Sugar Free Sweet Treats Raw Brownie Bites

I made these raw brownie bites in an ongoing attempt to steer Miss ND (and myself!) towards healthier refined sugar free sweet treats. She'll try anything and is a great barometer to anything from "ugh, disgusting" to "that's really yummy mummy, can I have another!". Kids will usually tell you how it is!

I started a long time ago with this basic recipe for raw brownie bites with only 4 ingredients, adding in various other ingredients but I've had to be sneaky as Miss ND calls it to get some of them past her! (She is used to my veggie smuggling).

Formulating sugar free treats is quite simple, leave out the refined sugar and sweeten with fruit. Dates, for example, are rich in vital nutrients with vitamins A, B6 and K, Potassium, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese.

But let's not forget that Dates and all dried fruit are high in fructose and contain concentrated sugars, but with these small brownie bites, the portion size is very small (unless like me, you cannot eat just one!). And Dates that contain healthy vitamins, minerals and fibre do have a very different impact on the body than eating the same amount of refined sugar. For example if you ate an apple, it would have a slower rate of glucose absorption than a glass of apple juice. The apple juice has had its fibre content removed completely so it is absorbed very much more quickly by the blood. The fibre in whole fruit lowers the carbohydrate spike in the blood, which in turn slows down that sugar rush.

Raw Brownie Bite Balls on a grey plate being rolled in cocoa and coconut.

I used the excess trimmings to create small balls, coat/roll them in a variety of coverings such as plain cocoa powder, desiccated coconut, whole or ground flaxseed and/or chia seeds, cocoa nibs for crunch, etc.

*Please note that these do contain nuts*, I am looking to put together a nut-free version, these are refined sugar-free, my main aim for now.