It’s everyone’s favorite part of the meal, dessert. Whether you prefer something cold, something warm from the oven, or just a big bowl of candy, the sweet treat at the end of a meal is always welcome.

With the versatility of hemp, you can infuse your favorite dessert with this additive without losing or changing the flavor of your favorite dish.

These five dessert recipes prove that, so dig in.

1. Chocolate Protein Bites

Can chocolate also feel healthy? We think so, and this dessert is a perfect example. Not all desserts have to be overly sugary, or bad for you. When you want to keep it feeling like dessert, without sacrificing the sweet, give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

• 12-13 pitted Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup hulled hemp seed
• 1/4 cup chia seed
• Quarter cup sesame seed
• Quarter cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Quarter tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (or mini dark chocolate chips)

Pulse dates in a food processor until they’re a chunky paste. Add in all the other ingredients except the cacao nibs and process until thoroughly combined. Then, pulse in the cocoa nibs gently. You’ll end up with a ‘dough’ of sorts that’s sticky. Form into small balls. If the dough isn’t sticky enough to hold, add a teaspoon of water to the processor and pulse. You can repeat this step if necessary, but go slowly.

The recipe yields about 16 small balls. Freeze them for 20 minutes until firm, and they’re ready to eat. Store leftovers in the freezer.

2. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

That smell of freshly-baked cookies wafting through the house — it’s pure comfort. It’s also another dessert that you can add hemp to. Try these enhanced chocolate chip cookies for a tasty treat.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups, packed, brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 3 Tbs soy milk or water, cold
• One tsp apple cider vinegar
• One-half cups flour
• 1 cup oatmeal
• One tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs chia seeds
• 1 Tbs hemp seeds
• One Tbs flax seeds (ground)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla in one bowl and combine the flax seed, corn starch, soy milk/water in another. Stir this second bowl to prevent the corn starch from getting clumpy, then add the vinegar. Let the second bowl sit for a few seconds before pouring it into the first bowl with the peanut butter mixture. Stir.

In yet another bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Once combined, add the chia and hemp then give everything another stir. Once fully combined, add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix together. If everything still feels a little dry, it’s okay to add another tablespoon of soy milk/water. When the consistency is good, add  the chocolate chips and give everything one last stir.

Form the cookies into about 1 inch balls and place them about an inch apart on a baking sheet. Bake for between 10-12 minutes based on your desired amount of crunchiness.

3. Brownies

A perfect dessert no matter who’s sitting down at your dinner table, brownies are a great go-to way to end a meal. Serve them warm or at room temp, on their own or with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Brownies are versatile and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup hemp milk at room temperature
• 1/4 golden flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 2/3 cup oat flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 1/.3 cup cacao powder
• One tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Combine the hemp milk and flaxseed meal in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate owl, combine all the flours and arrowroot starch into a mixing bowl. Add in the cacao, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and break up clumps.

In a small saucepan, on low heat, combine the maple syrup and butter. Stir until melted then turn off the heat before adding in the dark chocolate. Stir regularly until the chocolate mets, then add in the vanilla. Pour this mixture and the flaxseed meal mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Combine everything well then fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the entire mixture into the baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges and center feel set. Let cool for a little bit before cutting up and serving. Store leftovers in an air-tight container.

4. Berry Pudding

Pudding is an underrated dessert. If you’re of a certain age, it was a staple, but today, it doesn’t pop up as often. It’s time to bring an oldie but goodie back with a twist.

Ingredients:

• 2 just ripe bananas
• 2 cups fresh berries
• Two Tbs coconut milk or almond milk
• Two Tbs hemp seeds
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• Maple syrup or pitted dates are optional, add them if you want to taste

Put bananas, berries, and your preferred milk into a food processor and combine. Taste mixture and add a little maple syrup or dates at this stage if you want to up the sweetness. Blend again, if necessary, then add the hemp, chia, and cinnamon. Pulse to combine. Transfer to individual serving dishes, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Overnight is best, and the pudding will keep for up to 3-4 days.

5. Chocolates

A list of desserts could never be complete without some kind of candy on it. The easiest to make at home, chocolates. These little goodies aren’t only tasty, but they allow you to express your artistic side. Give this no-bake recipe a try.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup hemp hearts
• 5 soft medjool dates, pitted
• 2 Tbs softened coconut oil, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs maple syrup

For the chocolate coating:

• One cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• 1/16 tsp salt

Place all filling ingredients, but the maple syrup, into a food processor and mix until just combined. Then, add in the syrup and process briefly. Line a small-medium Tupperware with parchment paper and transfer the mixture in. Flatten it into an even block and freeze for at least an hour.

When that’s just about done, make your chocolate topping. Your filling should be close at hand. Melt the chocolate, coconut oil, and salt together. Transfer the filling from the freezer to a cutting board and cut into 8 rectangles. Dunk each into the melted chocolate to coat. Wipe off the excess with a fork, and let set.

Decorate the top of your chocolates with anything from chocolate shavings, cacao nibs, or more hemp hearts, then put back into the fridge or freezer for about 20 minutes before enjoying.

The benefits of adding hemp

You may have looked at all these recipes and are now wondering, why do I need to add hemp to my desserts? You don’t, but this surprising ingredient has more potential health benefits than you may think.

Hemp is actually a pretty nutritious little plant. It’s high in Omega fatty acids, fiber, Vitamin E, and other antioxidants. It’s a great source of gamma linolenic acid, which is a natural anti-inflammatory. Hemp is also full of 21 different amino acids, the building blocks of protein. 

With all the healthy attributes of hemp, maybe it is worth working it into your favorite dish.

Deliver a great dessert

Adding hemp to any dessert doesn’t mean you sacrifice the sweet at the end of your meal. This versatile, legal, plant can work in almost any recipe without impacting taste or preparation time.  But, adding hemp to food is just one way to experience the plant’s potential benefits. An array of other products are out there that don’t require any cooking. To get an idea of what high-quality, hemp-derived products you could try next, visit the online store at Arbor Vita8. We don’t sell any products we aren’t comfortable using ourselves, and our strong commitment to quality means you get a superior product at a competitive price. Check out the online store today.