5 Super-easy healthy chocolate recipes that anyone can make

Chocolate is the scourge of many diet plans.

Of course, you should never completely cut out the things that you enjoy. Yet how many times have you told yourself you’d have just one segment of Terry’s Chocolate Orange, only to be left with an empty foil wrapper and an unshakable sense of guilt five minutes later?

Not to worry!

We’ve pulled together a list of healthy chocolate recipes for you to try out whenever your cravings for sweet treats become too strong to ignore.

Can chocolate actually be good for us?

Before we share our delightful recipes, it’s worth pointing out that chocolate isn’t necessarily the diet-destroying demon that it’s often perceived to be.

We’ve highlighted the perils of eating too much sugar in previous blog posts, but scientific research conducted within the last 18 months has concluded that eating a small amount of chocolate each day can have health benefits.

Indeed, studies led by a host of British universities - and published in the BMJ Heart Journal - showed that eating 100g of chocolate every day was linked to a reduced chance of heart disease and strokes.

Is dark chocolate the healthiest option?

Simply put, yes.

Fitness First Clubs personal trainer Carly Tierney explained why it offers more health benefits than milk or white chocolate.

“Dark chocolate contains less sugar, more cholesterol-friendly fat, and more cocoa polyphenols than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is also more filling, which means it takes fewer calories to satisfy your chocolate cravings,” she commented.

“Dark chocolate contains Flavonoids which may help to lower blood pressure, decrease low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, lower blood clot risk, improve cognitive performance and improve your mood.”

Again, don’t treat this as a prompt to start gorging on as much dark chocolate as you can get your hands on. Remember, everything in moderation! As luck would have it, we’ve got a few recipes with dark chocolate in – we suggest you get to the kitchen immediately.

5 easy healthy chocolate recipes for you to try

1) Dark chocolate and avocado mousse

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 ripe avocados
• 30g of cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 80ml of almond milk
• 2 tbsp of honey
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 100g of dark chocolate (70% or higher)
• 1 tsp of fine salt

Method:

As far as simple chocolate dessert recipes go, this is as easy as it gets. Yet the results are phenomenal!

• To make the mousse, simply melt your dark chocolate over a pan of boiling water. This should take two to three minutes.

• In the meantime, peel and pit your avocados and place these in a blender with your honey, cocoa powder, almond milk, vanilla extract and salt.

• Blend until smooth and then pour the mixture into four cups.

• Leave these to chill in the fridge for two hours.

• That’s it!

What are the health benefits?

The key to this dessert is the avocado. We’ve recently talked about the benefits of “good fats” and avocado is excellent in this regard. Avocado gives your mousse a delightful creaminess without the need for butter. They’re also full of potassium, which the body needs to build muscle and control the electrical activity of the heart.

2) Banana and chocolate loaf (great when served with natural nut butter)

Ingredients:

• 175g of self-raising wholemeal flour
• 40g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp of honey
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp of coconut oil
• 3 over-ripe bananas
• A splash of milk

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170C and grease your loaf tin with a little coconut oil.

• Combine the flour and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl and whisk together.

• Melt the coconut oil and leave to one side.

• Whisk the eggs together, then add the honey, melted coconut oil and mashed bananas, and whisk until everything is well combined. This is where you can add a splash of milk if your batter is looking dry.

• Place the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold everything together until they combine. Do not over mix.

• Place the chocolate and banana bread mixture into your loaf tin and cook for approximately 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

• Once cooked, remove from the tin and allow to cool before slicing and serving.

What are the health benefits?

You’ll notice that this cake has no added sugar. That’s because the bananas, honey and coconut oil add a natural sweetness. Although bananas have a high natural sugar content, they also offer plenty of potassium, dietary fibre and protein. Coconut oil, meanwhile, appears to be all the rage at the moment. High in natural saturated fats (those “good fats” again!), coconut oil can increase levels of healthy cholesterol in your body.

