7 Healthier Valentine's Treats

A big part of Valentine's Day is the sweets, but if you're looking for some healthier, more nutritious, and lower-sugar treat ideas to celebrate love day - you've come to the right place!

Find some of our favourite Valentine's Day treats and drinks below...

Raspberry Cream Delight Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup of frozen raspberries (ex. Stahlbush Island Farms)
• 1/2 cup of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 3 frozen bananas
• 1/2 cup of coconut whipped cream or coconut milk
• 1/2 cup of water
• *for protein: add a scoop or two of your favourite protein powder or 2 tbsp of hemp seeds!

Directions:

Simply mix all ingredients together in a blender, leaving most of the whipped cream and a few strawberries to top it. Or, pour into a bowl and decorate with nuts, coconut, and fruit to make a beautiful smoothie bowl. Yum yum yum!!!

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

COOKIES:

• 3/4 cup of salted butter, softened to room temperature but not melted (vegan substitute can be used)
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2-3/4 cups gluten-free flour blend with binder (such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
• 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
• A heaping 1/4 teaspoon of salt

FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup softened vegan butter OR 1 can of coconut cream or milk
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1-2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 splash of preferred milk
• 1 packet of natural food colouring

OR BERRY GLAZE:

• 1 cup berries, fresh or frozen (you can use one kind or a medley - strawberries and raspberries for a pink colour!)
• 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract
• 1-4 tablespoons of water, cream, milk, or citrus juice
• Water or citrus juice will produce a deeper colour, while cream will produce a lighter pastel glaze!

Directions

COOKIES

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Add butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer or to a large bowl if using a hand-held mixer. Mix until it becomes a pale yellow colour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
3. Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing until just incorporated before adding the next egg. Add vanilla, then mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together your gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three batches, mixing on low speed until just incorporated before adding the next batch. Dough should be soft but not sticky - if sticky, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let it firm up.
5. Divide your dough between two sheets of saran wrap (or eco friendly beeswax wrap) then shape into flat discs, cover, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
6. Unwrap dough and place onto a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper then roll to about 1/4” thick. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes and then carefully transfer cut outs to the prepared baking sheet. If cutouts are too soft to transfer, refrigerate or freeze parchment paper with cut outs for 5-10 minutes and try again.
7. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are barely golden brown around the edges. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

FROSTING:

1. If using coconut cream, chill the can of coconut cream (or coconut milk) in the refrigerator overnight to encourage separation of the cream and liquid. Scoop out the coconut cream or milk from the can, leaving the liquid behind.
2. If using vegan butter, leave out on the counter till softened.
3. Beat coconut cream or vegan butter until light and fluffy.
4. Add powdered sugar and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Start with 1/3 cup of sugar, and keep testing it until it’s as sweet as you like it. You’d be surprised at how little sugar you might actually want in your icing!
5. Finally, add vanilla and 1 packet of natural colouring. We're a fan of Color Garden. If you don’t have it at home, use a natural colorant like turmeric or beet juice instead (fresh or powder)!
6. Spread with a spatula or spoon and top with something fun like coconut shreds, cacao nibs or granulated sugar.

BERRY GLAZE:

1. Add your preferred berries to a small saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the juice begin to release.
2. Using a rubber spatula, begin pushing on the berries to help the juices release even more.
3. Use a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth on top of a bowl to pass the berries through and separate the puree from the skins.
4. Allow the puree to cool completely (place in fridge to speed it up).
5. Measure out 1 cup of powdered sugar, then sift into a bowl.
6. Add 1-2 tbsp of puree and whisk it together to form a thick paste.
7. Add 1 tbsp at a time of either water, citrus juice, heavy cream, or milk, whisking in between each addition until a pourable consistency forms.
8. Apply to your cooled cookies and wait for the glaze to set. Enjoy!

Starbucks Strawberry Hibiscus Pink Drink Dupe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of water
• 1 packet of Strawberry Hibiscus SuperBelly
• ½ cup of coconut milk
• A handful of frozen or freeze dried strawberries

Directions

1. Mix your SuperBelly with 1 cup of cold water until blended.
2. Add in your coconut milk and stir.
3. Add ice and your frozen or freeze dried strawberries.
4. Stir and enjoy!

