Crazy-Easy Low Fat Vegan Candy Bar Innards Dessert (or Heavenly Bites)

by Maria Theresa Maggi on June 11, 2014

spoonful of Crazy-EasyLow Fat Vegan Candy Bar Innards Dessert

A dear friend of mine in grad school always insisted that people need comfort food during a move to help ease the craziness. And she said, neither one of us knowing she was echoing Dr. McDougall, that comfort food meant starch. Potato salad. Potato chips. Pasta. Oatmeal cookies. Tortillas. Burritos. Bread. Pretzels. You get the idea.

Now that I eat whole starch as a matter of course, I guess I’m pretty much always eating “moving food.” But of course I’m not always disrupting my everyday life with a big move. During this crazy life changing move of mine, I’ve taken to a low fat, sugar free, starch based dessert that reminds me of the inside of a Nestle’s Crunch candy bar. Or if I make it with my version of Living Oatmeal, it’s kind of like the inside of a 3 Musketeers bar. And if I add the optional orange zest there is the slightest suggestion of the inside of a Cadbury Chocolate Orange Creme Egg.

It doesn’t look very pretty. It’s just a little bowl of glop. If you wanted to fancy it up you could roll it into balls or flatten into little discs and refrigerate them. Or make them into these little heavenly bites:

Low Fat Vegan Candy Bar Innards Dessert made into a Heavenly Bite

 

But for a quick and comforting treat, I like the glop approach, alongside a cup of rooibus tea spiked with a little vanilla extract.

So here it is folks: a comforting fat free vegan starch based sugar free dessert that will bring you back to the days of eating soft filled candy bars with just a little crunch. Glop never tasted so good. And a Heavenly Bite isn’t bad either.

 

 

Lots of people say that the best things in life are free. I think that’s true. But I also believe the best things in life happen when I allow myself to be kind of crazy. I had both of those in one package the other morning when I got the idea that I could transport the rest of my garden starts, a hose, some leaf mulch and a chair in an old shopping cart left over from the Co-op’s stuff at the yard sale the couple of miles to my new house. Wearing my straw hat and sunglasses and my old corduroy overalls, with Romeo patiently at my side, we rattled all the way there, battling old sidewalk made treacherous by the roots of beautiful old trees and decades of winter ice. I also got an experiential glimpse into what my friend Ashley must face in her wheelchair every day. And for good measure, we probably woke everyone up along the way. It was clear this had been a one way trip once I got there, but I didn’t know how I would get the shopping cart back to be picked up by the Salvation Army the next day. I lucked out when a friend called and suggested that when she and her husband came to town, they’d pick me up, and pick the shopping cart up, put it in the back of their rig and drop us both off back at the blue house.

Deciding to try this dessert is kind of like deciding to push my belongings to my new house in a shopping cart. I had to be a little crazy. I had to entertain unlikely possibilities and ย to be willing to have things look a little silly and outrageous. I had to be stubborn. I had to be willing to tire myself out to see if it would work, and of course, I had to be willing to laugh at myself along the way. If you can manage any of that, you are ready to treat yourself to this visionary dessert. You’ll get to have a candy bar without the candy bar, or even the chocolate. Or a tiny ice cream sandwich without the ice cream. And perhaps, like me, you’ll be able to see how an old shopping cart, in the right light, looks almost exactly like a magic carpet.

Maria (moonwatcher)

PS: Me and Romeo in front of the new house (without the shopping cart):

Me and Romeo front porch

 

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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Kathy June 12, 2014 at 8:48 am

Oh, this looks really yummy and a fun treat that the kids can make during the summer. My goal most summers is to find ways to not turn on the oven.

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2 moonwatcher June 12, 2014 at 8:50 am

Thank you Kathy! I hope your kids enjoy this. ๐Ÿ™‚ I have that same goal about keeping the oven off during most summers. ๐Ÿ™‚

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3 Caroline June 12, 2014 at 8:55 am

Do you think it would work to shape it into cookies and bake it or maybe dehydrate the cookies? These look amazing.

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4 Nicole O'Shea June 12, 2014 at 8:55 am

Too yummy sounding…Must. Eat. Breakfast. Soon….

