After throwing tantrums aplenty to avoid veggies in our diet, we are now faced with veggies in desserts. It didn’t age well for us folks who like our meal with a ‘side’ of fibre. Funnily enough, the idea of dessert with veggies won’t sound so terrible and horrifying once you sink your teeth in one. When done right, sweet treats paired with veggies are swoon-worthy. Bite the bullet and try one of the 5 recipes we have hand-curated just for you.
Zucchini Cake
Either as stir-fried sides or in a salad – that’s how most of us envision a zucchini. However, we have brought you a sweet treat that is sweet, slightly crunchy, and an absolute delight. Trust us, Zucchini cake is delicious and we will die on the hill with this one. No, you cannot taste the veggie at all.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil, or canola
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Start with whisking the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg powder, and cloves. Beat 3 eggs separately till you obtain a frothy appearance and keep aside.
- Then add brown sugar, and vanilla extract and beat again. Eventually, add the whisked flour blend in the eggs and continue mixing slowly. Do not overmix.
- Once you have the batter, drop the zucchini, walnuts and fold carefully.
- Preheat the oven and place it in for baking. While the oven is doing its magic, make the cream cheese frosting.
- Take the cake out once done and cool it. Slather the cream cheese topping on and enjoy.
Lime – Spinach Cupcakes
We all thought spinach could never be delicious, but these spinach cupcakes can prove us all wrong. The sweet and tangy flavour palate is all we’ve been looking for in a dessert. Here’s how you can make these wonders.
Ingredients:
- 10 oz. chopped spinach
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 5 tsp. lime zest
- 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions:
- Blend the spinach with olive oil and some water and continue till you get a thick paste. In a separate bowl beat the butter, sugar, following that add the eggs.
- Next, add the lime zest, lemon juice, and the pureed spinach to the blend and mix well.
- Finally add the dry ingredients by combining flour, baking powder, and baking soda with the mixture. Don’t forget to add the sour cream and bake like no one’s watching.
- Once the cupcakes are done baking, pull them out and let them rest before biting into one.
Pumpkin Brownies
Layered with chocolate chips, these pumpkin brownies taste heavenly. Who knew pumpkin could hold its shape so well instead of being its usual mush? The chocolates add to the already rich batter, and with fall in season- these are ideal. Make these right away.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 1 shot of espresso
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- greasing pan: coconut oil
- topping: ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
- To make this, you’ll need a double boiler, i.e. a big pan filled with 3-4 cups of water on the flames, surrounded by another bowl.
- First, melt the chocolate chips, and butter in that bowl then add in the “wet” ingredients namely, a shot of espresso, vanilla extract, and sugar and mix till combined.
- Then pour in the pumpkin puree, mix well with baking powder, salt, flour.
- Put in the oven to bake and viola!
Carrot Cake
Almost the same as your zucchini cake, you just need to replace the zucchini with carrots. The carrot cake would taste as grand as the zucchini one, if not better. As carrots are somewhat sweet themselves, they make for excellent dessert candidates for your next get together.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 lb package of baby carrots, finely grated
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Frosting:
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, 1½ sticks
- 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Direction:
- Since it’s almost like Zucchini cake just follow the same direction for this one.
- Viola! Serve with a thick slab of cream cheese frosting and you’re gold.
Orange Glazed Carrot Cookies
Not the usual dry, crunchy (tough to break) cookies. Layered with a sweet orange glaze, these sweet cookies are nice and chewy. You’ll feel like you’re biting into an almost brownie. They’re the perfect snack for any time of the day – after lunch, in between errands, you choose.
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups sliced carrots (peeled)
- 3/4 cup salted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 4 tsp. orange zest (divided)
- 3 Tbsp. orange juice (or up to 4 tablespoons if needed, divided)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions:
- Boil the carrots till they’re tender, and then puree them.
- Keep it aside, and start working on the other ingredients. Beginning by mixing in flour, eggs and orange juice in a bowl.
- Then add the carrot puree to the mixture. Begin with stirring and then move to kneading and shaping the dough.
- Put the cookies in the oven and turn your attention to the glaze. Take a bowl with sugar, orange zest, juice. Start stirring till you reach a smooth, ribbon like consistency.
- Once the cookies are done baking, serve them with a drizzle of the orange glaze. Yes, you’re welcome.
Images: Pinterest
