Natural Sweeteners (what are the best choices?)

England has a massive sweet tooth, and we have lots of dental surgeries to prove it! But natural sugar in small amounts is fine, it’s the huge uptake of refined sugar in grocery products (often hidden). For instance, most ‘low-fat yoghurts’ have heaps of sugar, even smoothies.

Never use xylitol (a birch sugar) near pets. Just a few dropped crumbs can be lethal. It’s also found in most chewing gum and some natural toothpastes, so choose xylitol-free alternatives (even licking from around your mouth or a sink could be lethal).

Organic date syrup is a rich and fruity dark syrup made from organic dates, sold in a glass jar with metal lid. This makes a great alternative to refined sugar. It’s organic and vegan, use in hot drinks, desserts and baking. Or try the organic oat syrup.

Organic barley malt syrup has a rich mellow taste and a milder sweetness than sugar, honey or maple syrup, so less likely to overpower the taste of others foods. Use to sweeten hot drinks, or use as toppings for cakes and pancakes, or use in baking.

This is stickier than rice malt syrup and has a molasses-type flavour. Also good as a binder, add to the liquid ingredients, you may need to adjust quantities of solid ingredients, to avoid creating too-wet batters.

This is made by sprouting organic grains to release digestive enzymes to break down starches, proteins and fats. These then break down into natural sugars, to create a delicious syrup that is around half as sweet as refined white sugar.

Organic rice malt syrup is used the same. This has a butterscotch caramel flavour.

Organic Oat Biscuits are all made without palm oil and are also vegan. They are made with organic Scottish oats and coconut and olive oils. In Miso maple and sweet date.

Date Treats (that taste like Snickers bars!)

These Snickers Dates (Purely Kaylie) are ideal if you like to munch on Snickers bars, but are concerned re animal ingredients, palm oil, refined sugar, plastic packaging or your waistline!

Keep chocolate and nuts away from pets. Read more on food safety for people & pets.

Dates are super-good for you (though check if you have diabetes). Naturally sweet, they are packed with calcium, and good for your tummy.

This recipe is super-simple, just splurge on medjool dates. They are basically just  stuffed with peanuts and peanut butter (choose organic to avoid palm oil) then covered in melted dark chocolate.

It’s really easy to recreate most popular chocolate bars (responsible for most of our street plastic litter). You just consider what it is, then find a recipe. For instance:

• Twix is just shortbread covered in chocolate
• Kit kats are just wafers covered in chocolate
• Bounties are just dessicated coconut in chocolate

Avoid Refined White Sugar

In England, most refined sugar is not filtered through bone char (unlike abroad). But it’s still like poison to your body. It rots your teeth, extra sugar turns to fat, and contributes to everything from obesity to type-diabetes.

Although sugar is natural in its pure form, sugar eaten as pure white spoonfuls loaded into your mug of tea, is not the same as the natural sugar beet say that a wild creature would eat in the meadow.

• If you have a real sweet tooth, just try to gradually reduce sugar in your cuppa, rather than add artificial sweeteners. Just very slowly reduce the amount you put in, and in a few weeks, your tastebuds will have adjusted. Or at least get down to one teaspoon of natural brown sugar!
• Fresh sweet fruits are good, as are sweet vegetables: carrots, corn, beetroot. All can be made into healthy plant-based desserts that you can find online.
• One of the best ways to reduce refined sugar, is to swap to sustainable soda drinks, which tend to be made with fresh fruits, soda waters and natural cane sugars.
• Be wary of low-fat foods. Often these foods (yoghurts, smoothies) are loaded with sugar instead. It’s better to just choose the full-fat versions, with less sugar as a treat.

Naturally Sweet Vegan Treats (from Sweden)

Learning to cook your own food is empowering, as you no longer have to rely on expensive plastic-wrapped ready-meals and takeaways. Master your favourite cuisines at home, using wholesome easy-to-find ingredients you can find in any grocery store.

Naturally Sweet Vegan Treats is a stunning book of desserts that are all naturally sweetened from ‘Miss Marzipan’ of Stockholm! Many are based around seasonal produce, and others inspired by travels in Europe. To avoid palm oil, make your own pastry (keep fresh dough away from children and pets). 

Read up on food safety for people and pets. Bin tomato/citrus/rhubarb scraps (acids may harm compost creatures). Fully remove tinned lids (or pop ring-pulls back over holes) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

Learn to make desserts both free of artificial sweeteners, yet low in natural sugars (sweetened instead with maple syrup, coconut sugar or fresh and dried fruits).

Recipes include:

• Roasted Peach & Banana Pancakes
• Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake
• Blueberry Cupcakes
• Figgy Energy Bars
• Banana ‘Kladdkaka’
• Lemon Scones
• Pumpkin & Candied Pecan Hand Pies
• Chocolate Cake Batter Waffles
• Chocolate Celebration Cake
• Veggie Patch Brownies

Marisa’s recipes are amongst the best I’ve come across. Easy to follow yet wholesome and absolutely delicious. You can’t go wrong with this book. Kim-Julie Hansen

Marisa’s book is one of the very few that uses only wholesome and nutrient-dense ingredients, and turns them into sweet treats that taste amazing. Julia Lette (naturopath and nutritionist)

Marisa Alvarsson (aka Miss Marzipan) is a chef and photographer, who has been nominated for a Saveur Award. She lives in Sweden.

Link above to her Instagram account to find more recipes for her naturally sweet vegan treats (not in the book) like this oat yoghurt cake and apple strudel.