Chocolate-Covered Katie: Over 80 Delicious Recipes That Are Secretly Good for You

by Katie Higgins

From one of the top 25 food websites in America and the "queen of healthy desserts,” Katie Higgins, comes Chocolate Covered Katie's first cookbook with 80 never-before-seen recipes, such as Chocolate Obsession Cake, Peanut Butter Pudding Pops, and Ultimate Unbaked Brownies ( Glamour magazine)!

What if you CAN eat all of your favorite desserts . . . and still be healthy and fit into your skinny jeans?

Meet a girl who eats chocolate every day and sometimes even has cake for breakfast! When Katie's sugar habit went too far in college and left her lacking energy, she knew something needed to change. So she began developing her own naturally sweet recipes and posting them online. Soon, Katie's healthy dessert blog had become an Internet sensation, with over six million monthly visitors.

Using only real ingredients, without any unnecessary fats, sugars, or empty calories, these desserts prove once and for all that health and happiness can go hand-in-hand-you can have your dessert and eat it, too!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Vegan, Reference, Adult

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 2015

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a follower of Chocolate-Covered Katie's food blog for several years now, and had to preorder her new cookbook. She does genuinely delicious desserts that are impressively healthy. Seriously, I modified her chocolate pie recipe and have made it several times for my husband. This is a pie made with tofu that is delicious. Boggles the mind.

The cookbook includes many of the recipes from her blog but with the options a bit clearer and with some changes. There are some here I've been wanting to try for ages, like her deep dish chocolate chip pie that's made with white or garbanzo beans instead of flour. Most all the recipes can be made gluten-free. Katie prefers spelt flour, which I have never used before, but now I want to try it out. I don't go gluten-free but I do reduce the amount of all-purpose flour in my diet.

There aren't any dinner recipes in here. It features sections on cookies, brownies, and bars; desserts for breakfast, ice cream, milkshakes, and smoothies; pies, cakes, and cupcakes; and puddings, dips, frostings, and more.

I do wish the publisher had printed this as spiral bound so it would stay open easily without damaging the binding. It is a hardcover book, at least, so it should handle the wear better. I also wish it included a comprehensive listing of the recipes in the front under the section headings.

Even so, the cookbook's content is excellent and I'm happy to support a food blogger who has helped make my family healthier.

[Jeannine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let it be said at the start - I did not read this book because I believe these recipes are healthy or good for you. If they are anything, they are only less bad than those with eggs and butter. <\p>

This a cute book with modern styling. The recipes are only somewhat interesting.<\p>

I tried the Thin Mint cookie knock offs, and they were not even close to the real thing peddled by the Girl Scouts. How this dough was to yield the 24 cookies promised in the recipe is a complete mystery. The dough was greasy and thin. The coating had a strange aftertaste.<\p>

I enjoyed the popular cookie dough dip the author shares on her blog and includes in the book, but after the thin mint dud, not likely to try any more of the baked goods - I'll stick with the real thing.<\p>

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! I've been waiting for Katie's cookbook to be published for months! I discovered her blog on Instagram when I was searching for a healthy, vegan cookie pie recipe and I instantly became a fan. Which leads me to say that her Deep Dish Cookie Pie recipe is amazing! It's made with garbanzo beans (chickpeas) instead of flour and you can't even taste the difference. I even cut the brown sugar down to a 1/2 cup or sub it for 1/2 cup maple syrup. I also cut the chocolate chips down to a 1/2 cup as well. It still tastes great!

I can't wait to try some of her other recipes in this book. The photography is excellent (pictures for every recipe) and the calorie information is provided as well. Her book (and blog) is vegan even though she doesn't really define herself as vegan. Most recipes call for your milk of choice and I always use unsweetened almond milk.

Check out her blog and Instagram for more amazing recipes. I've got my eyes on her mini blueberry muffins next. :)

For those who think the name of the book is weird... Well it's the name of her blog, so if you don't like it and it "disturbs you" then you obviously aren't a fan.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great recipes for chocolate lovers!!!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this recipe book after trying out the authors delicious chocolate banana bread from her blog. Which I have now tried making in several different ingredient variations and they have all turned out fantastically.

I bake for those who eat vegan, are wheat free & vegan, just wheat free, sugar free, and full on gluten-free & dairy free. It is complicated to find recipes that can accommodate these dietary restrictions. Katie makes recipes with options. And if her recipes don't have that option, my substitutions seem to work out well with them. And that isn't always easy.

I look forward to trying more.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

— Check out my #Bookstagram post on Instagram —
Not the usual type of book that I review, however there’s a reason this is the exception!

H E A L T H Y. 🧁🥧🍦🍨🎂🍰
D E S S E R T S. 🍫🍬🍭🍮🍩🍪

Need I say more?!?!

