Alba Rivers never developed much of a sweet taste until she cut out dairy and refined sugar. She laughs, “Suddenly I was craving chocolate cake like it was oxygen.”
She felt better generally from switching to a plant-based diet, but desserts started to cause problems. Often loaded with coconut oil, sugar, or processed ingredients she wasn’t comfortable consuming daily, the store-bought vegan choices were
She thus turned creative as she always does.
Alba began experimenting in her little kitchen, resolved to make gentle on blood sugar desserts with plant-based ingredients. Her first few efforts were disastrous—grainy textures, strange flavours, failed attempts at “healthy frosting.” She finally found her rhythms though. She found that enough could be natural sweetness—that of dates, ripe bananas, and roasted fruit. Sometimes, more than plenty is needed.
“I realised I missed the ritual of dessert, not sugar,” she says. “I missed the consolation.”
Her strategy was not based on imitation. She turned towards dishes that tasted sweet rather than trying to create a sugar-free cupcake. baked apples topped with cinnamon. Chia pudding topped with a vanilla drizz. Warm quinoa accompanied by berries and almond milk. Her dishes were basic but pleasing, and anyone could find them easy enough.
Alba now posts her works on social media along with notes reminding us that eating well does not mean sacrificing pleasure. “Dessert is not bad,” she says. You simply have to meet it on your terms.
