Indulge Guilt-Free: 3 Delicious Desserts Sweetened Naturally For A Healthier Treat!

Oats N Raisin Cookies

Makes 18 to 20

Cookies are an all-time favourite baked treat among children. How about some healthy cookies? Use coconut sugar, a wonderful unrefined sugar substitute with a mild, earthy caramel flavour.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
• 1 cup oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 100g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Grease a large baking tray or line it with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Mix the whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Place the butter and coconut sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.
5. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix them using a spatula.
7. Stir in the raisins and walnuts (if using).
8. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Slightly flatten the cookies and place them about 2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies turn light brown.

Honey Lime No-Bake Cheesecake Jars

Serves 4

Honey, nature's favourite sweetener, is rich in nutrients and antioxidants. We've paired it here with the tartness of lime for the perfect sugar-free dessert.

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1 cup almond flour or finely powdered almonds
• 1 tbsp jaggery powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp melted butter

For the filling

• 180g cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 100g thick hung curd or Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp thick fresh cream
• 4 to 6 tbsp honey, to taste
• Zest of 3 lemons, preferably organic
• 1 tsp lemon juice

For the topping

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

To make the crust

1. Dry roast the oats lightly in a pan for 20 minutes and cool.
2. Place the roasted oats, almond flour, jaggery, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and mix them using a fork. Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly.
3. Press about a heaped tbsp of the crust in the base of 4 small jars or juice glasses. Chill these while you make the filling.

To make the filling

1. Place the cream cheese, yogurt, fresh cream and honey in a mixing bowl.
2. Use a zester or fine grater to remove the zest (the yellow part of the skin) of the lemon and add it to the filling. Be careful not to grate any of the bitter white pith.
3. Add the lemon juice to the filling and whisk until just smooth.
4. Spoon the filling into the jars or glasses. Chill for 56 hours or overnight.
5. To make the topping, stir together the honey and lemon juice. Spoon this over the cheesecakes and serve.

Sri Lankan Wattalapam (steamed coconut-jaggery pudding)

Serves 2 to 3

Traditional recipes are treasures that use healthful local ingredients and simple methods for producing the best tasting sweet dishes. This is a steamed pudding from the Emerald Isle that uses native jaggery, spices and coconut.

Ingredients:

• 125g palm jaggery, powdered
• 2 tbsp water
• Seeds of 2 cardamoms, powdered
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 100ml thick coconut milk
• 10 cashew halves (optional)

Method: 

1. Place the palm jaggery and water in a saucepan and let it melt on low heat. Strain and add the powdered cardamom, nutmeg and salt. Set aside to cool. Set aside 2 tbsp of this syrup for topping.
2. Whisk the eggs briefly in a mixing bowl. Mix in the remaining palm jaggery syrup and coconut milk.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl that can fit inside a pressure cooker or pan. Cover the bowl with a tight lid or 2 layers of foil.
4. Place a trivet in a pressure cooker and pour in an inch of water.
5. Set the pan in the cooker. Pressure cook the pudding with the weight for 15 minutes and then allow the pressure to release.
6. Remove the bowl and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge for a few hours. Serve with the reserved palm jaggery syrup and top the pudding with cashew halves.
7. If you would like to invert the pudding, run a knife around its sides and then place a plate on top. Invert the pudding onto the plate.

Ruchira Ramanujam writes a popular food blog, tadkapasta.com, with her partner Ranjini.