This recipe is a courtesy of our ambassador Genevieve who runs the healthy food blog The Fit Mrs.
It’s that time of year again; when the weather gets colder, and our desires to indulge in so much holiday food get stronger. Many tend to get worried that the holiday season means packing on the pounds – but it doesn’t have to. Holiday eating doesn’t need to be synonymous with unhealthy foods, weight gain, and yet again another New Year’s resolution to be healthier. Why not start now? Ever since I stopped eating refined sugars, over one year ago, I had to get really creative in the kitchen and come up with dessert recipes that didn’t skimp on taste or flavor. Sugar is in everything, because it simply makes everything taste sweet and delicious. Learning how to use unrefined sweeteners, or natural sweeteners such as dates or fruit was a bit of a challenge, but as they say, practice makes perfect.
My favorite sweet indulgence is pretty much anything with chocolate in it. Living in Switzerland, the capital of the best chocolate in the world, made it a bit difficult for me to say no to that rich piece of goodness, until I came across raw cacao powder. Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans, while cocoa powder is cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures. Clearly raw cacao is healthier as all of its nutritional benefits are not destroyed. Though a bit bitter, as the package of raw cacao tends to not contain any added sweeteners, it is rich and delicious. This is one of my favorite dessert recipes using my favorite root vegetable (the sweet potato, obviously) and raw cacao…that’s totally kid friendly, and I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients:
- 1 small sweet potato
- 2 tbsp cacao
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400. Roast the sweet potato for 45-50 minutes, until its very soft. Remove skins, and let cool, completely.
- Place sweet potato, cacao and sweetener in a food processor and blend until smooth and combined. Serve with fresh fruits and mint!
Tip: you may also use avocado instead of sweet potato, just as good and nutritious!