Food trends are always changing, but healthy dessert recipes come either from the most developed countries with advanced healthcare, or from the simplest regions blessed with eternal seasons and abundance. Any of them can be adapted — to our climate, local products, and substitutions. That’s the priority. But the key to a good diet is variety.
So don’t scold a winter mango just because it didn’t grow in Mykolaiv. Apples, pears, and dried fruits are what we get locally for winter. Combine them skillfully with other ingredients. Eating, baking, and ordering desserts that don’t harm your body and don’t bring guilt is modern. What used to be “trendy” is now the norm.
We choose whole foods over processed ones, natural over those extended on supermarket shelves with sugar and preservatives. Healthy desserts are whipped, chilled, baked, and prepared in dozens of ways using natural sweeteners, whole-grain flours, nuts, dried fruits, and berries. Everyone now knows at least one place to try healthy desserts — a cake without sugar and flour, or a raw vegan tart. But here’s the thing: making them yourself is not difficult. It’s pleasant and often very simple.
A detailed guide to creating good desserts can be found in my article for Vogue Ukraine. And here are a few recipes.
Banana Toffee Tart
For the crust:
- 1 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds
- 3–4 tbsp ice water
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (or ghee)
- 3/4 cup oat flour (ground whole oats)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds or walnuts
- 1/3 cup starch
- 2 tbsp honey
- pinch of salt
For the toffee:
- 10 large fresh dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 tbsp honey or other sweetener
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- vanilla
- pinch of salt
- dash of cinnamon
For the bananas:
- 5 small bananas, sliced lengthwise
- pinch of cardamom (freshly ground, seeds only)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Optional topping:
- 100 ml coconut milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp starch
Preparation:
Blend flour, seeds, starch, and salt. Add chopped coconut oil, pulse until sandy. Add cold water (3–4 tbsp) and pulse until sticky dough forms. Spread into a 22 cm tart pan, prick with a fork, chill for 1 hr. Bake at 180°C for 20 min under parchment.
For toffee, blend all ingredients until smooth. Spread on crust. Sear banana slices in coconut oil with cardamom, 3 min per side until aromatic. Arrange on toffee. If using, blend coconut milk, egg, and starch, pour over tart. Bake at 200°C for 30–40 min until golden. Cool.
Banana Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 bananas
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp wheat flour
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
- 2/3 cup oat flour
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- 30 g butter or ghee
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- cacao nibs (optional)
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients. Bake at 190°C for ~30 min. Cool. The cake turns lighter if made with part whole-wheat and almond flour, darker if made with oat + flax flour. Optional cacao nibs add a chocolate note.
White Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
- 3 cups almond milk (or soy)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or liquid honey
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp agar-agar flakes
- 70–75 ml cocoa butter
- zest of 2 oranges
- juice of 1 orange
- vanilla
Preparation:
Combine milk, syrup/honey, salt, and agar-agar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 min until agar dissolves. Remove from heat, add cocoa butter, cover, let melt 5 min. Blend with orange juice and vanilla. Stir in zest lightly. Pour into bowls, chill until set.
Banana Toffee Tart
For the crust:
- 1 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds
- 3–4 tbsp ice water
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (or ghee)
- 3/4 cup oat flour (ground whole oats)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds or walnuts
- 1/3 cup starch
- 2 tbsp honey
- pinch of salt
For the toffee:
- 10 large fresh dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 tbsp honey or other sweetener
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- vanilla
- pinch of salt
- dash of cinnamon
For the bananas:
- 5 small bananas, sliced lengthwise
- pinch of cardamom (freshly ground, seeds only)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Optional topping:
- 100 ml coconut milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp starch
Preparation:
Blend flour, seeds, starch, and salt. Add chopped coconut oil, pulse until sandy. Add cold water (3–4 tbsp) and pulse until sticky dough forms. Spread into a 22 cm tart pan, prick with a fork, chill for 1 hr. Bake at 180°C for 20 min under parchment.
For toffee, blend all ingredients until smooth. Spread on crust. Sear banana slices in coconut oil with cardamom, 3 min per side until aromatic. Arrange on toffee. If using, blend coconut milk, egg, and starch, pour over tart. Bake at 200°C for 30–40 min until golden. Cool.
Banana Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 bananas
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp wheat flour
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
- 2/3 cup oat flour
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- 30 g butter or ghee
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- cacao nibs (optional)
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients. Bake at 190°C for ~30 min. Cool. The cake turns lighter if made with part whole-wheat and almond flour, darker if made with oat + flax flour. Optional cacao nibs add a chocolate note.
White Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
- 3 cups almond milk (or soy)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or liquid honey
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp agar-agar flakes
- 70–75 ml cocoa butter
- zest of 2 oranges
- juice of 1 orange
- vanilla
Preparation:
Combine milk, syrup/honey, salt, and agar-agar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 min until agar dissolves. Remove from heat, add cocoa butter, cover, let melt 5 min. Blend with orange juice and vanilla. Stir in zest lightly. Pour into bowls, chill until set.
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