Recipes

Does anyone remember that episode of Real Housewives of Orange County when 3 bites into their group dessert, Alexis oh so casually unscrews the salt shaker and dumps the entire contents onto the dessert? (Insert moment of shame that I watched, ok watch, Real Housewives) Well while the typical reaction to that scene was probably along the lines of what a “insert expletive!” my first response was “brilliant.”

At the time I had a major issues with portion control and was grasping at straws to find ways to control it so this seemed like a brilliant, albeit wasteful idea. I knew at that moment, I had to take some big steps to get things under control. First I ordered one of these portion control plates. I know they look a bit silly but it totally worked for me. Second, I started individually packing snacks and trigger foods into portion controlled baggies. It took some extra time, but stopped me from mindlessly eating multiple portions. Finally I started cooking more recipes, especially for sweets, that had built in portion control since sometimes it is really hard to not go back for a second or third cookie or cupcake. Here are some of my favorites. What are yours?

On a quick side note while we are talking about sweets, over the weekend I bought some sugar free syrup for the first time in years and I am completely obsessed – Sugarfree Salted Caramel Syrup. I have already put it on ice cream, in coffee and hot chocolate, in a smoothie with bananas, and may try baking with it soon. Swoon.

1. Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting For Two, 6 points plus

I first shared these cupcakes for two at Valentine’s Day and have been making them ever since. I use the chocolate cupcake base, which only has 4 points plus, for all sorts of delicious desserts. My recent favorite is broken up into a bowl with some light whipped cream and strawberries for a chocolate strawberry shortcake. I also sometimes mix some PB2 into the baking mix for a chocolate, peanut butter cake. Yum.

2. Stone Fruit Crisp For One, 3-4 points plus

Fruit crisp is easily one of my all time favorite desserts. It all started with my Aunt who made an amazing blueberry crispy that we requested almost daily every summer, and has since evolved into a love of all things crisp. This simple stone fruit crisp for one takes advantage of whatever fruit you have on hand and adds the crisp right on top. Perfect for one and much healthier than the typical butter packed version.

3. Sugar Cookie Milkshake, 3 points plus with banana

This sugar cookie milkshake is delicious. It satisfies cravings for a milkshake and cookies (win-win) and comes in at only 3 points plus and 120 calories. Sometimes I mix in some malted milk or cocoa powder to create new flavors. It also makes a delicious breakfast smoothie if you are in the mood for something sweet.

4. Mississippi Mud Pie For One, 7 points plus

Although this dessert is a bit higher in calories and points, it combines pudding, cake, and chocolate chips for one delicious dessert. You can make it in just about three minutes and being packed with so much chocolate is sure to cure any chocolate cravings.

5. Chocolate Banana Mug Cake, 5 points plus

The last dessert is one of my favorites and combines my favorite combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas. Everything is mixed together and then placed in the microwave for a delicious dessert in under three minutes. It also is packed with protein, which keeps it some great staying power for a mid-day snack.