Choco-Raspberry Instant Breakfast Cake | 3 Week Sugar Free Challenge
About a week ago, HangTight with MarC posted an invitation on their Facebook page to join them in a 3 Week Sugar Free Challenge.
The post really caught my attention: could I do it? Would I be able to carry such a challenge through if I tried? I mean sugar happens to be my biggest weakness and my strongest addiction after all…
I thought long and hard about it and finally decided that I would give it a shot! I “liked” the post and added my “I’m in” comment.
I was officially committed, there was no turning back.
So starting today, I am to eat absolutely no sugar for 3 whole weeks.
There were no set rules for the challenge in question, apart from “No Sweets PERIOD”
That’s way too vague for me, so I decided to set my own rules.
To me, no sweets means: No refined sugar or artificial sweeteners of any kind, including stevia. This implies reading labels really carefully. Sugar lurks in the least expected places! Lucky for me, I don’t eat so much food that has a label on it… However, my vanilla flavoured protein powder will have to stay on the shelf for a wee bit!
Oh, I shall miss it, that’s for sure…
No artificial sweeteners also means no chewing gum! Now THAT will be a real tough one for me… After I quit smoking, I took the bad habit of chewing while driving. Now I NEED my chewing gum when behind the wheel just as bad as I needed my cigarettes back then.
Well, time to kick the habit, I guess!
Also included in my list of forbidden sweets are honey, maple syrup, molasses and dried fruits. Yes, even dried fruits! So no date paste. Bet there won’t be much baking happening under this foodie’s roof for the next month or so. Good thing we’re in the middle of summer and it’s 2 million degrees out anyway…
Oh, and of course, alcohol would also be off limits. You simply can’t make alcohol without sugar. So none of that for the next 3 weeks. That, however, will not be too hard, really, except for that one day when we will go and scatter my dad’s ashes and I should be raising a glass in his honor. I hope he won’t be offended if the glass I raise contains carbonated water and a slice of lemon…
In short, the ONLY form of sugar that I will allow for the duration of this challenge is fresh fruit. And no more than 3 per day. Ideally, I’d like to make that 2. But hey, let’s not push it.
Now would you believe me if I told you that, while undertaking this challenge, I could still be enjoying this gorgeous breakfast bake right here?
Right on!
I’d only have one small substitution to make and that would be using plain whey protein powder instead of the vanilla flavored variety. The rest is all on the “safe” list. No word of a lie. And it still tastes amazingly sweet and rich and chocolaty and has that dessert feel to it.You would never guess that it’s healthy, let alone sugar free!
And it’s not even that high in calories, either! Even while on a weight loss plan, I’m still enjoying breakfasts such as this one… after a good workout, of course!
For me, chocolate cake has nothing on this. This bake is moist, warm, rich, sweet, satisfying and COMPLETELY guilt free. Not only guilt free, but good for me.
What’s that you say? This doesn’t look like chocolate cake at all?
Oh, but you have to dig in! Let me demonstrate…
AH! AH! See? Chocolate cake. And not just any chocolate cake. Ooey and gooey chocolate cake.
That’s one of the things I love so much about instant bakes. You get to choose just how much, or how little, you want to cook your cake.
I happen to like mine with a lot of “lava”… Sooooooooo yummy!
I’m telling you guys, the more I get into this healthy lifestyle, the less I feel deprived.
Chocolate cake for breakfast? I’m loving this more and more.
Choco-Raspberry Instant Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ banana
- 2 tbsp 0% fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup 2 unpasteurized egg whites
Dry Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra dark cocoa powder
- ¼ cup buckwheat flour
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- ½ cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
Toppings
- 2 tbsp 0% fat Greek yogurt
- 1 scoop, 35g vanilla flavored whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut shavings, toasted
- Handful fresh raspberries
Instructions
- In a bowl mash the banana until very creamy. Whisk in yogurt and egg whites.
- In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients until well combined. Add banana mixture and mix well with a spatula until well incorporated.
