“Delicious Vegan Desserts Without Refined Sugar: Sweet Treats Made Healthy”

A wise person once said, “Sugar is my spirit animal.”  Well, my spirit animal is out of control and needs some taming, but I LOVE desserts, and it was once stated, “Dessert is always a good idea.”  Well, now there is a solution to both problems: No Refined Sugar, No Regrets: Vegan Desserts That Hit the Sweet Spot.

Vegan Desserts — the Blasphemy!

No, we are not talking about taking away your joy at the end of a meal… (clears throat) or the beginning.  We are talking about removing refined sugar so that the dessert can hit the correct sweet spot.  Before we can do that, let’s explore what refined sugar is and what makes a food item vegan.

What is Refined Sugar?

What is refined sugar?  Refined sugar comes from plants, like corn, beets, and sugar cane.  These items are then processed by cleaning and cooking them until the liquids are left.  Then, impurities are taken out, and we are left with the sweet, non-nutritional goodness that gives us pure happiness.  Now, the way each one of those items is processed will result in a different type of sugar.  Sugar cane is shredded and crushed to retrieve the sugar crystals to create dried sugar crystals and molasses from the liquid.  You may say, “Well, I don’t use refined sugars.  I only use agave and honey.”  Those are all natural.  Wrong.  They, too, are refined because they are processed to remove the impurities before using them.  They may not make your blood sugar spike, like high fructose corn syrup, but they are highly refined from the agave plant.

What is Considered Vegan?

This is a loaded question because it really depends on who you are talking to about a vegan diet.  We are going to define a vegan diet in this article as a meal, food item, or dessert that does not contain any animal products.  Animal products, including eggs, milk from any animal, such as goats and cows, stocks, butter that is made from an animal, white sugar or items made with white sugar, and even honey.  Now, you may ask, are we even talking about desserts at this point?  How is it even possible to make a dessert?

Refined Sugar vs. Natural Sugar

O’Natural baby!  Natural sugars are already in the foods we eat.  They are not processed and occur naturally.  We find natural sugars in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain pasta and rice. Why is natural sugar better for you?  Well, natural sugar still supplies us with fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients. Whereas refined sugars have zero nutritional value for our bodies and are essentially empty calories.

Vegan Desserts are Twice as Sweet

Now the good part: desserts!  Let’s take a look at some vegan desserts with no refined sugars.  Remember, you cannot knock it until you try it, even if some of them offer a unique ingredient for a dessert.

#1 Banana Nice Cream: Try the OG or new styles found here.

What is it: Nice cream is an alternative to making banana bread with those bananas you’ve been meaning to eat that are currently turning brown on your counter.  Fear not! Peel them and freeze them. Then, toss them in a food processor or a blender.  Add a non-dairy unsweetened/no added sugar milk to adjust the creaminess to your liking.  Scrap it out and put it in your freezer.  Take it out to enjoy when you would like!  The best part about this, you can personalize it: chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter, or vanilla.  Who said you can’t have Nice Cream for breakfast, too!

#2 Watermelon Sorbet:  Not into bananas? Try the sorbet route.  There are a ton of vegan sorbet recipes out there.  Some have a banana, some have refined sugar, but here is a way to skip both!  Take that watermelon and cut it into chunks (about 4-5 cups); no need to freeze.  Just like the nice cream, toss it in the food processor or blender.  This time and lime juice (one lime), and a little fresh basil (a handful of fresh basil, or you can skip it if you wish).  Feel free to add a half a can of coconut milk or a banana if you would like a creamier texture. Blend it. Scrap it.  Put it in the freezer. BOOM!  A new, yummy vegan dessert with no refined sugar that everyone can eat.

Hidden Veggies Make it Sweet

#3 Chocolate Mousse:  Never judge a book by its cover!  This is a simple, 5-minute recipe with no refined sugar, and it’s a vegan dessert.  Before you click this recipe, I want to let you know that it has only 4 ingredients, all of which are extremely simple to obtain, and you may already have them at home.  Now, the magic, creamy goodness comes from… AVOCADOS! Do not judge.  They are extremely healthy and made for more than toast and guacamole.  You will never even notice, and your body will say it’s okay to have that extra serving.

#4 Carrot Cake: This one is my personal favorite.  I absolutely love carrot cake.  This vegan carrot cake offers you something sweet with the added plus of vegetables. Once again, dates to the sweetness, no-refined sugar rescue here.

#5 Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies: What makes Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies even sweeter?! Not only are you getting more vegetables, but you are using one of the Top 10 High-Protein Vegetables!  In one large sweet potato, there are 5 grams of protein.  This recipe calls for a can of sweet potato puree, but you can always use cooked if you want.  Imagine a protein-packed vegan dessert with no refined sugar… It is now a reality.

Final Thoughts:

If you have stayed with me this long, thank you.  I also want to let you know that just because something is vegan, it doesn’t mean it is the healthiest thing out there.  The key to healthy eating is having a well-rounded diet (diet is just a word for what you eat; it’s not a dirty word) that gives your body everything it needs.  Remember, everybody’s body has different needs, wants, and likes.  We are just looking to not be stressed when eating desserts.