Low Fat Sweet Treats

Recipe of the month

Pumpkin pancakes

• 40g porridge oats, finely ground
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1 tspn mixed spice or cinnamon
• 3/4 tspn baking powder
• 1/2 tspn vanilla 
• 1 tspn sugar or sweetener 

We don't eat much pumpkin in the UK but I love these pancakes. Beat everything together and cook on hot griddle. Makes 5 or 6 pancakes, enjoy with a drizzle of maple syrup! 

Weetabix Loaf

• 2 Weetabix, I like to vary the flavor
• 1 cup dried fruit of your choice: here I've used raisins and apricots, you can use cranberries, date and walnut, raisin and grated carrot etc.
• 1 cup brown sugar, any type
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 egg

Break up the Weetabix in a mixing bowl, add fruit, sugar and milk, mix well, cover and place in the fridge for several hours. It's easier to leave overnight. In the morning all you do is add the flour, spice and egg, mix well and pour into a lined loaf tin. Bake for 50 mins at 180C or 350F. My oven cooks a little hot so I turn that down just a fraction. Enjoy! 

I've been making this loaf for 40 odd years. The Weetabix factory is only a few miles away so my kids were brought up on it! So easy, delicious, wholesome with infinite variations. It keeps well so perfect for when we can mix again and have a cup of tea in the garden! 

Crazy Chocolate Cake

• 400g tin drained chickpeas
• 3 eggs whisked
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp golden syrup or maple syrup
• 28g cocoa powder
• 1 cup powdered sweetener
• 1 tsp baking powder

A chocolate cake that's healthy? Yes bizarre ingredients but it works!

Process all ingredients together and place into a 7" round microwaveable dish on High for 7 minutes. Turn out, cool and serve. 

For a celebration cake sandwich two together with a low fat filling on a beautiful cake stand - Nutella or sugar free jam perhaps.

Fat free pancakes

• 40g oats blitzed finely
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1/2 Tbsp granular sweetener
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup Greek fat free yogurt

Sandwiched together with fat free fromage frais, banana and strawberries these pancakes are completely fat free. 

A dash of chocolate sauce for the grandkids and they look quite decadent!

Mix all ingredients together and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Drop a good tablespoonful of mix into a hot non-stick frying pan and when one side is cooked, flip over. Eat hot or cold.

Sandwiched together with fat free fromage frais and fresh fruit they look and taste amazing. Instead of bottled sauce I mix a little cocoa powder with a similar amount of honey or golden syrup and microwave for 30 seconds or so adding a spot of water if necessary - minimum calories.

This recipe is from the amazing A Pinch of Nom, the UK's fastest ever selling low fat cookbook.