Who said you can’t enjoy sweets while leading a healthy lifestyle?
The fact is, you don’t need to curb your sweet tooth in order to be healthy. Just change the type of sweet you eat.
Skip on those processed cookies, or chocolate with little to no cocoa in it. And start satisfying your sweet tooth with natural, nutritious, and energizing foods such as nuts, dark chocolate, and fruits.
This article shows you 5 simple ideas for healthy sweets that are also rich in nutrients.
#1 Keto Chocolate Brownies
These chocolate brownies contain no dairy, nuts, or flour. In other words, they aren’t just keto friendly, but also vegan and paleo. And you will not stop at only one.
These flourless brownies also come in a vegan and non-vegan version. What’s most impressive about them, is that they taste amazing and are healthy at the same time. I know, sounds impossible, but just wait until you try them!
These brownies contain healthy fats which help maintain balanced blood sugar levels. As most of us know, the problem with traditional sweets is that they are loaded with refined carbs – especially sugar. Eating these too often can cause insulin resistance. Leading to weight gain and other health issues.
Ingredients:
- Raw cocoa powder, 2 tbsp
- Arrowroot powder, 3 tbsp
- 2 Large eggs (non-vegan), or an egg replacement product (vegan)
- Virgin coconut oil, 6 tbsp
- 100% baking chocolate of choice, 225 grams
- A natural sweetener of choice, 3/4 cups
- Stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, 1/4 cup
Key Benefits:
- Healthy fats from coconut oil
- Low/no sugar
- Antioxidants in cocoa – help protect your cells from the effects of aging
#2 Vegan Pancakes
These pancakes are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and have no sugar. Plus, they are simple and easy to make. If you’re someone with a sweet tooth but don’t want to spend hours preparing your dessert, then this recipe is for you!
Ingredients:
- Buckwheat flour
- Vegan cottage cheese, 100g
- Rice milk, 50ml
- Chocolate chips, 2-3 handfuls
- Vegan egg replacement, 1 egg
- Baking powder, 11g
- Stevia or sweetener of choice
Key benefits:
- Zero sugar
- Doesn’t contain gluten which causes inflammation in some people
- High fiber from buckwheat flour
#3 Healthy Frozen Berry Yogurt
This recipe is not only delicious but also packs a phytonutrient punch. It will provide you with antioxidants such as flavonoids which fight oxidative stress in the body. And the best of all, this recipe doesn’t use any refined sugars.
Ingredients:
- Frozen yogurt of choice, 200 grams
- A handful of mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.)
Key benefits:
- Flavonoids in berries, help boost blood flow and reduce inflammation
- Calcium in yogurt for healthy bones and teeth
#4 Vegan, High-Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl
Another simple and sweet recipe with nutritious ingredients. For this recipe, we’ve included oats, bananas, peanut butter, oat milk, chocolate-flavored hemp protein powder, and water.
While oats contain plenty of fiber which improves digestion. Hemp protein powder and bananas offer other key nutrients, such as essential amino acids and potassium. Peanut butter, on the other hand, is a rich source of vitamin E, which is a potent antioxidant that supports your cardiovascular system.
Ingredients:
- Rolled oats, 1/2 cup
- 1 banana
- Oat milk, 1/2 cup
- Water, 1/2 cup
- Hemp protein powder (chocolate flavor), 2 tbsp
- Peanut butter, 1 tbsp
Key benefits:
- Vitamin E in peanut butter
- A lot of fiber in oats, helps with digestion
- Potassium
- High-protein
#5 Frozen Banana-Berry Dessert
For this recipe, you need a blender, frozen bananas, berries, some coconut yogurt, dark chocolate, and a dash of water.
This dessert has a smooth and creamy texture, which makes it resemble ice cream. Except it’s much more nutritious! The antioxidants found in berries and dark chocolate, coupled with potassium in bananas, make for a super dessert.
Ingredients:
- Frozen strawberries, 150 grams
- 3-4 frozen bananas
- Coconut yogurt, 3 tbsp
- Dark chocolate, 1 bar
- A splash of water
- Optional: a sprinkle of vanilla powder
Key benefits:
- Loaded with antioxidants (berries and dark chocolate)
- Potassium in bananas
Conclusion
Healthy sweets are the best sweets. Yes, it’s possible to get your sweet fix from nutritious and wholesome foods. Unlike refined sugar, these recipes won’t make you gain weight or cause health issues. As you’ve seen from this article, a few simple and natural ingredients are all it takes to create a healthy dessert you’ll enjoy.