Love the picture of your new porch inhabited by you and Romeo!

xoxo

Nicole

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5 moonwatcher June 12, 2014 at 9:02 am

Oh thanks, Nicole!! I bet your making a yummy and healthy breakfast yourself! So glad you enjoyed the picture of us on the new front porch. xoxo

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6 Pam June 12, 2014 at 9:09 am

Darn, I really wanted to see that shopping cart! ๐Ÿ™‚

Thanks for the reminder that I can make something sweet, yummy and healthy from my own small pantry on the road. I always have oats and some sort of non-dairy milk, as well as bananas, and other fun and healthy additives. I am back on the straight and narrow, avoiding chocolate and cookies.

I made a small bowl of “glop” after reading this and it was yummy. But it never made it into the freezer with banana slices! Just too yummy. Maybe next time, and it will be nice to have a cold treat to combat this heat wave we’re having! ๐Ÿ™‚

Thanks for continuing to inspire me.

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7 moonwatcher June 12, 2014 at 9:42 am

You’re welcome, Pam–I am honored–and thanks for trying out the glop and finding it delicious! Mine pretty much never makes it into the freezer either. But it’s good that way too. Stay cool as you can. And sorry, no record of the infamous shopping cart trip but the words! LOL xo

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8 Veronica June 12, 2014 at 9:30 am

I always love how you’re able to make delicious treats without fat or sugar! It’s truly an art. Candy bar innards were always my favorite, anyway – so this would be a perfect, guilt-free treat. And the mini bites look delish!! I would eat all of them at once, if I know myself at all… Bananas and chocolate are a heavenly combination.
I can totally see you pushing that shopping cart 2 miles!! It’s an efficient way of getting your stuff there without using a car or multiple trips. If only you had a picture of that, though… Stay crazy. ๐Ÿ™‚ xoxo
PS – your new house looks lovely! Lots of plants, and a homey front porch.

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9 moonwatcher June 12, 2014 at 9:45 am

Thanks so much, Veronica! Yes, the candy bar innards are usually the best part. ๐Ÿ™‚ Even if you ate all the heavenly bites in one sitting, you’d still e good to go. Thanks for being able to envision the shopping cart caper, and for your lovely words about the new place. I love it!! You made me laugh out loud with your admonition to stay crazy–will do!! ๐Ÿ™‚ xoxo

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10 Donna McFarland June 12, 2014 at 12:47 pm

Wow Maria…this is BRILLIANT! Thannnnk you, for sharing this delicious bite of heaven indeed…cannot WAIT to make these…YUMMY looking treats!

The photo of you on your new front porch is just wonderful…may you and Romeo have many, many, happy& healthful years of bliss there!

xoxox d.

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11 moonwatcher June 12, 2014 at 8:49 pm

Hi Donna! So very happy to know this dessert appeals to you–enjoy!! And thanks for the kind words about the photo and your warm well wishes for many happy and healthful years of bliss at our new place! xoxo

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12 Deb June 13, 2014 at 10:18 am

I made these and they are great, but I had to add some sweetener. I don’t know if Dutch cocoa is different from carob, but without sweetener I was a bit overwhelmed with the bittrness of the cocoa taste. Make sense? But they were really fab.

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13 moonwatcher June 13, 2014 at 10:33 am

Thanks for posting this, Deb–it makes perfect sense. I suspected anyone using cocoa powder would have to add sweetener. Carob is naturally sweeter than cocoa. So glad you tweaked to your satifactions and found them “fab”–Yay!! ๐Ÿ™‚

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14 Kelly June 14, 2014 at 3:38 pm

What are dehydrated buckwheat groats? I have only seen the regular kind. Absolutely love the pic of you and Romeo on the porch! What a lovely house! Someday, I will drive through your town just to see the the lovely vintage homes:)

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15 moonwatcher June 14, 2014 at 5:18 pm