- Transfer to a microwave safe bowl, or dessert cup, cover with a paper towel and cook about 1 minute and 30 seconds - 2 minutes, depending on desired level of "doneness"
- While cake is cooking, mix plain yogurt together with whey protein powder to make vanilla custard. It might look like there is too much powder at first, but it will come together eventually. Same goes for the "lumpy" feeling. Just let the custard rest for about a minute and it will become nice and smooth.
- Top cake with vanilla "custard", raspberries and coconut.
- Dig in!
Notes
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and TWITTER for more delicious, healthy recipes!
Chocolate cake you say? Just watch…
Spoon goes in…
Spoon comes out! Chocolate cake revealed!
Gooey enough for you?
38 Comments on “Choco-Raspberry Instant Breakfast Cake | 3 Week Sugar Free Challenge”
See you in three weeks, it seems:) ! Not that I don’t think about sugars in my eating plans, but I simpy won’t fuss about it 🙂 ! Good luck with what you deem to be right!
Oh, but Eha, nothing will change here, nothing at all! I already don’t use much sugar, save for dried fruit, date paste and the occasional honey, maple syrup or molasses… and to be honest, 3 weeks is such a short period. Given the number of recipes that I post in 3 weeks time, you might only get to see one that fits the “sugar free” description! 😉
Thank you for the good luck wishes, I truly appreciate that! 🙂
Of course it is ‘to each their own’ 🙂 ! Sugars are now considered more dangerous than fats! I get about 5-6 medical newslatters a day, and that has been a predominant headline lately. Personally I buy about 1 Kg of raw sugar a year period full stop. And artificial sweeteners to a large degree can cause awful damage, including major heart problems: One should never ever drink low cal soft drinks, for instance. But I don’t put stevia in the same category, and cooking Asian most of the time, many of the sauces absolutely necessary do have a sugar component, as do tomato sauce/puree again vital in many dishes. That is what I meant by ‘not fussing’, ie I almost never use sugar from a packet anyways, so no worries 🙂 !
This looks awesome. Great for breakfast or as a snack. Funny you mention the gum, I have been calling it synthetic rubber, because that is essentially what gum is :-). My friends think I am nuts!!
LOL, synthetic rubber! That might very well help me kick the habit. Now I can sort of imagine myself chewing on a piece of tire (especially since the gum that I chew happens to be black…). We’re on day 3 now of me not chewing and I’m doing great. Hope it lasts! Then I can finally be totally, completely aspartame free! 🙂
For the record, I don’t think you’re nuts, I think you’re a genius! 😀
I have tried so hard to go sugar-free for even a week, and I just can’t do it! And I have amazing will-power! good for you and good luck! I hope you complete this challenge, because its a challenge!
Thanks for your kind words of encouragement, Shadow! I’m sure that I will see it through. Day 2 is already behind me… it’s only 3 weeks, so that’s what… 19 days to go. Pfft… that’s nothing! I know I can do this! 🙂 (now my brain is all pumped and ready for another day!) 😉
Have you changed something about your photography setup the last few weeks / months? Like artificial light vs. natural light? The pictures are absolutely lovely! They were lovely before, but they just seem more light and airy now. 🙂 Good luck with your sugar free challenge! I know that you’ll be super successful. I still want to do it, but after berry season. Only I won’t limit my fruit. Need those vitamins. 🙂
Awwww, thanks Erin! I haven’t really changed lighting, I’m still benefiting from natural light. I’m not using many tricks and gadgets and gizmos, you know… I guess it’s just the natural light that’s changed over the last couple of weeks. Mind you, I’ve changed my “table” and tend to use lighter set-ups now, so that might be making a difference. At any rate, thank you very much for your super kind comment. And thanks for your kind words of encouragement, too! When you decide to take yours, I’ll be right behind to support you, every step of the way! 😀
Well then. It must be the lighter setup you have going on! Everything is so bright and airy. Love it! Hope the challenge is going well. 🙂
Thanks Erin. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing now, then, I guess! 😉 Oh, and the challenge is going super well so far. We’ll see how the week-end goes… 🙂
We saw this and had to make it asap- aka this morning! Deeeeeelicious! 🙂
Oh yay! So very happy to hear, and so very happy you liked!!! Thanks for letting me know, I really appreciate that! 🙂
Sugar free and it looks this good? No way. I don’t believe it.
