Nothing makes me feel less sexy than a sugar coma brought on by a heavy, overly-indulgent dessert that pushes me over the edge. So for Valentine’s Day, I’ve got my eye on some clean chocolate dessert recipes that will satisfy my sweet tooth without making me want to immediately sleep off my guilt. Because it is all about the romance, after all.
Plus, serving these means not having to deal with the kids having a sugar high before bed. Hey, we parents have to think about this romance thing from all angles.
Top: Raw Raspberry Ruffle Bars at Rawberry Fields | Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies at Heartbeet Kitchen
Related: 7 amazing dessert recipes you won’t believe are clean.
If you’ve never made a raw “cheesecake” before, you may be seriously surprised (I was!). They are amazingly creamy, satisfying, and — I’m not kidding — much like the real thing. The chocolate in this Raw Chocolate Beet Cheesecake at Unconventional Baker is a reference to the cocoa powder in the raw crust, which is sweetened with dates and maple syrup. And the pink color, which is perfect for Valentine’s Day, comes from beetroot powder, which means, no, it won’t taste like beets.
If you can’t find beetroot powder, try pulverizing freeze dried raspberries or strawberries for a similar coloring agent.
These chewy Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies at Amy’s Healthy Baking have no added sugar and use whole wheat flour for their healthier bent. I love that one batch will make enough to share with the kids, but while they’ll get plain cookies, my husband and I will enjoy ours with a bowl of raspberry sorbet. Yum!
Related: Swoon-worthy Valentine’s Day chocolates that will score you major points.
These treats at The Cook and Him look like decadent chocolate truffles, but they’re really Raw Goji Brownie Bites. Basically, they’re delicious homemade Larabars covered in dark chocolate. And with no added sugar and tons of protein, that means we can eat the whole tray, right?
Look at the ganache on these Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies at Heartbeet Kitchen, you guys! This vegan recipe combines all that antioxidant-rich dark chocolate with coconut milk, which gives them just a hint of Mounds bar flavor. (Yasss!) Plus, the brownies are thick and gooey, not cakey all, made with teff flour and minimal added sugar. Perfect, in my opinion.
This decadent Three-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse (made with no added sugar, yay!) at Sprig & Vine is so simple. And let’s be honest: chocolate mousse is sexy. It uses aquafaba, a favorite miracle-ingredient that vegans rave about (that I’ve used and swear by too), to whip up a light, airy texture. That said, since this recipe calls for only a couple of items that most of us already have in our pantries (including aquafaba — wait until you see what it is!), I’ll splurge on really nice dark chocolate to fancy this up.
Related: 5 allergy-friendly Valentine’s Day candy gifts, so that everyone can share the love.
These gorgeous Raw Raspberry Ruffle Bars at Rawberry Fields bars are made with just seven clean ingredients, none of which are refined sugar. Instead, they are sweetened with maple syrup in combination with vanilla paste and coconut cream, which lend a natural sweetness. And while all of that is great, the real story here is how perfect these treats are for Valentine’s Day with a dark chocolate exterior and pretty pink interior. Lovely, for the whole family.
Thank you so much for the share, even if I do want to eat the whole page!! Very privileged to be in such delicious looking company 🙂
Thanks for sharing my Vegan Chocolate Mousse recipe!