How to Make an Easter Treat Without Sugar
Focus on fruit., Use sugar-free chocolate for making chocolate eggs and molded figures., Use gel or jelly to make Easter treats., Find sugar-free or sugar-reduced baking recipes for cupcakes, cakes, muffins and cookies., Make cute things from real...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Focus on fruit.
While fruit contains fructose, it is healthier than processed sugar products because fruit contains the roughage, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in combinations that provide our body with what it needs for energy and good health.
There are many fruit snacks and desserts that can be used at Easter time, including chocolate dipped fruit if you use low-sugar or sugar-free chocolate.
Fruit can be turned into interesting creations, including:
A fruit bouquet A fruit basket Fruit kebabs––try drizzling dark sugar-free chocolate over the skewers for an Easter special Fruit pops – either use fresh fruit on the end of a stick or make sugar-free dried fruit balls (rolled in coconut or dark cocoa) for a tasty treat A watermelon basket fruit salad (where watermelon is available, such as some southern hemisphere countries) A delicious fruit salad Fruit sorbets. -
Step 2: Use sugar-free chocolate for making chocolate eggs and molded figures.
There are two main types of sugar-free chocolate––one is very dark chocolate without sugar and the other is diabetic chocolate, which has a substitute sweetener.
Very dark chocolate is quite bitter, so it's an acquired taste but it can be mellowed with the addition of fruit or other flavorings when baking or cooking with it.
If you're okay with less sugar rather than no sugar, try dark chocolate around the 60 to 75 percent ranges which still has small amounts of sugar added but isn't too sugary or with added fats.
If the chocolate is of high quality, a little bit will go a very long way. , Gel or jelly formed into large or small animal shapes (using molds such as a rabbit), can be an excellent means for making a sugar-free sweet for the Easter table.
Instead of using sugary commercial Jello packages though, make the gel or jelly from scratch, adding in berries or fruit pieces and sweetening with either apple juice or apple juice concentrate in place of sugar.
You can use either gelatin or agar agar to make gel or jelly.
Only the latter is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Fruits to add include diced pear, chopped banana, raspberries or other berries (use frozen berries if you can't find any fresh at this time of year), etc.
Junket can be used for milky flavored gel desserts.
Add fruit pieces as above if wished.
Make homemade marshmallow treats in the shapes of bunnies, chicks and eggs (peeps substitutes).
Avoid adding sugar.
Such treats can be coated in dark, sugar-free chocolate or cocoa, or coated in desiccated or shredded coconut. , Use substitutes such as applesauce, apple juice, grape juice, spices, stevia, mashed fruit, etc. in place of sugar.
Provided you're prepared to experiment with the recipe, you can make many of your traditional baking recipes reduced in sugar or sugar-free.
Look for sugar-free baking recipes.
This is easier than having to guess changes in measurement yourself.
As a general rule, sugar can be reduced by half or even to a third of the amount suggested in a cake, flan or cookie recipe and still taste fine.
However, the flavor will be less sweet, so you might need to find substitutes to make up for it. , Boil an egg and transform it into many different cute and delicious things.
Make bento style egg animals, turn peeled boiled eggs into animals, flowers, monsters, etc., or try carving boiled eggs in interesting ways.
Dyed boiled eggs (using edible dyes) can be interesting meal additions.
Try making a hen egg salad.
Eggs and carrots are a great combination––eggs for the chicken symbol of Easter and carrots for the Easter bunny. , Buy or make small crackers, pretzels and savory cookies and fill up small cellophane bags shaped to look like carrots.
Tie the end with a green ribbon to look like a carrot top.
Fill a basket with these bags for an Easter treat that both looks good (a bunch of "carrots") and tastes great.
Nuts and raisins can be added into the mix if desired. , Think of different foods for adding to Easter baskets than the usual high sugar treats on sale.
Some items that you could use instead include nuts, small amounts of dried fruit, trail mix, popcorn, homemade low-sugar cookies and homemade low- or no-sugar chocolate eggs.
Make up a basket of sugar-free commercial treats.
There are candies and chocolates made with reduced or no sugar.
If you find these, you can make up a basket with these, as well as some nuts, dried fruit and non-edible treats.
Look for such candies as sugar-free jellybeans, sugar-free chocolates, sugar-free Easter eggs, etc.
It might be kinder to add just a few small, quality chocolate commercial eggs to a totally healthy, homemade mix for kids who would otherwise feel left out.
However, for adults, especially for those watching their food intake or who cannot eat sugar for health reasons, changing the treats to healthier ones will often be appreciated, especially your thoughtful input into finding things they can eat. -
Step 3: Use gel or jelly to make Easter treats.
