Valentine's Day Treats!

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and so Faith has put together some tasty and healthy treats... 

These are great to make with kids or you could even make them as a present for your Valentine! 

Low Sugar Strawberry Muffins

These have only 3g of added sugar in each muffin!

175g self raising flour

50g caster sugar 

2 medium eggs, beaten

2 tbsp sunflower oil

150 mls natural yoghurt (full fat or low fat or Greek)

150g frozen strawberries or raspberries, chopped into random chunks (some small, some large)

Preheat the oven to 200/Gas 6

Line a muffin tin with cases or lightly grease a silicone one

Mix all ingredients expect strawberries together but don’t over stir

Fold in strawberries

Spoon into prepared tins/cases and pop into the oven for 15 minutes

This mixture makes approx 16 small muffins or more if you get the mini muffin cases

Let them cool a little before taking them out of the tray and leaving on a wire rack

Store in an airtight container

Strawberry Oat Bars

Super simple and great for little ones!

All mixed in one bowl so very little mess/clearing up.

3 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp honey / date syrup

2 tbsp nut butter (almond/cashew/peanut all work well)

150g frozen strawberries

130g porridge oats

Preheat the oven to Gas 4 / 160C

Melt the coconut oil, syrup and nut butter together in a pan until liquid and runny

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in porridge oats

Let the strawberries slightly soften (or pop in the microwave for a minute) and chop into small chunks

Stir these into the oat mixture

Spread into a greased and lined tin or dish (20cm x 20cm or thereabouts)

Pop into the oven and bake for 20 minutes

Once cooked, slice and leave to cool in the tin (keep in an airtight tin – I prefer to keep mine in the fridge as this helps them stay a little firmer)

Energy Balls

Date and Almond

100g pitted dates (the plumper the better so if you can afford Medjool then go for these otherwise find the juiciest looking pitted dates you can find)

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp maple syrup

pinch of salt

3 tbsp cocoa powder/cacao powder - whichever you have to hand

Extra cocoa for dusting 

Pop all ingredients in a blender together and blitz until it resembles moist sand

Tip it out and shape/roll into small balls with your hands

Dust or roll these in cocoa powder and thats it!

Date and Cashew

100g Dates - plumper the better (as above)

100g cashews

2 tbsp cashew butter

1 pinch salt

1 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)

2 tbsp dessicated coconut  plus extra to roll

Blitz all ingredients in the blender and when it resembles moist sand, pull together with your hands and shape into small balls

Roll in desiccated coconut

Store in an airtight tin and in the fridge - up to 2 weeks

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels 

Another great one for kids to get involved with!

Just melt white chocolate and extra veg oil to loosen (so that it isn’t too thick)

Dip pretzels into chocolate and then dip into sprinkles!

Leave to set and that’s it!! 

Store in airtight pot

Chocolate Coconut Bites

So easy and so delicious! 

Blitz 90g desiccated coconut with 2 tbsp coconut oil and 3.5tbsp maple syrup/honey/other syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt

Shape (we did hearts) then freeze until solid

Dip in melted chocolate (milk or dark) and chill again

Enjoy!