Welcome to VALLEY’s Cookbook. Summer is right around the corner, and just because our waistlines need slimming doesn’t mean our sweet tooth has to. Here are five dessert recipes to align with your health and fitness goals while also curing your sugar cravings.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
This first one is for the peanut butter lovers. No oven needed — all you need is:
1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 cups Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
How to make:
Place the graham crackers in a food processor and blend into a fine powder.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter in 30-second intervals, stirring well between each spin until smooth.
When smooth, pour the butter mixture into a large bowl. Add the graham crackers, confectioners’ sugar and salt, and mix well.
Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper. Pour the cracker mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. While the bottom layer chills, prepare the top layer.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips with 4 tablespoons of peanut butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth, stirring well between each spin.
Spread the melted chocolate over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.
Greek Yogurt Cookie Dough
Need to meet your protein goal and eat your sweet treat all at once? This Greek Yogurt Cookie Dough will work for both.
180 grams of Greek yogurt
15 grams whey protein powder (vanilla, cookie dough or unflavored)
20 grams of creamy peanut butter
Sweetener of choice
1 teaspoon of chocolate chips
How to make:
In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, protein powder, peanut butter and your chosen sweetener. Stir well until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Gradually add milk, if needed, to achieve your desired consistency. The amount of milk you need may vary depending on the thickness of your yogurt and protein powder.
Fold in the chocolate chips to complete your cookie dough.
Flavor variations: You can experiment with different protein powder flavors, such as chocolate or strawberry, to suit your taste.
Sweetener options: Feel free to use stevia, honey, maple syrup or any sweetener you prefer to control the sweetness level.
Add-ins: Try adding crushed nuts, dried fruit or a sprinkle of cinnamon for extra flavor.
Vegan option: Swap Greek yogurt with dairy-free yogurt and use plant-based protein powder for a vegan version of this treat.
High-Protein Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is a comfort food, one that’s good for rainy days and simply too good to give up.
Ingredients:
For the filling: Chopped apple, cinnamon, lemon juice
For the topping: Vanilla protein powder (2 tablespoons), nut butter (1 tablespoon), rolled oats (1/4 cup), milk or water (1 teaspoon)
How to make:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). This temperature is essential for ensuring that the healthy High-Protein Apple Crisp bakes evenly, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. While the oven is warming up, take a moment to gather your ingredients and equipment, ensuring a smooth cooking experience.
In a medium bowl, combine the chopped apples with cinnamon, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of vanilla protein powder. Mix thoroughly until the apples are evenly coated with the flavorful ingredients. Once well combined, transfer the apple mixture to a small ramekin, ensuring the apples are arranged evenly for even cooking.
In another bowl, mix together the rolled oats, remaining vanilla protein powder, nut butter and milk or water. Use a fork or your fingers to blend until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse sand. If the mixture appears too dry, add a touch more liquid, ensuring it binds well to create a satisfying topping for your apple crisp.
With your prepared apple filling in the ramekin, evenly sprinkle the crust mixture over the apples. Be sure to cover the apple layer completely, creating a delicious, crunchy topping that will bake to a golden brown. This perfect assembly is key to achieving a delightful contrast in textures for your Healthy High-Protein Apple Crisp.
Carefully place the ramekin in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on the crisp, looking for the topping to turn golden and the apples to bubble enticingly around the edges. The aroma of cinnamon and baked apples will fill your kitchen and signal that it’s nearly ready.
Mini Protein Cheesecakes
Cheesecake is so versatile; you can have it with fruit or make it richer and more chocolatey. Either way, it’s got to stick around, so here’s a healthier way to make it.
Ingredients:
Room-temperature cream cheese
Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup
Granulated sugar (just a pinch)
One egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Lemon, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon zest
How to make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until they are crumbs. Next, add the melted butter and pulse until combined. You can also use a plastic bag and pound with a rolling pin until they are crumbs, then mix the crumbs and melted butter in a bowl.
After that, divide the crumbs evenly among the muffin liners (about 1.5 tablespoons each). Then use your fingers to flatten and pack the crumbs on the bottom.
Bake the graham cracker crusts for 5 to 6 minutes. Then remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the filling.
While the crust cools, add cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth.
Then add Greek yogurt, egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and arrowroot powder. On the lowest setting, mix again until smooth for 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure not to overbeat.
Next, divide evenly among muffin liners and bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the filling has just set — it should not jiggle or look wet.
Finally, let them cool for 30 minutes at room temperature before transferring them to the refrigerator. They must chill for at least three hours to set properly.
Peanut Butter Rice Cake Bowl
This last one doesn’t necessarily have a recipe, but it was inspired by a TikTok. Modern Flavour on TikTok posted a video crushing up a plain rice cake into a bowl, then adding about a spoonful of peanut butter.
They then made sure to press that mixture down into the bowl, making sure it’s compact and stuck together. The final touch is melting a couple of chocolate chips and spreading them along the top.
Let cool in the fridge, and you have a chocolate shell over your peanut butter rice cake.
What are your favorite healthy desserts? Let us know on our Instagram, @VALLEYmag!