You better believe it, baby! And I strongly recommend you try it, too! 😉
Ultra gooey is right! Good on you for embracing this challenge! I had the chewing gum habit after I quit smoking, too. It was super bad. I went to the dollar store once a week and loaded up on pack after pack. You can do it!
YOU SMOKED!!?!?!?! OMG, I am shocked! I had no idea! Good on you for quitting. Life is so much better without this crap… I feel so free now that I don’t smoke anymore. And I find I don’t miss my gum as much as I thought I would. This will definitely be a permanent change. Gum is going out the window! 😉
Thanks for your words of encouragement! They’re appreciated! 🙂
I made this yesterday with strawberries before a big day of biking around the breweries here in Fort Collins, CO. Held me until lunch and absorbed quite a bit of beer! Delicious!
Oh, soooo happy to hear that. It’s true music to my ears! So glad you liked it and that it supported you through all that (even the beer!) 😉 Thank you so much for sharing such valuable feedback, Rachel, you have no idea just how much I appreciate your taking the time to do that! You totally ROCK! 🙂
Oh my…words can’t even describe. That looks soooooo amazing! Can’t wait to get back to my kitchen so I can try this!
I’m flushed… thank you so very much! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 🙂
Gorgeous!
Wow, that looks yummy. I’m actually allergic to sugar cane. I only found out a couple of months ago. It’s been a hard transition, but I actually feel better than I have in 15 years! I can’t do yogurt or whey protein, either, so I’d need to sort out some substitutions, but I’m bookmarking this to play with it! Making the zucchini fritters tonight, too. 🙂
YAY! Hope you liked the fritters! Allergic to sugar cane, you say? That’s almost a blessing! 😉 How did you find out? And I can only imagine how good you must be feeling now that you have ruled it out of your diet. Must be real tough, however! As for the yogurt and whey protein, I guess you can just leave that out altogether and just enjoy the “cake” part. It will still be very yummy, I can guarantee! Or, like you said, have fun playing with the recipe and making substitutions. Let me know what you came up with! 🙂
I will let you know! I have a huge list of bookmarks to work through from going through your blog and a few others. 😉
As for the sugar cane allergy, yes I’m trying to see it as a blessing. 🙂 It’s hard when friends are trying to be so nice and *insist* that I have a piece of cake since I don’t like turning the conversation to my allergies and would rather simply politely decline.
I found out from going to a homeopathic doctor that does what’s called Meridian Stress Analysis. Every thing has it’s own electrical frequency and she had a machine that mimics the frequency of various foods and environmental factors like dust or pollen. Since pressure points all correspond to the body’s various systems, the response from them can be measured off of the pressure points. It may sound hokey, but it is the only thing that worked for me after exhausting rounds of seeing doctor after doctor for years! 🙂
Just wondering how you would cook this in an oven…I kind of avoid microwaves 🙂
Not sure, Melissa… I’ve never tried. If I was to give it a try, I would set the oven to 375F and bake for about 20-25 minutes, depending on desired “doneness”. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Love your site. But curious about your stevia aversion. There are natural, 100% pure, organic stevia options (read: NOT produced by Big Ag companies, and not containing industrial sugar alcohols like erythritol) that have been used for decades and decades safely by other countries. Stevia is simply an herb with a naturally sweet taste, but in the pure forms (powdered 100% pure stevia extract), it does have an aftertaste and MUST be used entirely sparingly. It does not bake well nor blend well, without fillers, but is, according to many, the HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE to sweeteners like agave, the latter which can be heavily processed and NOT as good for glycemic response as everything thinks and may even be worse than high-fructose corn syrup….
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food.aspx
I used stevia exclusively for over a year and got all the health benefits, in my experience of not eating sugar at all. (I had no maca, lucuma, brown rice syrup, anything of that sort.)
Your thoughts?
Hey EJ! Very interesting topic!