Recipe from Blume

Protein Chocolate Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 2 cups milk of choice (plant milk if making vegan)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (regular, fat-free or plant-based)
• 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 cups oat flour - use gluten-free oats for gluten-free recipe
• 1 cup chocolate vegan protein powder I used Bulk chocolate gourmet vegan protein powder
• 8 tbsp cocoa powder
• 8 tbsp brown or coconut sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder

Icing

• 16oz block of cream cheese, softened. Or 2 cups of vegan cream cheese alternative at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (regular or vegan)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• A few drops of natural food colouring or 1-2 tsp beet powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the milk, vinegar, yogurt and coconut oil.
3. Add in the oat flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Mix enough that it starts to form a dough.
4. Scoop into a lined cupcake sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then leave to cool completely.
5. For your icing, place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer and beat on medium speed for a few minutes, or until it's smooth and fluffy, scraping down the edges as needed. Add more food colouring or beet powder if you want your icing to be more vibrant.
6. Ice your cupcakes and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies with a White Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients

This recipe makes 12 brownies.

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1 30oz can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup creamy raw almond butter (We used Nuts To You almond butter)
• 12 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
• 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseed
• 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of coconut sugar
• 4 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar - Helps the brownies rise
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1.5 cups of dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• Strawberries for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Add oat flour, black beans, almond butter, cacao powder, ground flax, vanilla, sugar, vinegar, salt, and baking soda to a food processor or blender. Process on low until a very smooth and thick batter is formed, stopping to scrape down the sides at least once to make sure everything is mixed evenly. 
3. Add 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips to the batter, and pulse briefly to mix them in. If using a blender, just stir in.
4. Transfer batter into lined baking dish. The batter will be rather thick, so you'll need to use a spatula to spread it evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top, and press them lightly into the batter.
5. Bake until the top begins to crack and the center feels relatively firm to a light touch, about 30 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool completely before attempting to cut them into squares, as they are fragile when warm.
6. Melt your white chocolate chips using the double boiler method or in the microwave with a tiny bit of coconut oil. Drizzle on top of your brownies.
7. We let ours cool for at least 2 hours. Serve at room temperature with some sliced strawberries and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week!
   

Try using these brownies in a Valentine's Day Trifle!

Warming Beet Latte

Ingredients

Pink Latte Powdered Mix

• 1/3 cup of beetroot powder
• 4 teaspoons of ground cardamom
• 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons of ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

Individual Latte

• 1 1/2 cups of desired milk
• 1 tablespoon of your pink latte mix
• 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey to sweeten

Directions

1. To make the mix, combine all ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake until evenly combined.
2. Steam your milk (using a frother if you have one). If not, warm in a saucepan over medium heat until nearly simmering and whisk briefly until frothy.
3. Add 1 tbsp of your latte mix, plus 1 tsp of desired sweetener to a mug. Pour your steamed milk (minus the foam_ into the mug and stir. Add the foam on top and give a small stir.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy! Store your leftover mix in a closed container for next time!

Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Decadent Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Ingredients

Makes about 4 servings

• 1/2 cup of chopped semisweet or dark chocolate (if using chocolate chips, add an extra 2 tablespoons)
• 2 large ripe avocados (about 1 cup of avocado meat each, 2 cups total)
• 3 tbsps of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup of almond milk (or preferred plant milk)
•  1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp of sea salt
• Optional - 1 to 3 tsps of maple syrup or light agave nectar depending on how sweet you'd like it
• Toppings - chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, coconut flakes, berries, whipped cream, etc.

Directions

1. Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a bowl. Microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between each and watching carefully to ensure that the chocolate does not burn. When the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove it from the microwave and stir until smooth. Set aside and let cool until just barely warm.
2. Halve and pit your avocados. Scoop the insides into a food processor or a blender. Add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the bowl as you go. Taste and add a few teaspoons of desired sweetener if it's lacking some sweetness.
3. Spoon into glasses or small bowls. Enjoy immediately, or for a thicker, mousse-like consistency, refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours or overnight. Serve with desired toppings!

Find all ingredients at Jo Anne's Place. To see store hours, click here.

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