4 Amazing Paleo Desserts That Will Help You Lose Weight Without Feeling Guilty

by Scott Reid

There have been endless amount of diets knocking about for years but the reality is, most of them are unsustainable, don’t have lasting effects and in some cases, can be dangerous. The Paleo Diet (sometimes referred to as the Caveman Diet) is a more of a lifestyle change and is based on what people may have eaten during the Paleolithic era, such as meat, nuts and berries.

It is believed that the human metabolism has been unable to adapt to modern day foods such as grains, dairy and the processed rubbish that fills our local stores. This is where Paleo comes in to help. As Aimee & Clint from Primal Influence put it: "By reducing/eliminating inflammatory ingredients, and tailoring nutrition to one's own needs, it has incredible health benefits. It's not a one-size-fits-all 'diet' and it's not a 'diet'. It's a baseline and guide. It's about eating as similarly to how our ancestors ate but to suit a modern time (factoring in modern health problems genetic / DNA changes, the environment around us, how we live, chronic stress, modern movement patterns etc).”

The Paleo Diet cuts out a lot of junk often used in desserts but that doesn’t mean great tasting desserts are off the table. Whether you’re on the Paleo Diet, or diet eating healthy, it’s still possible to have desserts that won’t wreck your progress and won’t leave you feeling like you’ve put on a 10 pounds.

So, are you ready for some great, easy to make desserts that’ll leave you satisfied and guilt free? Let’s do this!

 

Chocolate Brownies

It’s difficult to resist the temptation to snack on a little chocolate every now and then. Brownies are one of the most popular desserts, and they can definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. Just because you are on a strict Paleo diet, doesn’t mean you can enjoy the occasional brownie. Paleo brownies may not be full of sugar, but they still taste good. Here is a Paleo approved chocolate brownie recipe courtesy of Eat Drink Paleo.

Details

These brownies are made using sweet potatoes. They also use coconut flour instead of normal flour and coconut oil instead of olive oil or butter. They don’t contain any added sugar (aside from the honey), only naturally occurring sugars from the ingredients used. The recipe also recommends you use white coloured sweet potatoes as they are a bit milder and sweeter than the orange variety. If you find these brownies aren’t sweet enough you can adjust the amount of honey you use.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato (whiteflesh/purple skin) – 2-3 cups when grated
• 2½ tablespoon coconut flour
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 2 whole eggs
• ⅓ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup raw cacao powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Cooking instructions

1. Make sure your oven is preheated to exactly 185 degrees. It needs to be at the right temperature before you place the brownies inside or they won’t cook properly.
2. Grate your sweet potato.
3. Place the grated sweet potato, vanilla, eggs, honey and coconut oil into a large mixing bowl.
4. Stir the ingredients until they are well mixed together.
5. Add the baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder. Stir until well mixed.
6. Add the coconut flour, try not to use too much or your brownies will be too dry.
7. Line a baking tray with greased baking paper.
8. Cook your brownies for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Once they are cooked leave them to cool for ten minutes.
10. Remove from tin and sprinkle a little extra cacao powder on top (if you want to be a bit naughty then you can melt some dark chocolate on top).
11. Serve with some fruit such as strawberries and coconut yogurt.

 

Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes

Pancakes don’t have to be unhealthy. They are so versatile, you can try all sorts of healthy ingredients in your pancakes. If you have had way too many banana protein pancakes and want another sweet but healthy alternative, then try sweet potato. Sweet potato pancakes smell and taste amazing, they contain a comforting mix of cinnamon and nutmeg. Top them with some fresh coconut yogurt and you can tuck into a guilt free paleo dessert.

Details

Sweet potato is a root vegetable, and it actually works well in a variety of sweet dishes. Sweet potatoes contain lots of vitamin A as well as iron, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and magnesium. These pancakes don’t contain any added or refined sugar, only naturally occurring sugars in the sweet potato. They are so easy and simple to make, but you do need a bit of prep time as the sweet potato needs to be pre-cooked. Sweet potatoes are naturally fairly sweet in taste, but if you want some extra sweetness add a couple of spoonfuls of honey into the mix.