I don’t have a Stevia aversion at all. In fact, it would be the only sweetener that I will tolerate in the “ready made” foods that I use / buy on a regular basis, namely my vanilla flavored whey protein.
However, stevia is still sugar and for the duration of this sugar free challenge, all forms of sugar are to be eliminated from my diet, save from that which is naturally present in fresh fruit (which I try and limit to no more than 2 per day).
Normally, when cooking or baking, I tend to use mostly honey or maple syrup, and sometimes black strap molasses, which to me are the most natural and minimally processed forms of sugar.
I did purchase one bottle of agave nectar in the past, thinking that it was a healthy and natural sweetener, but then I read about it and found out that it was in fact extremely controversial and perhaps not even remotely close to being as healthy as it was said to be. So I stopped using it right then and there. When in doubt… 😉
This sounds and looks delicious! I will make this for breakfast next Thursday when my sister comes over. I was wondering if I could substitute the egg whites somehow? I would love to make a vegan version. What do you think about chia egg/flax seed egg as a substitute?
Haven’t tried them but I’m pretty sure that flax eggs would work Anja! Definitely worth a try… Please do let me know how it turns out if you end up giving it a go! 🙂
That cake looks great! I’m with you – definitely prefer things on the ‘molten lava’ side rather than ‘drier cooked’. ;] Haha. I was just wondering, could this be made without the yogurt? Or would it change up the texture too much? I can’t handle dairy and prefer to stay away from soy/coconut products so yogurt isn’t a food that I can consume really.
Wow, good luck with the sugar challenge! It’ll be tough at first, but SO worth it! However, I don’t agree with limiting fruit intake. I think that the natural occurring sugars in fruit and vegetables is just fine. Personally, I don’t see a need to cut ’em down; they’re full of nutrients that’ll help keep you going. That’s just my intake on it, though. I hope that that didn’t come off as snippy in any way!
It’s been over two years since I cut out all (added) sugar from my diet. I still consume actual sugar from fruit and the like, but that’s it. It’s really true what they say; the less sugar you have, the less you crave it. So just remember that if you think you might be having a hard time. It’ll get much easier! Also, not to mention the fact that it’s a whole lot easier to drop some weight without changing anything else. I honestly probably lost a good 20 pounds just by getting rid of added sugars from my diet. (of course, that put me under a healthy weight but it’s all good since I’ve restored most of it, heh, through some hard work).
Good luck again, you can do it! 😀
These little instant bakes are usually pretty forgiving and ingredients can easily be added, removed or subbed, especially if you are a fan of “molten lava”.
Kudos to you for removing sugar from your diet. I’m also wanting to turn this into a way of life. Not saying that I will never have sugar EVER again, but I really want to keep it to a minimum. I can’t say I have suffered too much from not having any over the past 12 days now. The only thing that I find really difficult with being on a strict sugar free challenge is not being able to eat anything that I haven’t made myself for I can never be sure whether sugar was used to make it or not. Scrutinizing labels is kind of tough too! For instance, the other day, I felt like using a little bit of sriracha in my salad, well, had to look at the label and turns out there is sugar in it… Darn! So to be living THAT strict of a sugar free life forever, I don’t think I could do, but keeping sugar intake to a minimum, definitely! I sure would love to hear how living a sugar free life works for you!
As for fruit intake, I’m not really imposing a limit, I just find that 2 to 3 servings per day is a good amount for me. And no, you didn’t come off as snippy in any way, don’t worry about it. I love when people share their point of views!
Thanks for the kind wishes, I’m still going strong and will see this challenge through. I’m even considering extending it to 30 days, instead of 21. I don’t know why, to me, a challenge should be at least 30 days…
It’s just absolutely great! I need to try it. I know I’ll love this cake 🙂
A have got a question… Why don’t you eat whole eggs?
I just have to throw this out there: I made this for the first time this morning (after staring at this recipe countless times) and it was DIVINE. Oh my goodness, this is how breakfast should be done 🙂 Thank you!
HAHA! So glad you liked, Evan. Thanks for letting me know, and happy to have played a part in making your breakfast so enjoyable! 😀