guilt-Free: 6 Chocolate Recipes for Valentine’s Day
Being diabetic doesn’t mean you have to give up chocolate. If you cook recipes that use natural sweeteners, you can indulge in some rich, chocolatey desserts this Valentine’s Day and more often throughout the year.
100 percent chocolate by itself isn’t sweet, it’s actually quite healthy! Chocolate comes from cocoa beans, which are high in antioxidants that may help reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. Chocolate only becomes unhealthy when you add cream, sugar and other ingredients. But, if you sweeten chocolate with ripe bananas or dates, you can create recipes that are healthy, wholesome and completely capable of satisfying your sweet tooth.
This Valentine’s Day, leave the box of Russel Stover’s behind. Instead, get your chocolate fix from healthy recipes that you can easily make from home.
Three-ingredient brownies
The best recipes are often the simplest. With this delicious brownie recipe, it’s as simple as it gets! They’re made with just three ingredients. Cocoa powder, bananas and nut butter—which is filling and loaded with healthy fats that can help lead to a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Not to mention, these brownies couldn’t be easier to make.
Double chocolate cookies with dates
You would never know that these fudgy cookies don’t have any refined flour or added sugar in them. They’re simply sweetened with Medjool dates, which have a sweet, caramel taste and are filled with phytonutrients that can help lower your blood sugar, boost your metabolism, improve your digestive health and lead to other health benefits.
Chocolate peanut butter avocado pudding
Avocados are more versatile than you might think. Their creamy texture and mild flavor make them ideal for puddings, especially when you combine them with chocolate and peanut butter! Plus, avocados are great for your health. They are filled with minerals and healthy fats that can help improve your blood sugar, heart health, skin complexion and much more.
Three-ingredient chocolate nut bars
These bars are simple, healthy and delicious. You can make them in less than a half-hour and they’re easy to take with you for a snack on-the-go. Being made with hearty ingredients like almonds, walnuts and macadamia nuts, this nutritious dessert is also filled with heart-healthy nutrients like fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
Chocolate hummus
This creamy dessert is made from chickpeas, which have a light and velvety consistency that compliments cocoa powder perfectly. Chocolate hummus also tastes surprisingly similar to brownie batter, only it’s safe and healthy to eat by the spoonful! In fact, chickpeas are super nutritious and can help prevent sudden surges in blood sugar and insulin levels—making it easier to manage diabetes and live a healthy lifestyle.
Vegan chocolate truffles
These ooey, gooey and chocolatey truffles are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the diabetic in your life. They look beautiful, they taste wonderful and they’re full of wholesome ingredients like cocoa powder—which can help with everything from cognitive health to boosting your immune system.
Live a balanced lifestyle
Most of these desserts are sweetened with fruits, which have a low glycemic index and are safe to eat if you have diabetes. But, to avoid blood sugar spikes, they should still be eaten in moderation and you should continue to count your carbs and check your blood sugar regularly.
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SOURCES
Mayo Clinic: “Can chocolate be good for my health?”
American Heart Association: “Nut butters are a healthy way to spread nutrients”
WebMD: “Medjool Dates: Are There Health Benefits?”
Mayo Clinic: “Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health”
WebMD: “Health Benefits of Avocados”
Harvard School of Public Health: “Chickpeas”
American Diabetes Association: “Fruit”
WebMD: “Health Benefits of Cocoa Powder”
