Okay, so we saved the best for, if not last, week two! After days of clean eating, here's a sweet reward! We all deserve to treat ourselves to dessert sometimes, and these are healthier versions of your favorites: Chocolate chip cookies and more. Because sometimes a piece of fruit just won't do! Don't give up your favorite sweet treats while you are "eating clean" for two weeks, but decide when you deserve a little extra sweet and go ahead and indulge.

Make these and as always, share your beautiful creations! Send us your pictures of how your baking turned out! We want to see them and if we think they are helpful to others, we will publish them as part of our series called “Reality Bites!” Please include Why you made it, what you would change or modify about the recipe, and whether you would make it again. Send your pictures to info@TheBeet.com. Happy baking!

@thecompassionateroad

1. No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Mint Bites

INGREDIENTS

For the Inside

1/2 cup of shredded coconut
2/3 cup cashews
2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
1/2 - 1 tsp peppermint oil (depending on how minty you like it!)
Pinch of salt

For the Outside

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/3 cup cacao powder
¼ cup of maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Blitz all ingredients from the first list together in a food processor until smooth.
Mold into 12 flattened balls with your hands and put them in the freezer for 45 minutes.
Mix all the ingredients from the outside list together until a smooth chocolate mixture.
Dip each very cold pattie in the chocolate sauce. They should harden up very quickly.
Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Notes:

Calories 268, Protein 3.5g, Total Fat 20g, Sat. Fat 11.5g, Total Carbohydrates 24.5g, Sugar 15.5g, Fiber 3g

@thecompassionateroad

2. Coconut Rough Chocolate Bark

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cacao butter, sliced finely
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons rice syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup Buckwheat Groats
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a saucepan of water (about quarter full) to a medium boil. Add the cacao butter to a heatproof bowl and place over the simmering water in the saucepan. Keep stirring occasionally until melted.
Once the cacao butter is melted, add the cacao powder, salt, and vanilla and stir until well combined. I like to line a dinner plate that has a circular base with baking paper to make a nice disc shape once the chocolate is set. But you can experiment here and use any type of mold you like.
Once your plate/tray/mold is lined with baking paper, pour the chocolate in.
While still melted and hot, drizzle with syrup and sprinkle any of your extra ingredients in. I've gone for a generous handful of shredded coconut or buckwheat groats for extra crunch. What's great about this is the syrup doesn't completely dissolve so when you break the bark you get delicious drizzles of sticky caramel in your mouth....mmmm YUM!
Place the tray in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight, break and try not to eat all in one sitting!

Nutrition Notes:

Calories 232, Protein 2g, Total Fat 21g, Sat. Fat 18g, Total Carbohydrates 13.5g, Fiber 2.5g, Sugar 6g

@thecompassionateroad

3. Tahini Chocolate Fudge

INGREDIENTS

½ cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 ½ cup hulled tahini
3 tablespoons raw cacao nibs
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of rose water

INSTRUCTIONS

Line a small tin baking tray with baking paper.
Mix all the ingredients minus the cacao nibs in a bowl, then scrap them into the baking tray. Sprinkle the nibs over the top and set in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.
Cut into bite-size squares and serve as soon as you take them out as they melt quickly!

Nutrition Notes: (Serving Size 1)

Calories 239, Protein 5.5g, Total Fat 19g, Sat. Fat 5.5g, Total Carbohydrates 16g, Sugar 8g, Fiber 3.5g

@thecompassionateroad

4. Peach Sorbet

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of peaches, sliced and frozen
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup of plant milk (we use almond milk)

INSTRUCTIONS

If you have an ice-cream machine, awesome. Pop the ingredients in and let it churn.
If not, add them to a blender, let them mix around for 30 seconds at a time as you don’t it to get to be slushy.
Once it is mixed without too many lumps, pop it back into the freezer, to make sure it stays cool and creamy. Serve once ready, which I find normally takes 45 minutes.

Nutrition Notes:

Calories 355, Protein 4.5g, Total Fat 13.5g, Sat. Fat 11g, Total Carbohydrates 59.5g, Sugar 51.5g, Fiber 5.5g

@thecompassionateroad

5. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie

INGREDIENTS

½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup brown or coconut sugar
¼ cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Scoop of protein powder (we like vega)
¾ cup vegan chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Combine coconut oil, sugars, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine, add chocolate and stir through.
Use your hands to roll dough into balls and place on the prepared trays leaving 1 inch between each. Press to about 1 cm thickness. Bake for 12-14 minutes until dark golden and firm on the outer edges. Allow cooling on tray.

Nutrition Notes: (Serving Size 1)

Calories 354, Protein 18g, Total Fat 13.5g, Sat. Fat 10.5g, Total Carbohydrates 37g, Sugar 19.5g, Fiber 1.5g

@thecompassionateroad

6. Vegan Brownies With Chocolate Chips and Almond Butter

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup almond butter
6 dates
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup of vegan chocolate “chips” – which we used my favorite chocolate and chopped into “chips”

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the over to 160 degrees C, and line a 16cm baking pan with baking paper.
Blend the ingredients, minus the chocolate chips, in a blender until smooth. Take out and place in a bowl and mix through the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the lined pan and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let cool and slice to serve.
These are mega sweet so you don’t need big serves!

Want more of these healthier desserts? Check out Gemma Davis and her recipes here.