I have been sensitive to sugar for many years now. To be frank, we don't get along super well. When I eat a sugar laden dessert I will experience one or most of the following reactions: nausea, headache, hot flush, sweating, nightmares, night sweats, energy rise and crash, and a hot red face. Eating dessert out is something I save for the odd special occasion like my birthday. Why? Because I love dessert, always have. Dessert just doesn't always love me back, especially when someone else makes it. When I create a new dessert for this blog, the critical test I try to make it pass is if it makes me sick. I value a dessert that does not negatively affect my mood or body. I value it so much that I sometimes even turn a blind eye to the fact that its flavor doesn't knock my socks off.

These days if a dessert makes the cut for this blog it has to both please my palate and my body temperature. Because of that I will not post a ton of dessert recipes here all the time.

Creating healthy desserts that actually taste great without spiking my blood sugar is a process that involves a lot of trial and error with very occasional breakthrough.

Here are 10 reasons why this dessert is awesome:

1. It's vegan.
2. It's gluten free.
3. It's refined sugar free.
4. It's nut and seed free.
5. It's loaded with healthy protein.
6. It's full of vegetables, vitamins and minerals.
7. It's inexpensive and doesn't involve any scary ingredients yet tastes awesome.
8. It would make a well balanced meal if you had no alternative.
9. It's very filling and satisfies a chocolate craving.
10. It doesn't make me feel sick.

Here are 4 confessions about this dessert:

1. It needs a little hand holding.
2. I ate it for dessert and then for breakfast the next day.
3. It may have made me and my husband a little gassy (perhaps beets and protein powder don't mix?).
4. It was the wrong texture for doughnuts but a great texture for molten cake.

Despite my confessions, I still think this cake is super awesome. If you refer to Confession #4, I originally had hoped that this cake batter would work well as a doughnut, but the finished texture didn't have enough structure to be a doughnut. It makes a perfect molten cake however! Who knew some roasted vegetbles and a minimalist's baking arsenal could create chocolate bliss?




Without further ado, here is my recipe for a great vegetable side dish, AHEM I mean, here is my recipe for fantastically healthy chocolate molten cakes!

Ingredients

• 1 large golden sweet potato
• 2 large red beets
• 1/4 cup pear butter or apple butter
• 10 tbsp cocoa powder
• Sea salt to taste
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3  cup vegenaise
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup filtered water OR non dairy milk
• 2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used 2 single serve packets Sun Warrior Chocolate)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Preheat oven to 375F. Wash the potato and prick all over with a fork. Place directly on the oven rack. Peel the beets, chop and space out in a baking dish. Bake together with the potato until tender, about 30 mins. Take out of oven, slice potato open. Place beets and potato on a plate and chill in freezer 10 minutes.

Scoop potato insides and beet pieces in a food processor and blend till smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process till smooth. Taste! Adjust cocoa, pear butter, and salt according to your taste buds. Batter should taste sweet before baking as the sweetness will dissipate as it bakes.





Preheat oven to 325 F. Scrape batter into a round or square baking pan or multiple single serve ramekins and shake slightly to evenly distribute batter in the pan or ramekins. If you are using ramekins, fill each ramekin 2/3 full. DO NOT MAKE DOUGHNUTS OR CUPCAKES WITH THIS BATTER!

Bake 15 mins at 325F. Cake will not set firmly but instead will form crust and be soft to the touch.

After first 15 minutes, take a spoon or fork and stir the batter in the cake pan or ramekins thoroughly. Bake an additional 15 minutes. This will create a firmer texture throughout the cake(s). After second 15 minutes of baking, cool on stove top. Serve hot or chill an hour or up to two days before serving.

This cake can be enjoyed hot or cold. I preferred this cake cold with no icing. It tasted best after it chilled in the fridge overnight. My husband does not believe that any cake should be free of icing. Below is a recipe for a healthier icing for the cake or mini cakes.



Healthy Icing:

1 scoop or single serve pack Sun Warrior Chocolate protein powder
3 tbsp pear or apple butter OR 1 tbsp honey
2 tsp vegenaise
Dash of sea salt
Dash of baking powder
4 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup filtered water or non dairy milk
1 frozen banana (optional, or 2 for thicker frosting) or shot glass of coconut milk)
1 small handful vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Blend everything except chocolate chips until smooth in a food processor. Spread over chilled cake or mini pots of cake. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Serve immediately or refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour before serving.