DOMAN DIET DESSERTS FOR UPCOMING HOLIDAYS!
By Julee Mahon
Hi Doman Method® parents, friends, followers, etc.
I have quite the treat for you and your child in this blog! (pun intended)
Many of our parents know our Doman International Initial Nutrition Program is called an Elimination Diet. The changes we make are to help, not hinder, growth and development while doing the complete program (physical, cognitive, respiratory, social).
ELIMINATION DIET
I know those words seem daunting and even scary. Let me reassure you that it will be okay. As a Team, we have many tools and recipes to help you navigate these changes for your child and your family.
I like to think of the diet as a Replacement Diet. Yes, you need to eliminate certain foods but there is always something those foods can be replaced with.
REPLACEMENT DIET
To me, this is a challenge I gladly accept. Every time a parent brings up a food their child loves I make it a goal to find a replacement for it. Remember any elimination takes time. It is a gradual elimination of one food and a gradual introduction of another, to replace it with. Our goal is not to rock your child’s world.
A few months ago I had a fellow staff member ask me if there were any dessert recipes in the arsenal of recipes the Nutrition Team has. She was looking for something for a celebration. I looked all over and nothing seemed to satisfy my own sweet tooth.
Today I present to you 6 Doman Diet approved desserts. Most of them are customizable in terms of choosing what non-dairy milk or nut and seed butter your child likes best. Some call for non-alcoholic vanilla extract (flavoring) for flavor. HERE is one example available to purchase, and HERE is a recipe for how to make it. Feel free to use different fruits and different nuts that your child likes in place of the ones I have chosen if the recipe calls for it.
Yes, your child’s diet has changed. But it does not have to mean they miss out on the once-in-awhile treats that really make a celebration grand.
Celebrate birthdays, holidays, and wins with something tasty and Doman Diet approved!
Feel free to share your own Doman Diet desserts with me by sending me an email to julee@domaninternational.org, with the subject line DOMAN DESSERTS!
Happy baking (or not baking)!
Recipe #1
No-Bake Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Bars
No-Bake Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Bars are incredibly creamy from the cashew base and taste just like strawberry shortcake! No baking necessary to make these gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free vegan bars.
INGREDIENTS
The Crust
● ¾ cup raw cashews
● ¼ cup almond flour
● 4 pitted dates
● 2 tablespoons coconut oil
The Cheesecake
● 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in cold filtered water for at least four hours or preferably overnight (see Notes)
● ½ cup canned organic coconut milk, shaken
● ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled, use refined coconut oil if you want no coconut flavor ● ¼ cup melted nut butter of choice
● 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
● 1 tablespoon organic (no alcohol) vanilla extract
● 2 cups strawberries, halved
Instructions
Step 1: Line an 8×8” pan with parchment paper and grease well with coconut oil. Set aside.
Step 2: Add the cashews, almond flour, pitted dates, coconut oil, and salt to a food processor or high-powered blender and pulverize until it comes together into a sort of sticky dough, with small bits remaining. Don’t over-process, or it’ll turn into nut butter!
Step 3: Press the date dough evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan.
Step 4: In the same food processor or high-powered blender (no need to wash between) combine all of the filling ingredients except the strawberries and blend for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary. You may need to add a bit more coconut milk or lemon juice to get it to blend smoothly if your blender isn’t super high-powered.
Step 5: Once it’s smooth, taste the mixture and adjust the flavor if desired.
Step 6: Pour the filling into the prepared pan over the crust. Smooth out the top and tap the pan hard against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Step 7: Press the strawberry halves into the bars.
Place in the freezer to firm up for at least 3 hours before cutting and eating.
Notes: You can also pour boiling/very hot water over the cashews and let them sit for about an hour if you want to speed up the process – it won’t be quite as creamy as soaking for longer, but it will do the trick! For serving, I recommend running your knife under hot water to warm it up before cutting the bars with the still-hot (dried) knife. Let them thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the freezer.