A moist sugar-free, grain-free, paleo chocolate mug cake recipe to end your chocolate cravings in a flash. Complete with two slight changes to the recipe depending on how you like your cake.
Cravings. They’re a bitch. Flat out. The way I see it, there are 2 different types of cravings…
The emotional craving. You want because your head; and emotions, are playing tricks on you. Your past stories and experiences are dictating your present reality. If you’re dealing with emotional cravings, watch this.
And the second, the body craving. Your body is telling you that something’s off, that it needs that certain something to balance everything out. (Almost every time) it’s a lack of fats and a lack of magnesium. By eating enough fat, you send a calming signal to our body, neutralizing the “uppity” feeling you get when you’re craving something you, “shouldn’t have”.
Dealing with a body craving? Try a serving of powdered magnesium, a dollop of nut butter, a flax muffin spread with coconut oil, or today’s recipe!
Today’s recipe approaches cravings from two angles: to calm your system with healthy fats and to satisfying your body with magnesium. Word.
AND! If you’ve reacted to xylitol in the past and you really want to go sugar-free but you’re out of options, read the NOTES of the recipe today where I explain why you reacted to xylitol and what to do about it. And no, it goes beyond choosing a xylitol that’s “birch-sourced”.
You’ll notice that I’m using a couple of ingredients from Epicure in today’s recipe. If you do not have these products, or don’t have access, the recipe is still fair game for you! I’ve included ways to use ingredients you have in your home. I am not a consultant for this company, nor do I have any investment in the results of sharing their goodies with you. Many of you have asked for my thoughts on this company, so here goes!
Epicure is a 100{c754d8f4a6af077a182a96e5a5e47e38ce50ff83c235579d09299c097124e52d} Canadian, family-owned, woman-led company that creates spice mixtures and dinner shortcuts to encourage easy, delicious family meal prep. What I like about their products is that they use clean, wholesome ingredients that are nut-free, gluten-free and as pure to natural as possible with no added MSG, fillers, or artificial flavors or colors. And, they’re enrolled in the Non-GMO Project. Many of their mixtures are salt-free (where you can add your own healthful salt, like Himalayan rock salt) and dairy-free.
Epicure creates meal sidekicks that are minimally processed helping us to prepare fast, quick and flavor-packed meals in a flash. Basically? I think they’re awesome. And if you’re using Epicure products already, or have thought about grabbing a couple of make mealtime a bit simpler, do it!
In case you’re a Epicure junky and wondering which products I approve of, here are a couple of my gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, salt-free and Non-GMO favorites… Greek Dressing Seasoning, Harissa Seasoning, Apple Pie Seasoning, Pizza Seasoning, and Cha Cha Chili Meal Shortcut Mix.
I used Epicure Poudre Douce and a batch of brewed Epicure Chai Tea to make todays cake. If you do not have these products, no worries! Check the notes of the recipe.
Like what you see? Follow Epicure on Facebook and Twitter.
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon Epicure Poudre Douce *check notes for substitutions
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup blanched smooth almond butter
- 2 tablespoons strongly-brewed Epicure Chai Tea
- 1 teaspoon corn-free, birch xylitol
- 4 drops alcohol-free stevia
- ¼ cup finely ground blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Epicure Poudre Douce *check notes for substitutions
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons strongly-brewed Epicure Chai Tea
- 1 teaspoon corn-free, birch xylitol
- 4 drops alcohol-free stevia
- Regardless of what version you choose to make, the steps are the same.
- Add dry ingredients to a small bowl, combine. Add wet ingredients to a separate bowl, whisk.
- Add dry to wet, stir to combine. Drop batter into an Epicure non-stick silicone cup or a lightly-oiled mug. Microwave on high for 1.5 minutes.
- Eat from the mug, or; if using a Epicure non-stick silicone cup, flip over onto a plate.
- Option to melt a square of chocolate and drizzle overtop.
Poudre Douce: replace with an equal amount of chai spice mixture or ground cinnamon.
Avocado Oil: I chose to use avocado oil because it’s plant-based, a clean oil, safe for high-temperatures, and has a neutral taste. You could also use melted coconut oil.
Xylitol: There is a small amount of xylitol in this recipe. If you’ve reacted to xylitol in the past, it’s likely because the xylitol wasn’t North American grown, it came from corn, or you ate too much of it in one sitting. Our bodies have a specific enzyme that breaks down xylitol. It takes a couple of weeks to build up the enzyme so it’s best to start off slow with it and work your way up!
Stevia: I used a combination of xylitol and stevia in this recipe to reduce the amount of stevia to add to the authentic “sugar” taste of this recipe. If you do not like stevia, or have a favorite sweetener that you would like to use in place of the stevia or xylitol, go for it. A liquid sweetener such as honey could be used, perhaps at 1 tablespoon for the recipe.
View Nutrition Information (once on page, scroll down)
What type of craving do you experience the most? What strategies do you use to overcome them?
SOURCE: Healthful Pursuit – Read entire story here.