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Step 4: Find sugar-free or sugar-reduced baking recipes for cupcakes
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Step 5: muffins and cookies.
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Step 6: Make cute things from real eggs.
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Step 7: Make savory treats.
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Step 8: Fill Easter egg containers and Easter baskets with healthy treats.
Detailed Guide
While fruit contains fructose, it is healthier than processed sugar products because fruit contains the roughage, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in combinations that provide our body with what it needs for energy and good health.
There are many fruit snacks and desserts that can be used at Easter time, including chocolate dipped fruit if you use low-sugar or sugar-free chocolate.
Fruit can be turned into interesting creations, including:
A fruit bouquet A fruit basket Fruit kebabs––try drizzling dark sugar-free chocolate over the skewers for an Easter special Fruit pops – either use fresh fruit on the end of a stick or make sugar-free dried fruit balls (rolled in coconut or dark cocoa) for a tasty treat A watermelon basket fruit salad (where watermelon is available, such as some southern hemisphere countries) A delicious fruit salad Fruit sorbets.
There are two main types of sugar-free chocolate––one is very dark chocolate without sugar and the other is diabetic chocolate, which has a substitute sweetener.
Very dark chocolate is quite bitter, so it's an acquired taste but it can be mellowed with the addition of fruit or other flavorings when baking or cooking with it.
If you're okay with less sugar rather than no sugar, try dark chocolate around the 60 to 75 percent ranges which still has small amounts of sugar added but isn't too sugary or with added fats.
If the chocolate is of high quality, a little bit will go a very long way. , Gel or jelly formed into large or small animal shapes (using molds such as a rabbit), can be an excellent means for making a sugar-free sweet for the Easter table.
Instead of using sugary commercial Jello packages though, make the gel or jelly from scratch, adding in berries or fruit pieces and sweetening with either apple juice or apple juice concentrate in place of sugar.
You can use either gelatin or agar agar to make gel or jelly.
Only the latter is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Fruits to add include diced pear, chopped banana, raspberries or other berries (use frozen berries if you can't find any fresh at this time of year), etc.
Junket can be used for milky flavored gel desserts.
Add fruit pieces as above if wished.
Make homemade marshmallow treats in the shapes of bunnies, chicks and eggs (peeps substitutes).
Avoid adding sugar.
Such treats can be coated in dark, sugar-free chocolate or cocoa, or coated in desiccated or shredded coconut. , Use substitutes such as applesauce, apple juice, grape juice, spices, stevia, mashed fruit, etc. in place of sugar.
Provided you're prepared to experiment with the recipe, you can make many of your traditional baking recipes reduced in sugar or sugar-free.
Look for sugar-free baking recipes.
This is easier than having to guess changes in measurement yourself.
As a general rule, sugar can be reduced by half or even to a third of the amount suggested in a cake, flan or cookie recipe and still taste fine.
However, the flavor will be less sweet, so you might need to find substitutes to make up for it. , Boil an egg and transform it into many different cute and delicious things.
Make bento style egg animals, turn peeled boiled eggs into animals, flowers, monsters, etc., or try carving boiled eggs in interesting ways.
Dyed boiled eggs (using edible dyes) can be interesting meal additions.
Try making a hen egg salad.
Eggs and carrots are a great combination––eggs for the chicken symbol of Easter and carrots for the Easter bunny. , Buy or make small crackers, pretzels and savory cookies and fill up small cellophane bags shaped to look like carrots.
Tie the end with a green ribbon to look like a carrot top.
Fill a basket with these bags for an Easter treat that both looks good (a bunch of "carrots") and tastes great.
Nuts and raisins can be added into the mix if desired. , Think of different foods for adding to Easter baskets than the usual high sugar treats on sale.
Some items that you could use instead include nuts, small amounts of dried fruit, trail mix, popcorn, homemade low-sugar cookies and homemade low- or no-sugar chocolate eggs.
Make up a basket of sugar-free commercial treats.
There are candies and chocolates made with reduced or no sugar.
If you find these, you can make up a basket with these, as well as some nuts, dried fruit and non-edible treats.
Look for such candies as sugar-free jellybeans, sugar-free chocolates, sugar-free Easter eggs, etc.
It might be kinder to add just a few small, quality chocolate commercial eggs to a totally healthy, homemade mix for kids who would otherwise feel left out.
However, for adults, especially for those watching their food intake or who cannot eat sugar for health reasons, changing the treats to healthier ones will often be appreciated, especially your thoughtful input into finding things they can eat.
About the Author
Carolyn Graham
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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