Ancestral Dessert Recipes with Collagen, Gelatine, and Ghee

Dessert Doesn’t Need to Be a Guilty Pleasure

Modern dessert culture has turned sweetness into shame. Labels like “low-fat,” “sugar-free,” “guilt-free treat,” or “cheat day” dominate packaging and mindset. Real ingredients have been replaced with fillers, gums, artificial sweeteners, seed oils, emulsifiers, preservatives and anti-caking agents all to make something look like food without actually being nourishment.

Before ultra-processed snacks, before margarine, before powdered creamers, humans satisfied cravings with whole ingredients animal fats whipped with honey, fruit stewed into gelatinous puddings, milk warmed with spices and tallow-sweetened cakes.

Dessert was not anti-health.
It was health disguised as joy.

Today, we reclaim that philosophy with ancestral dessert recipes built on three forgotten heroes:

• Collagen — structure-builder for skin, joints, gut and bones

• Gelatine — protein-rich thickener that calms inflammation and supports digestion

• Ghee — clarified butter loaded with fat-soluble vitamins and rich butterscotch flavour

These are not “alternatives.”
They are original ingredients and they create desserts that heal rather than harm.

Why Collagen, Gelatine, and Ghee Belong in Dessert

Most people think of collagen as a supplement for smoothies. Gelatine as something found in jelly cubes. Ghee as a savoury cooking fat. Yet traditionally, all three were used extensively in sweet recipes:

• Victorian jellies were made from boiled bones, not synthetic gelatine packets.

• Indian halwa was slow-cooked in ghee, not vegetable oil.

• Ancient broths naturally released collagen, turning into set puddings when cooled.

These foods satisfy on multiple levels:

Modern desserts spike blood sugar and crash energy. Ancestral desserts slow release, stabilise cravings, and support sleep, digestion and skin health.

Core Principles of Ancestral Dessert Making

To build truly nourishing sweet recipes:

• Use animal fats over seed oils — ghee, tallow or butter provide superior stability in cooking

• Choose raw honey, maple syrup or dates over refined sugar — whole sugars bring minerals and enzymes

• Prioritise protein-rich sweeteners — collagen and gelatine add satiety and support rather than just taste

• Avoid emulsifiers, gums and fillers — texture should come from gelatine, eggs or natural thickness

• Let flavour come from simple ingredients — cinnamon, vanilla, cacao, citrus, nuts, and sea salt provide depth

These desserts are not “health hacks.” They are simply food prepared as it always was.

Recipe 1: Collagen Banana Bread with Ghee Swirl

A soft, protein-rich loaf ideal for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas (mashed)

• 3 tbsp melted ghee

• 2 eggs

• 3 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 120g ground almonds

• 2 tbsp collagen powder

• Pinch of sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.

2. Mix bananas, ghee, eggs, honey, vanilla.

3. Stir in dry ingredients.

4. Pour into lined loaf tin, bake for 35–40 minutes.

Result: Moist, slightly caramelised, rich in protein and healthy fats. Keeps you full rather than craving more.

Recipe 2: Gelatine Gummies Berry or Citrus

The perfect child-friendly snack no additives, no glucose syrup.

Ingredients:

• 250ml fruit juice (puréed berries or squeezed oranges)

• 2 tbsp raw honey

• 3 tbsp grass-fed gelatine

Method:

1. Heat juice and honey gently (do not boil).

2. Sprinkle gelatine and whisk until dissolved.

3. Pour into moulds or dish, refrigerate for 1 hour.

Result: Springy, sweet, gut-healing. Adults love them just as much.

Recipe 3: Ghee Brownies, Fudge Texture, No Seed Oils

Ingredients:

• 100g dark chocolate

• 4 tbsp ghee

• 2 eggs

• 3 tbsp honey

• 3 tbsp cocoa powder

• 2 tbsp collagen

• 50g ground almonds

• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Melt chocolate and ghee.

2. Stir in honey, eggs, then dry ingredients.

3. Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C.

Result: Dense, rich, satisfying. Pairs perfectly with cream or yoghurt.

Recipe 4: Golden Milk Collagen Pudding

A nighttime dessert that supports sleep and digestion.

Ingredients:

• 300ml warmed raw milk or coconut milk

• 1 tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp collagen

• 2 tbsp gelatine

• Honey to taste

Method:

1. Heat milk with spices and honey.

2. Whisk in collagen and gelatine.

3. Pour into bowls and chill.

Result: Set custard texture, grounding and anti-inflammatory.

Recipe 5: Ghee-Caramelised Apples with Gelatine Custard

A wholesome crumble alternative no flours, no starches.

Ingredients:

• 2 apples sliced

• 2 tbsp ghee

• 1 tbsp honey

• Custard base:

  • 300ml cream or coconut cream

  • 1 tbsp gelatine

  • 1 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Fry apples in ghee and honey until golden.

2. Mix custard ingredients gently over heat, pour over apples.

3. Set in the fridge.

Why These Recipes Work: Nutritionally and Culturally

These desserts are:

• Satiety-focused — protein + fat combination delays sugar absorption

• Anti-inflammatory — no seed oils or additives to irritate the gut

• Hormone supportive — whole fats regulate appetite and sleep

• Child-approved — sweet without behavioural crashes

• Deeply rooted in tradition — every culture had a variation of these recipes

Dessert should not be “empty calories.” It can be ancestral nourishment disguised as comfort.

How to Introduce These Recipes Into Family Life

• Serve banana bread as breakfast rather than toast

• Replace shop-bought jelly with homemade gelatine gummies

• Keep ghee brownies in the freezer for instant snacks

• Swap evening chocolate for golden milk pudding

• Let children help stir gelatine, bonding through food preparation

The goal is not to “cut sugar.” It is to reclaim sweetness through real ingredients.

Pleasure and Health Can Coexist

Modern diet culture has divided food into “good” and “bad.” Yet throughout history, joy and nutrition were never separate. A honey-sweetened, ghee-rich treat was not dessert it was medicine with delight.

Collagen builds structure.
Gelatine seals the gut.
Ghee delivers fat-soluble nourishment.

When combined, they restore our relationship with food one slice, spoonful or gummy at a time.