Kent Whitaker - Author

Kent Whitaker who is author of this post Valentines Sweet Tooth Recipes, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at: The Deck Chef Facebook, or Instagram, and Twitter.

Two No Sugar Added Valentines Sweet Tooth Recipes

Marketing geniuses have helped us associate Valentine’s Day with all types of sugary treats! But, what if you’re looking for a tastebud-pleasing item that was free of added sugar? Good news – there are alternatives to dishes loaded with processed sugar, including both the decadent richness of chocolate and the sweetness of strawberries!

After all, the whole consumer concept of Valentine’s Day revolves around chocolate and strawberries… as well as roses.

But, because we are not diving into the realm of edible rose petal recipes, we are sticking to the two favorites - minus the needless added sugar. Let’s get started!

No Sugar Added Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread

Let’s start with strawberries for Valentine’s Day! That includes this tasty hack for making two versions of a spread packed with strawberry flavor and cream cheese. And, it has no added processed sugar that you’ll need to add.

Let’s get started! Grab a few simple ingredients and follow the instructions.
Ingredients:

Sweet Tooth Recipe with Stevia
• 1 package of 8-ounce low-fat cream cheese, often labeled as American Neufchâtel cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons Stevia or your favorite sugar substitute
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of strawberry extract – or 2-3 tablespoons of sliced and mashed fresh strawberries.
• Dash of vanilla flavoring – start with ½ teaspoon and taste.


Instructions:

Whip cream cheese in a mixing bowl on medium speed while adding the remaining ingredients. Chill before using for about thirty minutes. Here’s a hack – start with your low-fat cream cheese/American Neufchâtel cheese, a drip of vanilla, and then add in a spoonful of sugar-free strawberry jam.

Why a no-sugar-added strawberry spread? Because you can use it in several ways! It is perfect for spreading on a freshly toasted bagel, muffin, or toast. You can use it as a dip for fruit, veggies, crackers, and more.

No Sugar Added Chocolate Drizzle Sauce

Of course, you can’t have Valentine’s Day without chocolate! But once again, why go with a sugar-ladened recipe when you can achieve the decadent flavor of chocolate without it? The recipe starts with cocoa powder and only gets better from there.

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sweetener of choice – the kind that measures the same sugar. You need the bulk for the recipe.
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Combine all of the ingredients, except the vanilla extract, in a non-stick saucepan. Place over medium heat and reduce the heat to low just before it starts to boil. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Now add in the vanilla and stir. Chill before using.

This sauce can be used as a drizzle for just about anything you can imagine as well as for an ice-cold glass of chocolate milk or almond milk. It’s also perfect for dipping apple slices, pineapple chunks, and of course strawberries,

Don’t Forget Natural!

The two recipes above use sugar substitute that we are all familiar with but don’t forget about going natural. There are plenty of ways to replace highly-refined sugar in many recipes by using ingredients such as honey, maple syrup, and possibly agave nectar.

However, if you’re a diabetic you should check with your doctor about what the best sugar substitute for you would be.

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