If you’re dreaming of chocolate this holiday season, we have just the dessert recipe for you. Crème au Chocolat cups. Not only is this a vegan recipe, it’s also a great example of a healthy dessert recipe that can help you stay on track without giving up your chocolate! This recipe from Cuisinicity takes a classic chocolate lover’s recipe, rich with fat and calories, and reinvents it without giving up any of the flavor. Here’s what Catherine Katz of Cuisinicity has to say about these luscious Vegan Crème au Chocolat cups that she’s sharing with us:
These remind me of French “Petits Pots de Crème au Chocolat” classically baked in individual little porcelain ramekins! Typically, these petits Pots are made with dark chocolate, heavy cream, egg yolks and sugar. Of course I have revamped them, Cuisinicity style, while keeping their rich creamy texture and luscious flavor. I have done away with the heavy cream, the eggs and…even the sugar!! The only thing I have kept from the original recipe is the dark chocolate! I can’t even believe it myself, but you’ll have to try these to know what I mean. The ingredients I have used to recreate these little gems–and truly they are precisely that— are vegan and nutritionally superb: I use organic silken soft tofu and coconut milk as my base, and even add puréed black lentils so that the batter is filled with plant-based protein. Dried dates (I love medjool especially because they are so moist, they blend in beautifully in the batter) and bittersweet chocolate are the only source of sugar–that’s it! You can bake them in porcelain ramekins for an elegant party, or in individual disposable baking cups–so festive on a buffet table!
I have created a lot of recipes over the last 20 years but I think I would rank this one as one of my personal BEST–The perfect marriage of Delicious and Nutritious–so enjoy!
*Cuisinicity Tip 1: I like to use canned organic lentils, well rinsed and drained, so it’s one less thing to make–Below are brands I like, but it’s simple enough to cook your lentils from scratch and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge when you need them.
**Cuisinicity Tip 2: To melt the chocolate chips, place them in small microwavable measuring cup and heat in microwave on high for 1 minute only, stir well until smooth and proceed.
You can have your dessert and eat it too all year long! Opt for dietitian-recommended menu choices featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com to balance the occasional sweets, treats and splurges.