Guilt Free Dessert

I'm far from a health nut.  Like on the oppostite side of the world kind of far.  I've definitely become more health conscious over the last few years and really try to steer away from processed foods when I'm cooking.  That's not to say I don't indulge in processed foods. I do.  A LOT more than I should.  It's a work in progress.  But if you know me, you know that one of my favorite mantras is "everything in moderation" :)  That's just what people like me say to justify their bad habits...hahaha!

Seriously though, I really do believe that! Sadly, I don't know how to indulge in moderation.  I have friends who are so good about their cravings.  They might be craving Oreos and instead of eating 5 and dipping each one into a glass of whole milk or crushing them and sprinkling them on top of their ice cream, they only have a couple.  They might be craving ranch dip and instead of pouring a huge vat over a steaming hot plate of fries topped with melted cheese, chives, & bacon, they use it sparingly as a veggie dip :)  Can you tell where I fall in those scenarios?!  #thestruggleisreal

When it comes to cravings and indulgences, moderation is not my strong suit.    I don't have a sweet tooth (but I do have MANY savory teeth ;)).  I prefer salt and carbs...chips, salsa, queso, bread & butter, fries, etc.  I mean, I do love a good dessert, but I could go days without sweets and be perfectly content.  However, a sweet craving will get to me after certain meals and I almost always want something in the form of chocolate.  Cookies, cake, ice cream....whatever it may be.  As you can imagine, one slice of cake turns into 3...1 cookie turns into 5...a scoop of ice cream turns into a bowl topped with whipped cream and sprinkles :)

I'm always on the hunt for creative, guilt-free recipes that taste good and help me satisfy those cravings.  When I found this one, I was crossing my fingers it would be a winner.  And for my taste palate, it was!!!  The bonus is that it's only 4 ingredients and ready in a minute :)

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

via Ditch the Wheat

1 egg

2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

1 TBSP honey or agave 

1/4 tsp. baking soda

In a small bowl, mix together all four of the ingredients.

Grease a large mug or small bowl with coconut oil or your preferred cooking fat and then pour in the mixed ingredients.  Microwave for 1 minute.  Remove and insert a toothpick in the center of the cupcake.  If it comes out clean, it's ready to eat!!!  If not, return to the microwave for an additional 5-10 seconds.

As for the sweetener, I didn't have any honey on hand so I used organic agave.  

I absolutely love the strawberry/chocolate combo, so I sliced a heaping portion and topped off the cupcake with that.   I think a squirt of Redi Whip would be fantastic, too!  Of course, buttercream icing would really take this to the next level, but in the interest of keeping this relatively guilt-free, I'll stick to the fruit :)

This is definitely NOT a "sweet" chocolate cupcake.  This doesn't taste like your typical cake-in-a-box.  While it's definitely fluffy, the taste is much more dense.  I absolutely LOVED it.  It really does satisfy my cravings and I don't feel guilty when I reach the bottom of the bowl.  

You can read what others had to say about on Ditch the Wheat.

If you're not accustomed to using honey or agave as a sweetener, you might not enjoy this as much as you hope!  However, you can always substitute the honey/agave with 2-3 TBSP of your preferred sweetener.  That might make a difference.

And if you have a gluten-free or low carb lifestyle, this little cup of indulgence would fit in nicely with your diet :)