If you haven't checked out www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com, then you should!! I’m not much of a baker, but ever since I found her site several years back I’ve been obsessed. I received this book of 80+ recipes a couple holiday seasons ago and ever since I’ve been back in the States, I’ve been using it more than ever ... because after making just one of the recipes for my parents, they’ve become fellow addicts.

So what’s so amazing about these recipes? Well, would you believe that you can make:
🍫 chocolate cake out of tofu
🍋 lemon pie out of cauliflower and macadamia nuts
🍪 egg-less raw cookie dough out of chickpeas
🍃 peppermint frosted fudge brownies out of black beans
... The appropriate reaction is 🤯🤩🥳😍🙌🤪.

Book Details
● beautiful hardback
● every recipe has a gorgeous full-page picture
● instructions are simple and clear
● each recipe usually also includes great tips on substitutions

Sections
1. Cookies, brownies, & bars
2. Dessert for breakfast
3. Ice cream, milkshakes, & smoothies
4. Pies, cakes, & cupcakes
5. Puddings, dips, frostings, & more

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touted as "recipes that are secretly good for you". They aren't, actually. They're possibly better than those that use butter and refined sugar, but calling them good for you is a stretch.

The peanut butter chocolate dip will be my new go-to for vegan GF recipes to take places, and deserves 5 stars. Skip the 'sugar cookie'.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Katie's blog, so I was incredibly excited for her first cookbook to finally come out. I actually preordered this, which I NEVER do, because I already knew I wanted to own it.

There are a few recipes that are repeats from her blog, but most of them are brand new and look amazing. I have never once made a bad (or even mediocre) recipe from Katie's blog, so I can already tell I'm going to have some new favorites from this book. I can't wait to start trying them out!

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes are really clearly written and the pictures are great but, personally, I am not into having to buy a whole bunch of new stuff to cook with (xanthan gum?) when I don't have any food allergies or issues. However, some of the recipes are super simple, healthy, and use normal ingredients I already have. The flour-less chocolate chip cookies turned out pretty darn good!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the cover it says "delicious recipes that are secretly good for you." After looking through the recipes, I can tell you that statement is not true. She should have written "recipes that are somewhat better for you than if you were using cream and butter."

[Jenna (readinginjennaland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this cookbook.

[Cris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of satisfying my sweet tooth in a healthier way. But--with only a few exceptions--I'm unconvinced Higgins's recipes *are* healthier.

[Anna Catherman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me be clear: This book...wasn't horrible. But frankly, I have serious doubts as to whether these recipes will actually work, just judging by the ingredient lists and other reviewer's comments. Also, all the recipes are made in small quantities (8" x 8" pans) and the nutritional information provided is based on a small portion of the "healthiest" way to make a given dessert, which in many, many cases, means xylitol. I don't personally cook with xylitol, as I don't bother keeping something around that's so expensive when I don't need it for dietary reasons, and when some people I bake for cannot tolerate sugar alcohols. So the nutritional information provided isn't helpful to me in the least. There's no real way to tell if the desserts are at all healthier if ANY of the other options are taken advantage of.

[gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Katie. I want to marry her and eat all her food. Luckily I'm married to a guy who can cook, so I plan on giving him a buncha buncha bunch of these recipes for asap for mah tummay! I've been looking for better versions of some of the sweets I eat and this book hits the spot. If you have a sweet tooth and want to explore more natural options and healthier versions, this girl is your gal! I follow her blog too and love her style and content of posts. I'd give this book five stars except I haven't actually made any of the recipes. Yet. Maybe I'll come back and update when I do.

[Maryalene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book recommended and picked it up, even though I am a little dubious about whether some alternative ingredients -- such as xylitol -- are any better for you. This cookbook can be used with both traditional and alternative ingredients, and many recipes can be made with only a few ingredients which are often pantry staples.

We tried The Mint Chocolate Milk Shake. It wasn't bad and definitely felt healthy. I would have liked to have tried more recipes, but this was borrowed from the library and was due back.

Recommended for those looking for healthy dessert recipes.

[Amy Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first cookbook I ever bought. I'm not really...active in baking so I gave it 4 stars since I've only tried like 2 recipes so far. It is a vegan cookbook, however,to entice more bakers she cleverly calls it healthy baking instead. I want to make nearly everything in it and apart from burning chocolate 3 times while trying to make the mint thins, it's easy to follow, good for beginners like me. A photo for every recipe, something I need too.

[Drmkk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Chocolate Covered Katie's blog. Happy to have received her cookbook for Christmas. I made the lemon pie (out of cauliflower) and took it to a New Year's Eve party. People actually tried it and liked it!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay, I guess, if you like that sort of thing. I don't, really.

[L.A.]

NOTE TO SELF: Rate later after recipes actually tried.

