Last week I decided to try and crack my sugar dependance. I’m usually not too bad, but it’s crept up on me in recent weeks in the form of daily dark-chocolate-snacking post lunch and hot chocolates every time I find myself in a café…

And one of the great things about the new clean eating recipe books everyone’s gobbling up (Deliciously Ella & Hemsley & Hemsley) is the abundance of sugar-free treats. These are proving so popular they are popping up on blogs everywhere – see fab new wellness site Sustain the Glow by fellow bloggers Anneli Bush & Charlotte Diaz de la Vega and my new pal and web designer German/Dutch blogger Maja Maliore. The ones I’ve gone for are literally just throw it all in the mixer. Idiot-proof.

So in order of preference, I bring you raw brownies (an Ella recipe I adapted by adding in coconut), raw energy balls (also Ella which I ended up adapting because of lack of ingredients) and a chocolate mousse from Hemsley & Hemsley, which I wish I’d made without the banana, or much less.) All three recipes are super simple, use a food processor, cacao powder and Medjool dates, the more expensive ones, but worth it for the texture and taste! All highly consumable and since I started making these last Tuesday, I have eaten no refined sugar – yay!

Raw Brownies

1 cup almonds

2 cups Medjool dates

3 tbs cacao powder

3 tbs dessicated coconut (or to taste)

1-2 tbs honey (to taste too!)

Whizz up almonds first till crumbly, then add the dates and then the coconut and honey. The mixture needs to be quite sticky but not overly so, so you might need a little extra honey or dates to get it right. Flatten mixture in a tin or tray and put in the freezer for around an hour. And then remove, slice to eat.

Raw Energy Balls

1 cup Medjool dates

2 cups almonds

1 tbs linseeds

1 tbs powdered flaxseed

1 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs dessicated coconut

Again, mix this all up in the food processor. I melted the coconut oil to add. Once done, roll into little balls with your hands and then roll in the dessicated coconut. Put in fridge for a little while to set and then eat. Yay!

Raw Chocolate Mousse

1 ripe avocado

1 ripe banana

3 tbs cacao powder

1 ts vanilla essence

1 tbs honey

pinch of seasalt

Mix all together in a food processor until a smooth texture. The Hemsley Hemsley recipe says use equal amounts of banana and avocado, but in the end I found the banana taste too strong, so next time I think I will do without like Sustain the Glow. Transfer mixture into ramekins and freeze. Take out and give 10 mins to defrost before eating and sprinkle some crumbled almonds (I toasted mine) on top.