I am proud that none of my recipes contain any added refined sugar (by this I mean the white or brown stuff you get in bags and spoon into things) but sometimes you just have to let your children have something naughty as a treat so I do try to find as healthy treats as I can for them. These recipes are great as none of them require baking and they are quite healthy as there is no added refined sugar (although some of their individual ingredients do contain sugar). They also all contain cocoa powder so are really popular as children think they are eating a proper chocolate treat. I hope you enjoy them!

“Chocolate” Weetabix balls:

4 Weetabix

250g raisins

25g dessicated coconut or grated / shredded coconut

20g cocoa powder

1/2 tin condensed milk

Place all the  dry ingredients into a food processor and blitz until it looks like sand. Then add in the condensed milk and mix everything together with a spoon. Pick up small pieces and roll into balls or finger shapes and roll them in the coconut. Put them in the fridge for a couple of hours until they have hardened. Yummy!

Children’s chocolate “Mousse”

Most chocolate mousse recipes contain raw eggs or gelatine – neither of which I am keen on my children eating and certainly raw eggs aren’t suitable for little ones. This recipe is great as it contains no eggs or gelatine and has the added nutrition of an avocado without the flavour or appearance of one so kids are none the wiser!

Flesh of 1 avocado

1 small banana

20g cocoa powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 dates

Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor then spoon into ramekins or little bowls. Put in the fridge for about an hour until the mousse is set then eat.

No bake “Chocolate” Flapjacks:

(This recipe contains honey so is not suitable for under 1’s. Also if you are feeding a little one make sure the nuts are chopped as whole nuts are a choking hazard).

100g butter

100g cocoa powder

2 tbsps honey

100g mixed seeds, nuts and dried fruit (raisins, cranberries etc)

In a pan or in the microwave melt the butter, cocoa powder and honey together and mix well. Add the nuts / fruit / seed mix and make sure everything is well combined. Spoon the mixture into a well greased baking tray, cake tin or muffin cases and press it in well and smooth the top. Once it is cool place in the fridge to set for a couple of hours. Turn out of the tin / cases / tray. You can then cut into smaller pieces and eat. This keeps nicely in a tupperware container. For older children or adults you can also melt a bar of chocolate and pour it over the set cocoa nut mixture and then place back in the fridge for another hour or so until the chocolate is hardened and then cut into pieces as above.