[Lillian Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, it was nice to eat healthy desserts that still tasted pretty good. However, this book called for a lot of expensive ingredients I'd never heard of, such as spelt flour and xylitol. I think next time I get a healthy cookbook, I'll have to get one for people on a budget. A few of the recipes turned out rather dry, possibly because of the spelt flour which I'm not used to working with, but overall they tasted good. The recipes were pretty easy to follow, but there was also a lot of special equipment needed (I ended up having to buy a food processor because so many recipes required one). I've read through all the recipes and tried a few of the ones I was most interested in, reviewed below. I'll add reviews and ratings of recipes as I try them.

Gingerbread Molasses Cookies ***

These were good but rather dry. I've never had molasses cookies before, so I didn't have much to compare them too.

Double Chocolate Brownies with Peppermint Frosting ***

The brownies tasted good, although not like regular brownies. I couldn't taste the black beans in them, but they were much more fudge-y than cake-y. The frosting was very tart and I did not like it. My mom, however, gave the brownies 4 stars because she liked the tartness of the frosting.

Chocolate Pixie Cookies ****

My aunt could not stop eating these (she gave them 5 stars), and I actually enjoyed a lot myself. The only thing that I didn't like was that they were pretty dry. However, I've never had regular chocolate pixie cookies so I don't have much to compare them to.

Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins **

These were minuscule, and could be eaten in one bite. Some of the chocolate chips sunk to the bottom and stuck to the holders I used. The coffee flavor was very, very weak which disappointed me. However, my aunt enjoyed them and gave them 4 stars.

Pumpkin Breakfast Pudding ***

My favorite part of this was the optional craisins, but it was a good, filling breakfast. I don't love pumpkin, so I really only made this for my aunt and she loved it, giving it 4.5 stars.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Katie's blog, this book and her wonderful recipes.

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anyone with a sweet tooth! Plus, the author of the popular blog, "chocolatecoveredkatie.com," created these recipes with a healthy goal in mind. As a woman who wanted treats that satisfied her sweet tooth without using artificial sweeteners and unhealthy ingredients, the recipes in this cookbook use natural sweeteners and real ingredients so readers can still eat what they love but in a healthy way. I tried out two recipes right away and loved them both (chocolate pixie cookies and double chocolate peppermint brownies). For me too, I enjoy the fact that the recipes are allergy friendly, so I didn't even have to substitute anything, which made me love this book even more. I highly recommend this cookbook!

Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Higgins has written a very nice cookbook with over 80 recipes for cakes, cookies, smoothies and many other desserts. They're all made with healthy ingredients, some quite surprising. I only had the ingredients on hand for the frosted lemon doughnuts so I made those. The instructions were precise and very easy to follow. The doughnuts were delicious. I'm going to the store soon to stock up on some things so I can try more of these recipes especially the red velvet fudge pie. Katie has written a real winner here and the photography is excellent. I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Julia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book ten stars, I would! I've been following Katie's blog for years now, and have loved her simple, healthy, wholefoods recipes because they HONESTLY tasted delicious. Her treats will blow your mind and your taste buds. I can't wait for her next cookbook. I checked this out from my local library, but I am buying a copy for myself. If you love food, you need this. Well done, Katie!!!!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I typically check out cookbooks from the library before I purchase them, making sure I will actually try many of the recipes before I buy. The majority of the recipes in this book use oil, which I prefer not to use, and although coconut oil is touted to be healthiest of all oils, my taste buds do not like coconut of any kind. I do like Katie's blog however, and have found recipes listed there for some reason don't include oil very often.

[Linda Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

Katie's book is well-researched, documented, and TESTED. The recipes can be relied upon to produce delicious, healthy, desserts --- just like the pictures! Finally, I have no excuses to eat unhealthy, sugar-laden desserts when I have Katie's awesome recipes to draw on!

[Chuck Knudsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of great pictures, and tasty looking, fairly easy recipes. Loses points because I find it hard to trust nutritional information for recipes where several of the ingredients had options (i.e. 'any milk'). Also weird after starting in her introduction with a note about making sure to follow the recipe exactly and not make substitutions.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and spunky with colorful, full-page photographs, with recipes that add a little healthy kick for chocoholics (think mashed garbanzo beans in your brownies, chia seeds in your chocolate pudding). Delicious and infectious, fresh and inviting. Essential purchase where baking and cookbooks are popular in high school and adult collections.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recipes...some from the site others not. I wanted to be a little more impressed than I was. While I love the end result of most everything of Katie's I've tried, I felt that this was lacking in substantive recipes. The drink and ice cream section feels longer than the actual dessert section. So while I love the options and the site, I don't know that I would invest in another cookbook.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the blog so I had to get the cookbook when it came out. So far I haven't been disappointed by a single recipe. In fact anything I've made we've had to make another batch the day after because it was so good and eaten up right away.