Okay, so Easter rolled around again this year, and honestly, the thought of all that sugar just made me tired before it even started. You know how it is, right? Chocolate eggs everywhere, marshmallow things, jelly beans… it’s a lot. Plus, I’ve been trying to cut back on the white stuff myself, just feeling better for it.
So, I decided, this year, I’m gonna try making some sugar-free Easter desserts. Not buying the pre-made stuff, ’cause honestly, most of that tastes like cardboard, but actually making something decent from scratch.
Figuring It Out
First step was figuring out what to even make. I spent a bit of time scrolling online, looking for ideas. Lots of fancy stuff out there, but I wanted something kinda traditional, you know? Something that still felt like Easter. I landed on trying two things: some little coconut nests, ’cause they always look cute, and maybe a simple berry bake, something fruity and fresh.
Finding sweeteners was the next job. I’ve messed around with stevia before, but sometimes it has that weird aftertaste. I picked up some erythritol this time, heard good things about it for baking. Also grabbed some unsweetened coconut flakes and dark chocolate that was naturally low in sugar – the really bitter kind, like 85% cacao.
Getting Hands Dirty
Alright, kitchen time. Started with the coconut nests. Simple enough, I thought. Just needed shredded coconut, a bit of that erythritol, some egg whites to bind it, and a splash of vanilla.
- Mixed the coconut, erythritol, and vanilla together.
- Whipped the egg whites separately until they were kinda stiff.
- Folded the egg whites into the coconut mix. This part felt a bit different than using sugar, the mix seemed… drier? Less sticky maybe.
- Tried shaping them into little nest shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They weren’t holding together as well as I remembered sugary ones doing. Had to really press them tight.
- Baked them until they looked golden brown around the edges.
While those cooled, I tackled the berry bake. This was even simpler. Just took a mix of frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries), threw them in a baking dish. Sprinkled a little more erythritol over the top, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice. For a topping, I mixed almond flour, a bit of melted butter (or coconut oil works), and a tiny bit more erythritol until it was crumbly. Scattered that over the berries. Popped that in the oven too.
The Results?
Okay, moment of truth. The coconut nests actually came out pretty good! They held their shape after cooling. Taste-wise, they weren’t super sweet, obviously, but the coconut flavor was strong, and they had a nice chewy texture. Dipping the bottom in that melted dark chocolate definitely helped. Success, I’d say!
The berry bake… well, it was okay. The fruit was tart and cooked down nicely. The crumble topping crisped up alright. But you could definitely tell it wasn’t packed with sugar. It tasted healthy. Which isn’t bad, but maybe not quite the indulgent Easter dessert vibe I secretly wanted. It needed something more, maybe some cinnamon or nutmeg in the topping next time.
Honestly, it wasn’t too hard. The substitutes worked okay, especially the erythritol in the nests. It didn’t have that weird aftertaste I was worried about. You just have to manage your expectations, you know? It’s not going to taste exactly like the sugar-loaded stuff. But it felt good to have options that didn’t leave me feeling sluggish afterwards. Will I do it again next year? Yeah, probably. Might experiment a bit more with flavors for the berry dish, but the nests are keepers.
