Easter is on the horizon and it’s such a great time of the year to come together with friends and family and have a nice relaxing break! It’s also the time of year where those of us who have a sweet tooth tend to consume large amounts of chocolate. Let’s face it, we all know that too much of a good thing can sometimes be a bad thing and when it comes to Easter eggs, there is no exception. On average, a medium Easter egg contains 23 teaspoons of sugar – this is almost four times the recommended amount of sugar that adults should be consuming in one day!!
So What are the Facts About Sugar?
We all know that too much sugar in the diet can lead to an increase in weight, but how exactly does sugar affect the skin? Refined sugars cause our insulin levels to spike, which in turn triggers an inflammatory response.
How Inflammation Causes Wrinkles, Redness and Pimples:
Inflammation in the body produces certain enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, leading to a reduction in the firmness and elasticity of the skin. In other words: wrinkles!
Chronic inflammation also exacerbates skin conditions such as rosacea and acne, particularly as it suppresses the immune system, leading to a decreased ability to fight off infection.
Too much sugar can also increase the amount of testosterone in the body, which increases oil production and pore size, two of the most common and disliked skin issues.
Read more about the effects of sugar on your skin in our article Sugar, Your Skin and Acne.
So, this Easter, be mindful of just how much sugar you are consuming and think about your skin! To make things easier for you, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite healthy chocolate recipes for Easter. Not only are these treats delicious, they are actually nourishing and good for your skin! Crazy, right? To learn more about how chocolate can be good for you and it’s many benefits for your skin and health, read our full guide Can Chocolate be Good for Your Skin?.
Chocolate Recipes That are Actually Good for You:
Homemade Chocolate Bunnies
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp rice malt syrup or pure maple syrup
- optional extracts (e.g. vanilla, peppermint), cocoa nibs or other add-ins
- optional 1 extra tbsp oil or water, if it needs to be thinner
Instructions:
- Combine coconut oil with rice malt syrup or pure maple syrup
- Stir, then add the raw cacao powder. Stir stir stir! Stir until it gets thick.
- Pour into bunny (or egg) moulds
- Freeze until solid and store in the freezer
Recipe modified from Chocolate Covered Katie
Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs
Ingredients:
- 50 g (1/3 cup melted) cacao butter
- 25 g (2 tbsp) coconut oil
- 60 g (1 loose cup) raw cacao powder
- 1 tbsp rice malt syrup
Instructions:
- In a medium sized bowl, heat the cacao butter, coconut oil and rice malt syrup over a double boiler until completely melted together.
- Remove from heat and stir through the cacao powder ensuring there are no lumps. Continue to stir for a couple of minutes as the mixture begins to drop in temperature.
- Spoon approximately one teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each mould. Gently swirl around until all sides are evenly coated.
- Place in the freezer to set while you make your filling.
Hazel-Nutty Chocolate Filling
Mix together ¼ cup of hazelnut butter (or you can use almond butter) and 2 teaspoons of coconut and cocoa spread (Pureharvest make a good one – COCO² Original) in a small bowl.
Raspberry Ripe Filling
Place ½ punnet raspberries, ½ cup desiccated coconut and 2 teaspoons coconut and cocoa spread (Pureharvest make a good one – COCO² Original) into a food processor and blitz until well combined.
Bounty FillingÂ
Place ¾ cup desiccated coconut, 3 tablespoons coconut milk (try Pureharvest Coco Quench), 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup (optional), ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder and a pinch of salt into a food processor and blitz until well combined.
Assembling the Eggs
1. Remove the chocolate from the freezer and spoon approximately ½ teaspoon of filling into each egg half. Place back into the freezer to set, approximately 20 minutes.
2. Now for the tricky part – assembling the eggs. Remove the eggs from the freezer and while still hard, pop the egg halves out of the mould. To stick two halves together, gently run your finger around the edge of the eggs, this will melt the chocolate. Gently push the two halves together. Handle the eggs as little as possible as the more you touch them the more they will melt.
3. Place the assembled eggs back into the freezer. Although the eggs should stay relatively stable at room temperature, we recommend storing them in the fridge or freezer.
Recipe from I Quit Sugar
Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
Makes 16 balls.
- 250 g (8 Â 3/4 Â oz) walnuts (or almonds)
- 1 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder or good quality dark cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp organic protein powder (try Miessence Complete Protein Powder)
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
- 1Â tsp vanilla bean
- 10 fresh-pitted dates
To decorate:Â Coconut, goji berries, nuts, cocoa.
Instructions:
- Combine walnuts, cocoa, salt, protein and cinnamon in a food processor.
- Process for 15 seconds until crumbly.
- Add vanilla and dates, then process until mixture is combined. If squeezed together, it should form into a soft ball.
- Add 2 tablespoon of water – only if needed so that the mix forms a soft ball. The mix should be firm and sticky, but not mushy.
- Remove chocolate truffle mixture from the food processor into a bowl.
- Form into 16 round balls.
- Roll balls in your choice of garnish.
- Store in the fridge covered for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe from The Healthy Chef
Enjoy the break (and the chocolate)!!
Still not sure?
If you need more help or would like personalised advice on what skincare products are best for you, book now for your consultation with a skin care advisor:
Book Your In-Clinic Consultation.
Or fill in the Online Skin Consultation and Gaye, our registered nurse, will happily help you to choose the right treatments and products for your skin type or concern.
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