Imagine enjoying the taste of your favorite sweet products without sacrificing your well-being. Although it is more convenient for us to go to the store and buy packaged products, the healthiest thing to do is to avoid processed products that have little nutritional value and can harm our health.
We will learn how to make these kitchen classics at home: granola, apple jam, strawberry jam, Nutella and ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry). These recipes will be ideal substitutes for commercial products, adding flavor to our cravings, and, most importantly, providing our bodies with high-quality nutrients. You can also make these incredible Homemade Recipes of Commercial Savory Products.
We will use natural ingredients that can usually be easily found at your local grocery store. Otherwise, feel free to substitute with those you can find or those of your preference.
Yummy Recipes for Healthy Sweet Substitutes
1. HOMEMADE GRANOLA
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups of rolled oats
- ½ cup pecans
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup dried cranberries (optional)
- 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ cup coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or ¼ cup natural bee or organic agave honey
- ¼ tsp. salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 345°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
In a bowl, mix the oats together with the pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds.
Separately, mix the cinnamon, oil, sweetener and salt until smooth.
Pour the above mixture into the bowl of oats and seed mix. Stir until well blended. At this step, you can check the flavor and adjust to your preference.
Once the mixture is ready, place it evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until you see that it is golden brown to your liking. Remember to stir every 5 to 10 minutes.
Carefully remove from the oven, add the blueberries, and stir well.
Allow to cool completely before breaking up the granola with your hands.
Keep it in an airtight container.
Tip: It can be kept at room temperature for 2 weeks.
2. HOMEMADE APPLE JAM
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 apples
- 500 ml of water
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3 cups brown sugar
- ½ lemon
INSTRUCTIONS:
Peel the apples and cut them into cubes.
Place the apple, water and cinnamon in a pot.
To thicken, you can use 1 or 2 apple cores (where the seeds are located).
Note: Apple seeds contain pectin, which is a natural thickener.
Cook over low heat until the apples are tender enough to mash, then add half of the sugar and cook for 15 minutes more.
Add the rest of the sugar and let it cook for 30 minutes more.
When the apple starts to turn clear and thicken, remove the cores.
Crush the apple, turn off the heat and, finally, add the lemon juice.
When it cools, it will take on much more thickness.
Refrigerate in a tightly sealed glass container.
3. HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JAM
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries
- ¼ cup maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 to 3 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
Rinse the strawberries under cold water, then remove the green leaves and chop them to the desired size.
Put the strawberries in a saucepan and heat them over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until their juices start to come out. Add the sweetener, vanilla, and chia and stir well.
With the help of a potato masher or a fork, mash the strawberries until you have the right consistency.
Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and let it cool.
As it cools, the jam will thicken due to the chia seeds. Let it cool down, and then you can transfer it to an airtight container.
Tip: It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
4. HOMEMADE NUTELLA
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts
- ¼ cup coconut oil or hazelnut oil
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and, once hot, roast the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes or until the skins have darkened and cracked.
Note: Don’t walk away, check them frequently to prevent them from burning.
Once the hazelnuts have cooled, wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub them as best you can to remove the skins.
Once the skins are off, throw the hazelnuts in a food processor and grind them for about 5 minutes, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides several times, until you get a smooth, creamy (butter-like) consistency.
Once the desired consistency is obtained, add the oil and process for another minute.
Then add the cocoa powder, coconut sugar, vanilla extract and salt.
Tip: You can grind the coconut sugar in a spice grinder to obtain a very fine sugar powder.
Mix all ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth.
Pour the Nutella into a bowl. Note that it will become more thicker as it cools.
5. HOMEMADE ICE CREAM (VANILLA, CHOCOLATE, STRAWBERRY)
INGREDIENTS:
For the base:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 2 tsp. maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
- 2 tbsp. almond milk (unsweetened)
For the flavor:
- Vanilla: 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
- Chocolate: 3 tbsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- Strawberry: 1 cup frozen strawberries
INSTRUCTIONS:
The base for any flavor is made with frozen bananas.
Peel the bananas and cut each into 10 to 12 slices.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Place the slices on the tray and put them in the freezer for about 2 hours.
Blend the frozen banana slices in a blender and add the sweetener (if your bananas are ripe enough, you can possibly skip the sweetener).
- For the vanilla ice cream: add the vanilla extract.
- For the chocolate ice cream: add the cocoa powder.
- For the strawberry ice cream: instead of 3 frozen bananas, use 2 frozen bananas and add the cup of frozen strawberries.
Finally, add the almond milk.
Blend until it forms a thick, creamy ice cream. If the ice cream is getting stuck, turn off the blender and use a spoon to move it around.
Put it in a suitable mold and put it in the freezer for about two hours. This will make it the right consistency for scooping soft serve.
Tip: If you are not going to eat it in that 2-hour window, leave it out for 10 to 15 minutes to soften a bit before serving.
I hope you enjoy each of these recipes at home!
