Life needs a little sweetness. Although many of us try to eat healthily as much as possible, having a sweet treat now and again makes our quality of life just a little better. After all, hard-core austerity all the time is pretty dull. Who doesn’t love a nice dessert sometimes?
You can still feel good about what you’re eating because the healthy dessert recipes below are made from fresh ingredients that won’t rack up the calories.
So if you’ve been looking for some healthy sweets to go after your meals then you’re in the right place.
You can find easy, healthy desserts that have a range of flavors to please any palate.
There are many healthy desserts that you can enjoy. Here are some examples:
Fresh fruit: Fresh fruit is a great option for a healthy dessert. You can enjoy a variety of fruits such as berries, melons, and citrus fruits.
Yogurt parfait: Layer plain Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola for a delicious and nutritious dessert.
Chia seed pudding: Mix chia seeds with almond milk and honey, and let sit in the fridge overnight for a healthy and filling pudding.
Baked apples: Core and slice apples, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake until tender for a warm and healthy dessert.
Frozen yogurt: You can make your own frozen yogurt by blending plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and freezing it.
Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate is a healthier option than milk chocolate. You can enjoy a small piece of dark chocolate as a dessert.
Banana ice cream: Blend frozen bananas in a food processor until smooth and creamy for a healthy and dairy-free ice cream alternative.
Grilled peaches: Slice fresh peaches and grill until caramelized for a sweet and healthy dessert.
Oatmeal cookies: Mix oats, raisins, and cinnamon with mashed bananas for a healthy and easy cookie recipe.
Smoothie bowl: Blend frozen fruit with almond milk and top with granola and fresh fruit for a healthy and filling dessert.
Some of these healthy dessert ideas will only take you a few minutes to whip up but others might be a bit more complicated.
So sit back and note your favorite healthy dessert options from below so the next time you want something sweet, you don’t have to feel bad about it.
Instead of loading up on traditional chocolate pudding, try this healthy version.
It has all the chocolatey goodness without any of those artificial ingredients or added sugars so you can feel good about how it tastes and what it does for your body.
Take a little cocoa powder and throw it in some Greek yogurt to get the chocolate pudding consistency and look but without all the bad stuff.
It’s super simple to make since all you have to do is mix everything together. It’s the perfect one to try when you’re short on time but still want a sweet snack.
You can make a large bowl worth and stick it in the fridge so that you can grab some spoonfuls whenever the cravings hit.
It’s not healthy but if you want a little cheat to your treat, add some whipped cream.
Chocolate is great for you when it’s made right, and this chocolate bark with cherries is perfect for anyone that wants to eat some chocolate without feeling guilty.
You can make it seem like you’re eating a chunk of candy with this because it will be so sweet but you’ll barely taste the difference between this and the unhealthy version.
This isn’t something that takes a lot of prep work and you can find cherries year round and it goes great with some almond milk.
You won’t have to worry about making it around a certain time and not having access to the ingredients.
Apples are great on their own but sautéing them makes them one of the easy healthy dessert recipes to try.
All you need is some chopped apples and a little bit of honey or cinnamon to taste.
You can sauté them with either oil or butter and once the apples start getting soft all over, you’re done.
Since this is such an easy way to prepare these fruits, you’ll be able to snack on them even when you’re short on time and need a quick pick-me-up.
This is the perfect thing to whip up after dinner so that way your family can feel like they got something sweet with their meal but it’s healthy enough that everyone won’t gain 5 pounds from eating these apples!
Cookies don’t have to be made of refined sugar to taste good, you can have healthy sweet treats ready to go with this recipe.
If you want to make these cookies even healthier, sub in some almond flour, oat flour, or coconut flour.
They’ll taste just like they came from your local bakery but with half the calories, making them a great thing to snack on when you want something sweet in your mouth instead of chewing on something that’s bad for you.
You can make a ton of these at one time and have them in a bowl in the kitchen so you can grab one whenever you feel that urge.
This recipe is also perfect when you want some cookies to give the kids for a party because you don’t have to feel bad about what you’re serving.
You don’t have to feel worried about eating this chickpea cookie dough straight out of the freezer because it’s good for you, unlike real ice cream.
You can eat it directly from the freezer because it contains all sorts of healthy ingredients to help keep your body nourished instead of just giving it empty calories that will make you gain weight.
You’ll hardly be able to taste the difference from real vanilla ice cream. You can make a pretty big batch to keep on hand for the next week or two.
You’ll want to keep a food processor on hand so you can crush everything without having to do it all by hand.
You won’t even know the difference between this healthier version of chocolate cake and you’ll be happy to know it’s made with zucchini.
Zucchini is a vegetable that you can make taste like anything and, in this case, we’re going for something sweet and delicious while still being good for your body. This cake has the same consistency as a carrot cake.
Instead of using all the white sugar, use some maple syrup, brown sugar, or coconut sugar to make sure you’re not ingesting too much of the bad stuff.
You can use unsweetened cocoa instead of the regular if you’re really trying to make this cake healthy. You could even turn this recipe into muffins.
This is a great recipe to make whenever you have kids coming over because they’ll think it’s an actual cake made with chocolate but it’s still healthy enough that they won’t get sick from all that sugar.
Our BEST Healthy Desserts (+Vegan No-Bake Cookies)
These recipes are sure to please. So, gather your family and friends and enjoy. Let us know your thoughts!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
