Thoughts on “healthy” treats

Dessert.  It often feels like a necessity for a major sweet tooth like yours truly.  I love a good square of dark chocolate to satisfy a small craving, but I also can’t resist indulging a chocolate muffin from the bakery section on a weekend.  Sometimes I just want a treat!

coconut cupcakes for Easter dessert last year

that chocolate muffin I just can’t resist!

It seems like all of instagram is trying to “healthify” any baked good in existence (or ice cream etc).  This can be great!  But it can also be unsatisfying.  Cutting down on added sugars is no doubt a positive change.  It’s understandable to not want to fill your diet with cakes and cookies, but replacing them all with gluten/dairy/sugar free alternatives might not be the treat you’re looking for.

SCONES! My absolute favorite baked good

This weekend I tried some vegan and gluten free coconut macaroons and I’m sorry but they were just not. good.  And I like coconut macaroons!  Sometimes the ‘wannabe’ just doesn’t measure up, and at that point you could be doing yourself a disservice by going the “healthy” route.

I’m not a big coffee drinker, so baked goods are my coffee shop treat

I love making muffins and a muffin topped with nut butter is what I jokingly call a “Michelle cupcake.”  No matter how much I love this snack, it’s not a cupcake.  If I served someone this ‘cupcake’ at a birthday party they would probably laugh in my face!  If I ate almond flour muffins every time I craved a cupcake I would also go crazy at some point and perhaps eat too many cupcakes.  Don’t discount how you smart you are; you can’t fool your body!

some of my ‘healthy’ muffin snacks – with raisins

and healthified ginger snaps from the amazing Hummusapien

So what’s a girl to do?  I love a good healthified treat, and experimental baking is so fun for me (even when it fails).  Funky flours and vegan substitutes are always an exciting challenge.  What I love to do is enjoy these baking experiments, but treat them as snacks.  When you want real dessert, go for real dessert.  Chances are a small piece of the real thing might be just the satisfaction that you need.