Ingredients (serves 1 to 2)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2½ tablespoon coconut flour (or for a thicker texture blended porridge oats)
• Half a teaspoonful of cinnamon
• A dash of nutmeg
• A pinch of salt
• 2 whole eggs
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 medium mashed sweet potato
• Whey protein powder

Cooking instructions

1. Cook a medium to large sized sweet potato in the oven until soft.
2. Remove the skin and mash.
3. Whisk two eggs and add to the sweet potato, whisk together.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients (protein powder, coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, sweet potato) and blend together until a smooth paste forms. It will be quite thick, especially if you choose porridge oats over coconut flour.
5. Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture and place in pan. Cook for a minute or two and then turn over and cook the other side. Watch your pancakes don’t burn underneath, don’t have the heat too high.
6. When the mixture is cooked in the middle remove and place on a tray to cool. Service with coconut yogurt.

 

Banana and Chocolate Protein Pancakes

Banana pancakes are a firm favourite, but when you throw some cacao powder into the mix, they taste even better. You don’t need to add any chocolate to your pancakes, instead you get the ‘chocolate’ taste from the raw cacao powder. This recipe is great if you often have over ripe bananas lying around your kitchen. You benefit from the goodness of the bananas and also a healthy dose of protein.

Details

Try and use slightly over ripe bananas rather than the fresher green looking ones. The ripe bananas are far easier to mash into the mixture. These pancakes are ideal for those times when you have a craving for something sweet but fairly healthy. There is no added sugar to this recipe, only the natural sweetness from the bananas. If you want to make your banana pancakes a bit sweeter then add a few spoonfuls of honey. If you want to be really naughty then add some 85% dark chocolate into the mixture (break up into small chunks).

Ingredients (serves 1 to 2)

• 2 ripe bananas
• 3 tablespoons of cacao powder
• 2½ tablespoon coconut flour (or for a thicker texture blended porridge oats)
• A pinch of salt
• 2 whole eggs
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• Protein powder
• A dash of coconut milk
• Optional – two tablespoons of honey

Cooking instructions

1. Mash up two bananas.
2. Whisk two eggs.
3. Add the banana mash and eggs to the rest of the ingredients (protein powder, coconut flour, cacao powder, coconut milk) and blend together until a smooth paste forms. It will be quite thick, especially if you choose porridge oats over coconut flour.
4. Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture and place in pan. Cook for a minute or two and then turn over and cook the other side. Watch your pancakes don’t burn underneath, don’t have the heat too high.
5. When the mixture is cooked in the middle remove and place on a tray to cool. Serve with coconut yogurt.

 

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone loves a chocolate chip cookie, and a diet without any cookies at all would be tough. Fear not, you can make your very own paleo approved chocolate chip cookies by swapping a few ingredients. Thankfully, there are many different ways you can eat chocolate chip cookies, which is handy if you have a restrictive diet. These cookies are so delicious that you won’t even notice they are paleo. This recipe was inspired by Primalpalate.

Details

These mouthwatering cookies are free from refined sugar, dairy (except from the egg) and gluten. If you get them spot on, they have a nice crunchy exterior and a smooth and chewy interior. Coconut oil is used instead of butter, almond flour is used instead of normal flour and maple syrup or honey instead of refined sugar. Dairy free chocolate or chocolate chips are also used instead of milk chocolate.

Ingredients (serves 1 to 2)

• A pinch of sea salt
• 1 egg
• Half a cup of dairy free chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup of maple syrup or honey
• A tiny sprinkle of cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups of blanched almond flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat your oven to approx 190 degrees celsius.
2. Add dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix together.
3. Put the beat egg, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a smaller mixing bowl.
4. Gradually add both dry and wet ingredients together and mix well until combined.
5. Add melted coconut oil gradually and keep stirring until combined.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Scoop up small amounts of the mixture and place balls of the mixture onto a baking sheet on baking tray. They should be around the size of a tablespoon.
8. Bake cookies for approx 15 minutes.
9. Wait for them to cool and serve.

There you have it. Just 4 great, easy to make options for you to try.

Check out these other great Paleo blogs for more recipes and inspiration.

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