Since I've been watching my calorie intake, I have been neglecting my sweet tooth (or over indulging it on occasion). So, I've been on the hunt for some delicious low-cal alternatives.
First, my friend turned me on to a recipe that was new to me but seemed like a no-brainer for everyone else. You can find a million recipes via Google but this is mine.
- 1 banana, peeled, sliced and frozen (it's better if it's over-ripe, but it works either way)
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter
- a splash of milk of your choice (I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- unsweetened cocoa powder to taste
Put in a food processor and blend until smooth. You could also forgo the peanut butter, cocoa powder and milk and just process the frozen banana... that's a scoop of ice cream for 100 calories! The possibilities are endless.
I use a variation of this recipe for a breakfast shake as well. I add everything to the blender, and instead of a splash of milk I use a whole cup. Again, you can forgo the peanut butter and cocoa powder, but I find that the peanut butter is very filling and I add the cocoa powder because I love chocolate.
Another recipe I've been experimenting with is low-cal chocolate sauce. This is what I tried last night.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (or whatever oil you prefer)
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Combine sugar, oil, cocoa, and almond milk in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute. Take off heat and add vanilla extract. It makes about a 1/2 cup and is 50 calories for 1 tbsp. I like to pour it over a banana or Skinny Pop popcorn. Last nights experiment turned out rather thin, and I would like to find an alternative to sugar but I'm afraid that's what will make it thicker. I will work on perfecting this and if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear from you!
What are your sweet low-cal must haves?
