With the Chinese New Year celebrations out of the way, it’s time to shed the weight of the Lunar New Year festivities. Unfortunately for many, that would mean skipping out on sugary treats, but who says that you can’t make your cake and eat it too? The trick to shredding the numbers on the weight scale is choosing healthier alternatives to the typical fat and refined-sugar laden desserts. Here are some guilt-free picks to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings as you continue on your way towards your fitness goals. 

Flourless WTF (walnut, tahini, fudge) brownies

After sinking your teeth in these sugar-free fudgy chocolate brownies by MyEurekaLife and Baking Maniac, you might never turn back. With ingredients specially catered to health-conscious customers, the recipe composes a nutritionally dense gluten-, dairy-, and sugar-free ingredients that makes up a healthy treat that is both rich in flavour and healthy. In place of refined sugar, flour and vegetable oils,  dates, ghee, tahini and nuts are used. 

Price: $270/ 6pc
Location: Wong Chuk Hang
Contact: (852) 6699 8093

Gluten-free double earl grey chiffon cake

Those hankering for a healthy alternative to calorie-heavy chiffon cakes can find their saving grace at Sheung Wan based SweetPea Cafe. Their menu comprises gluten-, vegan- and sugar-free cakes, muffins, cookies and pastries and even offer a selection of Keto baked goodies. Specifically, their signature double earl grey chiffon cakes that are quick to be cleared off the shelves are baked fresh daily using coconut cream and coconut butter to substitute milk, and organic and edible essential oils for flavouring. 
Price: From $95/ slice
Location: Sheung Wan
Contact: (852) 3689 7269

Vegan marshmallow chunky chocolate chip cookie

Dessert lovers are spoiled for choice with the range of plant-based desserts available on Bake to Basics’ online bakery. Focusing on American-style comfort desserts including cookies, doughnuts and cinnamon rolls, all adjusted to be healthy, vegan and sugar-free. One of their latest creations is the vegan marshmallow chunky chocolate chip cookie with a cracker base and 70 percent chocolate filling- a deliciously sinless treat for a cheat day.
Price: From $105/3 pc
Contact: Online order only on their website (baketobasics.com)

Plant-based chocolate strawberry tart 

Plant-based French patisserie, Bien Caramélisé, treats the city with a slew of sophisticatedly crafted French pastries with a vegan twist. Their recipes substitute traditional baking ingredients such as eggs, dairy, white flour and refined sugar with a variety of flours and nutritionally better ingredients such as buckwheat, sorghum, chickpea flours,  Japanese starch kudzu and cacao butter and olive oil. A highlight at the bakery is the chocolate strawberry tart made with 70 percent single-origin chocolate from São Tomé, cashews and oats. The bakery also sources its fruits locally from neighbouring wet markets and organic farms in the city.   
Price: From $69 up/ piece
Location: Mong Kok
Contact: (852) 52395198

100% vegan macaron 

Instagramers who are seeking a health-conscious option to beautifully baked desserts will be thrilled to visit the Japanese organic and 100 percent vegan pastry shop Moono. Beautifully presented and mouth-wateringly delectable, their chewy macarons are a treat for the mouth as well as the eyes as its aesthetically pleasing offerings vary in a range of flavours from sea-salted dark chocolate, pistachio and Early Grey, to more contemporary Japanese-influenced flavours such as black sesame and yuzu sea salt. 
Price: $175/ box of six pieces
Location: Sham Shui Po
Contact: (852) 6848 8375