Not everyone is a fan of the chocolate game and for good reasons. Ask anyone who had to break out of an all-chocolate diet (or try it) to find out about the potential woes caused by too much sugar. In that regard, buying Valentine’s chocolates can be very taxing on the already bloated waistline.
Still, some are bound to get hit with chocolate cravings at some point. If you’re one of them, here are five alternative gift set to chocolates this Valentine’s Day:
- Chocolate mousse popsicles
These days, many of their sugar-laden delights are being replaced with healthier options. One good example is this chocolate mousse (yes, you read that right) popsicle.
Mousse is like the fanciest of the fancy ice cream. It is essentially a whipped cream made from eggs, sugar, and usually flavouring. For example, this recipe uses instant chocolate pudding powder as flavouring (thus cutting down prep time significantly).
You can use any flavour you choose or mix 2 or 3 together for added effect. But, of course, you’ll also want to match this with the corresponding extracts (e.g., vanilla for vanilla mousse).
- Fresh coffee brew gift set
In a rush to get through the traffic? Skip the coffeehouse and go for this easy fresh brew gift set instead.
What makes this better than your run-of-the-mill coffee gift set is that the ingredients have been selected by gourmet food experts, who know for a fact which ingredients taste best when combined. That means you’ll get a gourmet-tasting cup of coffee without the wait (and guesswork).
- Nutty choc chip cookies
These are a twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie. Instead of chocolate chips, chocolate chunks are used. You can also use a block of dark chocolate to make these.
And then, in place of the sugar called for in most recipes, honey is used instead. As you can guess, this has less impact on insulin levels, though this may be mitigated by the small amount otherwise allowed (e.g., only one teaspoon per batch).
- Dipped candy hearts
This Valentine’s Day, try making dipped candy hearts instead of chocolate. The sturdier, less fragile chocolate is better than that of a bar, so you’ll be able to make bigger sweets with confidence.
On a related note, take note that it is still recommended to consume only small amounts of chocolate per day in your diet.
- Sweet Smirnoff surprise
Craving for a ‘sweet’ treat but don’t want the sugar rush? This sweet gift box will satisfy your cravings.
In essence, this is like a chocolate liqueur cocktail, but with its own unique twist. It’s made with (of all things) vodka! So if you need a last-minute gift for someone on Valentine’s Day, this will do nicely.
Wrapping up
And that concludes our Valentine’s Day gift guide. There are many more alternatives to chocolates out there in the market, so we definitely encourage you to test some of them out.
