The Paleo Diet has become more and more popular over the years, and for good reason. The basic tenet of the diet is that you eat as our ancestors did: meats, vegetables, and unprocessed foods. The upshot to this is that you tend to eat “cleaner” on the diet than normal, which helps cut out preservatives that may be unhealthy for you.
The Paleo Diet also has a somewhat undeserved reputation for not allowing you to eat many sweets. Sugar and some flours are cut out of your diet when you start Paleo, so if you have a sweet tooth, good desserts may be hard to come by. Fortunately, there are recipes out there that you can find and use to make decadent desserts for all occasions. Here are some great ones to try out.
These are just a few recipes you can enjoy on the Paleo Diet. There are more you can learn from PaleoHacks.
Cookie Dough Fudge
If you find yourself reaching for the cookie dough before you even give it a chance to bake, you’ll love this recipe. It uses cashews and cinnamon, so it’s nutritious as well as delicious.
What You’ll Need:
Eight tablespoons of ghee, three cups of raw cashews, 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, ¼ cup coconut flour, ¼ cup melted raw honey, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon and one cup of chocolate chips.
Melt the ghee and grind the cashews into meal using a blender or a mortar and pestle. Drizzle the coconut oil into the meal and mix until it turns into a dough. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Place the finished dough in plastic wrap and put in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes.
Fold the chocolate chips into the chilled dough and then spread it in a nine-by-five inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Place back into the freezer. In another 20 minutes, the fudge should be ready. Cut into 15 pieces and enjoy!
Coconut Ice Cream
Although our ancient ancestors didn’t have the chance to make ice cream, you can still enjoy the chilled dessert when you’re on the Paleo Diet.
What You’ll Need:
An ice cream machine, two eggs, one teaspoon vanilla extract, two cans of organic coconut milk, ½ cup of maple syrup, ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
Combine the eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla using a whisk or a blender. Using an electric blender will make it easier. Pour the combination into your ice cream maker and turn on for 20 minutes. Add the chocolate chips and turn the machine on again for another 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into airtight containers and place in the freezer for about three hours. Once the ice cream sets, enjoy as often as you want to.
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
There’s always room for a great chocolate chunk cookie, even when you’re on a diet. Here’s a tasty recipe that’s easy to make.
What You’ll Need:
One egg, lightly beaten, one teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup coconut milk, ½ cup coconut sugar, one cup almond flour, ¼ cup coconut flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, three ounces of chocolate chunked, and sea salt to sprinkle.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar and vanilla extract. Then add almond flour, coconut flour and baking soda. Then, add the chocolate chunks and using a spoon or scoop, drop small balls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the oven and transfer finished cookies from cooking sheet to a wire rack to cool.
Angel Food Cake
You can bake cakes when you’re on the Paleo Diet! This is a recipe for a light angel food cake that’s good by itself or drizzled with fresh berries.
What You’ll Need:
Twelve large, room temperature eggs, one teaspoon fresh lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, one tablespoon vanilla extract, ¾ cup coconut or maple sugar, 1 ¼ cream of tartar, one cup arrowroot flour, 1 ½ cups cream, whipped.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place egg whites and lemon juice into a mixer and mix for 30 seconds, until foamy. Add the salt, cream of tartar and vanilla. Whip again until soft peaks begin to form.
Add the rest of the ingredients, sifting the flour, and transfer to an ungreased cake pan. Cook for 40 minutes or until a toothpick can be cleanly removed. Cool on a wire rack.
Eleanor Potter loves food, and creating new healthy recipes for her family is her weekend passion. She writes about food, healthy living and shares recipes around the web.