3) Chocolate and sweet potato muffins

Ingredients (for 12 muffins):

• 40g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 200ml of water (add more to loosen the batter if necessary)
• 150g of sweet potato
• 175g of self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp of honey
• 2 eggs
• 150g of sweetener
• 60ml of olive oil
• ½ tsp of salt

Method:

There’s a bit more effort involved in this one, but you don’t need to be a ‘Great British Bake Off’ finalist to get it right.

• Chop your sweet potato into even cubes, place in a pan of water and boil them for 10+ minutes until they soften.

• Drain the potato and add in your cocoa powder. Stir.

• In a separate bowl, mix your oil, sweetener, eggs, honey, water and baking powder together.

• Is your mix nice and smooth or is it a bit too rigid? If it’s the latter, add in some extra water and continue to stir.

• Stir in your chocolatey potatoes and mix.

• Pour the mixture into your muffin tin, ensuring that each segment is no more than three-thirds full.

• Bake for 20 minutes at 170C (160C for fan-assisted ovens).

• *Tip* - Use a skewer to check if your muffins are cooked. Delicately poke it into the centre of one of your cakes. If it comes out clean, you’re good to go!

What are the health benefits?

Natural cocoa is said to be bursting with antioxidants, which ultimately help to defend cells within your body. In the long-term, antioxidants can protect you against age-related diseases. Sweet potato, meanwhile, is an increasingly popular “superfood”, and can work well in sweet and savoury dishes alike. A particularly strong source of vitamin A, sweet potatoes have fewer calories than their white counterparts and also provide you with plenty of iron.

4) Dark chocolate and peanut butter ‘brookies’

Ingredients (for 12-15 brookies):

• 30g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 200g of dark chocolate (at least 70%)
• 100g of unsalted butter
• 100g of natural peanut butter
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp of salt
• 100g of sweetener
• 150g of wholegrain flour

Method:

Healthy cookie recipes are one thing, but this is taking chocolatey goodness to a whole new dimension.

• Melt your chocolate over a pan of hot water.

• In a separate bowl, blend your cocoa powder, sweetener and butter together – make sure they’re well mixed.

• Then add in your vanilla extract, egg and salt. Mix together.

• Gradually work your flour and baking powder into the mixture.

• Finally, add your melted chocolate and peanut butter into the mix. Whip into a smooth dough. Add a splash of water if you need to loosen things up.

• Separate into equal portions on your grease-proof-papered tray and place in the oven at 180C for around 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on them as you go – you want them to remain nice and squidgy but not under-baked!

What are the health benefits?

By cutting back on the amount of butter in the mix, it enables you to add in some natural peanut butter, which is a fantastic source of protein. Another good source of healthy fats, studies have shown that those who regularly include nuts or peanut butter in their diet are less likely to develop heart disease.

5) White chocolate and coconut ice cream

Ingredients:

• 20g of cocoa powder
• 150ml of Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp of sweetener
• 100g of sugar-free white chocolate
• 1 tbsp of honey
• 75g of shredded coconut
• ¼ tsp of salt
• A squeeze of lime juice

Method:

If you saw our previous post on healthy ice cream recipes, you’ll know that they are super easy to make. This indulgent white chocolate and coconut version is no different.

• Simply place your white chocolate in a bowl and melt it over a pan of boiling water.

• Then stir in your Greek yoghurt, sweetener, salt, lime juice, honey and shredded coconut. Put the mixture in a food processor and give it a good whirl.

• Place the mixture in the freezer for two hours.

• Take out and delicately sieve your cocoa powder on top before serving.

What are the health benefits?

White chocolate is said to be the least healthy option (when compared with dark and milk chocolates), but everyone deserves a treat every now and again, right? As we’ve said in the past, there’s nothing wrong with eating foods you enjoy, as long as you do so in moderation.

The fact that we’re using sugar-free white chocolate - compensating for this with sweetener, honey and coconut – means you can eat this delicious dessert without the usual guilt. Greek yoghurt also has twice the protein content of normal yoghurts, and is a great source of calcium, potassium and vitamins B6 and B12.