Easy Dessert Recipes From One Wholesome Meal

Making desserts doesn’t need to be complicated and cumbersome.

With some simple basic ingredients in your pantry and delicious fruits, it is so simple to whip up one of these three mouthwatering wonders in less than an hour. Try it for yourself and your tastebuds will thank you!

Read more: Easy Breakfast Recipes From One Wholesome Meal

With two of the most luscious and yummy fruits Mother Nature has to offer, this dessert is a keeper. You can choose to lightly sweeten it with honey or maple syrup, but this is absolutely optional. Using sabja (basil) seeds is recommended, as they are natural coolants and help the body beat the heat.

Ingredients:

1 mango (medium sized Alphonso or any other variety at hand)
1 custard apple (medium sized, seeds removed)
2 tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp sabja (basil) seeds or Chia seeds
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Chopped nuts

Method

1. Blend the mango pulp and 1 tablespoon of coconut milk. Add half a teaspoon of the sabja or chia seeds, mix well and set aside.
2. Blend the custard apple and the remaining coconut milk. Add the other half teaspoon of the sabja or chia seeds, mix well and set aside.
3. Pour the custard apple mixture followed by the mango mixture into a tall glass.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving. This gives time for the layers to form well and for the sabja seeds to swell up, imparting a distinct crunchiness to the pudding.
5. Top with chopped nuts of choice and serve chilled.

It’s all about raw energy balls these days but I wonder where does the inspiration come from? My guess is it dates back to our (great) great grandmother’s kitchens, which regularly churned out all sorts of “bliss balls”. They ensured those mason jars were always full and placed way above the reach of little prying hands, lest they mysteriously vanished overnight. There was a special kind for all festivities and celebrations too. Unfortunately with each passing generation, the patience levels kept dipping, which is why these ten minute coconut ladoos are the answer to my prayers. All you need is a blender and a few basic ingredients, and these goodies are ready in a jiffy.

Ingredients

1 cup desiccated coconut (plus 1 additional tbsp if required for coating)
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
2 tsp coconut oil (melted)
2 tbsp honey (increase or decrease this amount as per desired sweetness)
½ tsp cardamom powder
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Dried rose petals, powdered coarsely

Method

1. Pulse all the ingredients in a blender until an almost smooth consistency is achieved. You will need to scrape down the sides. Be careful to not over blend the mixture into a paste.
2. Grease your palms with one-teaspoon of the coconut oil and shape the mixture into small balls of desired size. Sprinkle some desiccated coconut over the balls if desired.
3. Roll in the powdered rose petals to coat evenly and you’re done (easy)!

Do you ever have days when you crave a smooth creamy dessert but do not want to spend hours in the kitchen whipping up one (every second day of my existence is such!)? It was in moments of desperation that I created this gorgeous delicacy. Not only did I create a new recipe, I also learnt a life lesson – always have a tub of mascarpone cheese handy in your refrigerator! Take my word for it and enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients

225g mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup physalis (you could use strawberries as an alternative)
3 tbsp brown sugar or honey
1 tsp rose extract
1 large egg
A pinch of salt
Slivered pistachios to garnish

Method

1. First, you need to roast the physalis. Remove the leaves and cut the fruit into halves. Place in a roasting or oven-proof dish, sprinkle with a tablespoon of powdered sugar and roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius) for approximately 15 minutes or until the fruit starts to change colour and is fork tender. Time it carefully as the fruits are tiny and roast quickly. Leave to cool.
2. Crack and separate the egg white and yolk. In a deep and wide bowl, mix together the egg yolk, sugar/honey, rose extract and mascarpone cheese. Blend with a hand blender until a smooth consistency is achieved.
3. In a separate bowl mix egg white and salt with a wire whisk until soft peaks form (here’s a handy reference guide to soft peaks).
4. Gently fold in the whipped egg white to the mascarpone batter.
5. Layer the rose mascarpone with roasted fruit and let it chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Garnish with slivered pistachios and serve. Tequila or similar sized glasses work best for serving.
6. Other fruits like figs, stone fruit or peaches roast well too and also work well with this recipe!