Hi Kelly! Thanks for your question. dehydrated buckwheat groats are simply raw buckwheat groats that have been soaked overnight, rinsed, and then dried in the food dryer or dehydrator (hence the name) for another 8-10 hours. It’s something you have to do at home, which I have mentioned in other posts. Here’s where I first learned how to do it on Choosing Raw blog: http://www.choosingraw.com/buckwheat-cereal-and-almond-milk/. It makes the groats easier to digest and gives them a soft crunch. Very tasty! You could probably try and do them in a low oven if you don’t have a food dryer, but not for nearly as long–maybe not even an hour. I’ve never done it that way, though, I’m just going on what I’ve read. There might be something in that link about it. Hope this helps!

ps: thanks too for nice words about vintage homes in Moscow–there are some really lovely ones here. ๐Ÿ™‚

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16 Gena June 14, 2014 at 8:41 pm

I love how easy this recipe is! Many of my desserts feel sort of haphazard — a mish mosh with no particular precision — and they’re often the most delicious.

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17 moonwatcher June 14, 2014 at 9:18 pm

Thanks Gena! Here’s to our delicious desserts made of mish mosh with no particular precision. ๐Ÿ™‚ Mish mosh–love that phrase!! ๐Ÿ™‚

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18 Veronique June 14, 2014 at 10:54 pm

Hi Maria, this looks yummy!!!
I think I will use it as topping on banana icecream and maybe make a few balls and dehydrate them, see how that goes.
If I use almond milk for this, what do I do with the rest? I mean: is the fat content so low, it is o.k. to use it in bigger amounts?
I have been keeping my diary in Cronometre to get a feel of the fat I eat. Seeing there is fat in fruits and vegetables, sometimes even saturated fats, I have been avoiding nuts and seeds, nut milks, so as to keep my fat intake low. Once you make almon milk or open a store bought pack, it won’t keep very long. How do you solve that?

I was reading through your past posts to catch up on all the info. I am in November 2013, so still a while to go ๐Ÿ™‚ but I did think to myself that you live in a lovely area. The houses are free standing (ours are all built in a row) and they are so pretty. Your new porch is so romantic. We don’t have that in The Netherlands, but we all dream of them ๐Ÿ˜‰

I hope the move goes well and that it doesn’t wear you out.

Hugs,
Vรฉronique

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19 moonwatcher June 15, 2014 at 9:34 am

Hi Veronique! I think it’s a great idea to use it as topping for banana ice cream. I use my almond milk in my “big bowls” of oats, etc., which I eat every day, and sometimes in non-dairy sauces. The kind we can get in the store here lasts a while when open. I often solve the problem of going bad by making my own in small one person batches. So only 1/2 cup of nuts or even 1/3 to 4 or 5 times the water. Or I make it when I know I want to use it in the next few days for a variety of things. I use almond milk because it’s relatively low in saturated fat and easy for me to digest. It’s my personal favorite. But you could use soy or rice or some other non-dairy milk too. I am very intolerant of dairy so I don’t eat any of it anymore. But that’s me. Everyone’s body and needs are unique to them.

Thanks for the lovely compliment on the new front porch and the best wishes for the move. It IS wearing me out, but that’s the nature of the moving beast. ๐Ÿ˜€ I’m happy as can be, and resting as much as I can, and that helps a lot. ๐Ÿ™‚

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20 Rosalie June 25, 2014 at 10:04 pm

What is dehydrated buckwheat groats? do you dehydrate them yourself? sounds yummy i think. hope to hear from you. thanks,
rosalie

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21 moonwatcher June 25, 2014 at 10:27 pm

Hi Rosalie–thanks for your question. Here is the answer I gave another reader, Kelly, about how to make your own: dehydrated buckwheat groats are simply raw buckwheat groats that have been soaked overnight, rinsed, and then dried in the food dryer or dehydrator (hence the name) for another 8-10 hours. Itโ€™s something you have to do at home, which I have mentioned in other posts. Hereโ€™s where I first learned how to do it on Choosing Raw blog: http://www.choosingraw.com/buckwheat-cereal-and-almond-milk/. It makes the groats easier to digest and gives them a soft crunch. Very tasty! You could probably try and do them in a low oven if you donโ€™t have a food dryer, but not for nearly as longโ€“maybe not even an hour. Iโ€™ve never done it that way, though, Iโ€™m just going on what Iโ€™ve read. There might be something in that link about it. Hope this helps!

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