My love affair with chocolate started at an early age.  Some of my earliest memories and happiest ones are of my grandma taking me to the ice cream shop and us sharing delicious chocolate ice creams and chocolate sundaes together. I don’t really have a sweet tooth but I have a soft spot for chocolate and chocolate ice cream.  If it where up to me I would have it all the time but both my husband and I watch what we eat and we are trying to teach the kids to have healthy eating habits so I don’t really have chocolate ice cream as often as I’d like to. That is why I am thrilled with the new Nestle Skinny Cow Ganache Ice Cream Cones available at Walmart stores.  These are low fat and have only 160 calories of melt in your mouth, soft as silk, creamy chocolate ganache ice cream.

My husband and I enjoyed these along with fresh berries and some light whipped cream.  They where deliciously soft, smooth and indulgent and the best part was that they are not high on fat or calories so we didn’t have to feel guilty afterwards.
I have always believed that eating healthy is all about making healthier choices.  I don’t believe in dieting and neither does my husband but we are both very conscious of what we eat and when we do indulge in something rich and delicious like chocolate we still make sure to choose the healthiest options.

I have been feeling kind of homesick these last few days. It’s the holidays after all and this  year we will not be able to make it home to Guatemala to see my parents, my brothers and my friends.  So to lift up my spirits I decided to make something delicious and decadent that we could all enjoy.  The obvious choice was chocolate but I wanted it to be healthy.  I started off with a chocolate cake.

Tips for Making Boxed Cake Mix Healthier

For the cake I used a regular chocolate cake box mix but made some changes to make it healthier.  Here are tips and tricks to make boxed cake healthier:

• Use egg whites instead of whole eggs. If a cake  mix recipe calls for three eggs, use four egg whites instead. This will eliminate the yolk, which is where a lot of the fat content of an egg is contained.
• Substitute applesauce or nonfat plain yogurt  for cooking oil.
• Spray your cake pan with nonfat cooking spray instead of using butter or oil.

Avocado Chocolate and Coffee Ganache Cake with Skinny Cow Ganache Ice Cream Cones

I frosted the cake with a healthy version of home made ganache (recipe below) and decorated it with the Skinny Cow Ganache Ice Cream cones.  The result was a luscious chocolate cake with an awesome presentation.  I added some extra whipped cream to the ice cream cones and garnished with a raspberry and some peppermint leaves. To put the ice cream cones on the cake I simply used some of the ganache frosting. Everyone loved the cake and my kids had no clue that there was applesauce and avocado in it.  Which was awesome. We did have to eat the Skinny Cow Ganache Ice Cream cones first as before they melted.  This dessert really satisfied my chocolate carving and now I am not feeling so blue.  Chocolate just has that amazing result, it just lifts up your spirits and after this ultimate indulgence I was feeling happy and looking forward Christmas where we will be sharing with the grandparents via skype.

So What is Ganache Anyway?

Ganache is a silky soft chocolate dessert used for glazes, icing and to make truffles. Created in the 1800s in France (some say Switzerland) ganache is made by mixing of melted chocolate and cream. The basic ratio used when making ganache is two parts chocolate (usually a semisweet/bittersweet chocolate) to one part cream. It creates a very smooth, glossy glaze with a luxurious and smooth texture. For this recipe I tried to reproduce the creamy smooth texture of the ganache but I substituted the heavy cream for a much healthier option: avocados. If you’ve never used avocados to make a dessert you do not know what you are missing!

5 from 2 votes

Print

Making Healthier Choices with Delicious Chocolate Desserts

Author Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

Ingredients

• 2 small Hass avocados room temperature
• 3/4 cup agave
• 3/4 cup coconut oil melt over hot water bath
• 1 cup raw cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons of coffee liquor I used Kahlua

Instructions

1. In a blender, mix together the cocoa powder, coconut oil, agave, a pinch of salt.
2. Emulsify well.
3. Add the avocado and the coffee liquor and mix until smooth.
4. Use to frost cake or cupcakes.

The Nestle Skinny Cow Ganache Ice Cream Cones will be available at Walmart stores staring on December 17th.  This is the perfect healthy choice when you want to indulge on a delicious chocolate frozen treat and they are perfect for the holidays.

You can visit SkinnyCow.com to find out more about this luscious new skinny cow product and where you can learn more about their great promotions.  Connect with the Skinny Cow on Facebook and follow Skinny Cow on twitter and instagram to stay up to date with their latest news and learn about their other limited edition frozen treats.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

Paula moved from her native Guatemala to SW Florida with her husband and two children and together they are discovering what it means to live life between two languages.

Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .

When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.

Latest posts by Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz (see all)

• Sumpango vs. Santiago Sacatepéquez: Which Giant Kite Festival In Guatemala Is Right for You? - April 27, 2025
• Guatemala’s Giant Kite Festival in Santiago Sacatepéquez: All You Need to Know Before You Go - April 27, 2025
• The Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala: Insider Tips for Experiencing Sumpango’s Barriletes Gigantes - April 26, 2025

Sharing is caring!