Healthy Dessert Ideas

By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD 

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to completely give up sweets. There are tons of ways that you can incorporate dessert into your eating without going overboard. 

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When you start making changes to your diet and enjoying nutritionally balanced meals, you’ll likely notice that you have fewer sugar cravings. But there will still be times when you just need a little sweetness. That’s perfectly normal. Food is meant to be enjoyed, after all!  

We’ve put together some delicious dessert ideas that are satisfying yet still nutritious. Refer to this list when your sweet tooth strikes. 

Healthy Homemade Sweets 

Keep foods like yogurt, fruit, dark chocolate, oats, granola, shredded coconut, and nut butters on hand, so that you can whip up a healthy dessert when a craving hits. Here are some delicious homemade options: 

  • Fruit and yogurt parfait: Layer plain Greek yogurt between fresh fruit. Drizzle with a small amount of honey, and top with shaved dark chocolate if you want some extra sweetness. Some fun combos include strawberry and kiwi, blueberry and mango, or pomegranate and orange. Add low-sugar granola if desired. 

  • Banana “nice” cream: Blended frozen bananas make a great dessert that resembles the texture of ice cream. To make “nice” cream, blend one or two frozen bananas in a food processor or high-powered blender until smooth. For tasty variations, add a spoonful of peanut butter and handful of chocolate chips or blend fresh mint leaves with the bananas and top with chocolate chunks. 

  • Chocolate cauliflower smoothie: Cauliflower in a smoothie…huh? Trust us, it’s delicious! The mild taste of cauliflower makes it a great base for a healthy dessert smoothie. Combine frozen cauliflower florets, half of a frozen banana, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, a dash of vanilla extract, and milk of choice in a blender. Blend until smooth, and enjoy! If you don’t have protein powder, substitute a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter for protein. 

  • Cherry energy bites: Mix together 1 cup rolled oats, ½ cup creamy almond butter, ¼ cup maple syrup, ½ cup dried cherries, ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, and a dash of cinnamon. Roll batter into balls, refrigerate for a half hour to harden, and enjoy! 

How to Look for Healthier Dessert Options 

If you’re crunched for time and can’t whip up a homemade dessert, there are plenty of store-bought options that can be healthy choices. Aim for options that do not list sugar as one of the first few ingredients, have minimal ingredients, and are made with foods that offer some type of nutrition, such as fiber or protein.  

These options fit the bill: 

  • Justin’s Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups 

  • Wyman’s Frozen Just Fruit and Greek Yogurt Bites 

  • Dole Dippers Dark Chocolate Covered Banana Slices 

  • Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Chocolate Fudge Bars 

  • Cocoa Roasted Almonds (such as Emerald or Blue Diamond) 

  • Simple Mills Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Note from Healthy For Life Meals: Struggling with overeating sweets? Let us help! Our meals are nutritionally balanced and made with real, whole foods that keep you full and help eliminate cravings, plus, we’ll serve you the occasional healthy dessert treats too! Order today for fresh, healthy meal delivery next week. 

Stef Keegan