You have been trying to eat well, getting on track towards a healthier, happier lifestyle and have even managed to make it through the whole day without cheating even once. But what happens when those post-dinner, dessert cravings hit? It’s enough to want to call quits on the whole ‘clean eating’ business. We at HTV are providing you with not one but FIVE options to make sure that you are still on track and your dessert needs are fully satisfied.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

It may not seem like your run-of-the-mill chocolate cake. And it isn’t!! In fact it is SO much better. Not only does this provide you with a healthier alternative to the malt chocolate cake that you are used to but the zucchini also provides an extra moist crumb. Brown sugar is an alternate to the refined white sugar, and it can easily be subbed to 50:50 ratio of brown sugar and honey.

Want to cut down on fat? No problem! Sub out half the butter with applesauce (boiled and mashed apples) or even yogurt. Now when you have such a better alternate in front of you, it won’t hurt to top it off with a little chocolate glaze, right?

Fun fact: zucchini is easily available at most vegetable vendors in Pakistan and it is an extremely reasonable vegetable to purchase at 30 RS/piece.

Greek Yogurt Parfaits

Wait, before you scroll past this option! We know it’s scary to see ‘Greek Yogurt’ in any recipe because of the extremely high price tag associated with a normal sized tub (up to RS 1000!) but don’t you worry. Greek yogurt is essentially a strained version of regular yogurt (make your own yogurt here!). All you need is your favorite yogurt and a muslin cloth (malmal ka kapra). Place the yogurt on the cloth and hang it wherever it is convenient; make sure you keep a dish underneath to catch all the whey. 20 minutes should do the trick for Greek yogurt; keep it overnight and you can enjoy some Labneh.

Now all you need for the parfaits is some yogurt (mixed with honey), your favorite granola, and some fresh fruit. Options: Anaar (pomegranate) season is finally here so use these jewels along with bananas, apples, papaya, tinned fruit- anything your heart desires.  Layer your three elements: yogurt, granola and fruits, repeat. Sprinkle with cinnamon, chia seeds and drizzle a little extra honey on top.

Apple Crumble

An apple a day, right? Traditionally an apple crumble’s crumble is made with flour, butter and sugar but this can easily be made with rolled wholegrain oats, coconut oil (or we could use less butter) and brown sugar. If you’re feeling particularly healthier, then cut out the sugar all together – the apples will give you the sweetness you need.

All you need for this recipe are some apples, sliced; toss them in some cinnamon, a dash of ginger powder, a dash of ground cloves, some brown sugar, a squeeze of lemon, 1 tablespoon flour and add all of this to an oven-proof dish. Top generously with the crumble; add some chopped nuts to it too. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 180 degrees or until the apples are tender. Serve warm with low-fat ice cream, sweetened Greek yogurt or custard.

Grilled Fruits

This is perhaps the easiest option on the list. If you don’t own a grill or grill pan, then you can very easily use an oven or pan fry the fruit- you’ll just be missing out on the amazing grill marks. You can grill most fruit as long as they are relatively firm and have a decent size. The best options are: pineapple, in rings; Apples, sliced thickly; Peaches, halved; Pears, sliced thickly; Apricots, halved; and bananas. Read through a few tips on how to grill fruit for the best results. Your cooking device MUST be clean so the fruit doesn’t take on other flavors. Most important is to be patient and let the fruit develop a nice sear before you try to flip it, otherwise it will stick. Brush with a bit of sugar and cinnamon if you like and serve with chopped nuts and whipped cream (just a little).

Sorbet

Sorbets are generally a great fix for ice cream cravings without all the cream and fat. It’s actually pretty easy to put together at home. Whichever fruit you decide to use, you first need to juice it. Limes, watermelon, pomegranate, oranges and pineapples are all great options. Next, we’ll add sugar, water and a little bit of lemon juice. Blend everything together, pour into a container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and blend the mixture again – this results in a smoother texture as it breaks up the ice crystals finely. Freeze completely and it’s ready!