35 Healthy Dessert Recipes

From soft, baked cookies to no-bake treats, there’s something for everyone in this post where I share 35 healthy dessert recipes.

There are delicious ideas for every occasion that taste indulgent and just because you want to eat better and make more mindful decisions doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your favorite desserts!

Healthy Desserts

I should add that the word healthy means something different for everybody. In the 80s, 90s, and into the 2000s, healthy meant low-fat recipes.

We know this because there were lots of fad diets and many companies introduced a low-fat and non-fat version of may products. Unfortunately, the fat became replaced by sugar and thickening agents; creating products that almost tasted like the original but with added ingredients.

Thankfully, today most of us have our own definition of “healthy” mostly tailored to our personal health goals. The recipes you’ll find in this post are made with clean and simple ingredients with nothing artificial so they can support your healthy lifestyle and eating goals.

From time to time, it’s ok to eat a baked brownie or a fresh chocolate chip cookie, whether it’s a clean recipe or not, but wanting to find a healthier version is hopefully why you’re here.

Balance is the key to a healthy relationship with food, which includes enjoying your favorite treats from time to time. They even have a place in the Family Kickstart, a clean eating meal plan for families.

The Kickstart Program swaps highly-processed, artificial foods for wholesome, nutritious meals made with REAL ingredients. And after many families going through the program, most have requested me to come up with healthy desserts like the Pineapple Whip and No-Bake Blondies, which are OK to eat even on a clean eating plan. 

I even created an entire cookbook dedicated to healthy desserts made with clean ingredients, the Clean Treats Cookbook!

If you’re looking to reduce processed foods and eat cleaner with your family, download the start guide here. It gives you an idea of the recipes you can enjoy in the Family Kickstart Program, how to stock your pantry, and tips on how to achieve your clean eating goals with your family.

Low-Calorie Dessert Recipes

While I don’t keep calorie count, I know it can help others stick to their goals. The recipes below are all below 200 calories per serving- that’s pretty darn good for a dessert! 

Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Soft and chewy pumpkin cookies made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and sweetened with honey. They’re the perfect pick-me-up with afternoon coffee. 

Recipe: Homemade Yogurt Drinks
A mixture of yogurt, milk, fruit, and honey make the ideal chilled beverage for kids and a healthier alternative to store-bought yogurt drinks. 

Recipe: Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
A delicious combination of oats, peanut butter, and raisins make this cookie both suitable for breakfast or a treat. 

Recipe: Frozen Yogurt Bark
An easy snack made with vanilla yogurt topped with fruit and your favorite dry cereal. 

Recipe: Frozen Mocha Frappucino 
Chocolate, protein, and caffeine in one delicious smoothie bowl! Top with whipped cream and cocoa nibs for a little more “coffee shop” vibe. 

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough
Ever wanted to eat cookie dough by the spoon? Now you can with this pumpkin spice cookie dough recipe. Use it to dip with graham crackers, fruit, or enjoy by the spoonful- no judgment here. 

No-Bake Healthy Desserts

Ah, the no-bake section. Who doesn’t love biting into a chewy, delicious protein bite or no-bake bar? Here, you’ll find all those things but made with the quality ingredients like all-natural nut butter, oats, seeds, dark chocolate, and honey. 

Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate Chip Blondies
These bars are made in one bowl, pressed into a pan, and chilled until solid. They taste like cookie dough but a no-bake texture, no wonder they are so popular! 

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars
What started out as an attempt for a healthier breakfast bar turned into a treat worthy of dessert status. These are 100% free of grains and dairy so everyone can get in on the goodness.

Recipe: Grab the Gold Bars
Another experiment has gone right, these no-bake bars are made with oats, peanut butter, almond flour, honey, and cocoa powder for a delicious cookie suitable as a post-workout snack or after dinner. 

Recipe: Coconut Brownie Energy Bites
These bites use raisins, cashews, cocoa powder, and shredded coconut to satisfy the brownie craving in a guiltless bite. 

Recipe: Chocolate Bites
A soft, bite-size of chocolate goodness you can feel good about eating. Make this recipe nut-free with the help of sunflower or soy butter. 

Recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bites
Who doesn’t love a fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookie? However, on nights when you don’t want to bake these little guys come in handy!

Recipe: Pecan Pie Bites
A holiday staple turned into a quick pick-me-up you can make for special occasions or any time of year. 

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Bites
All the flavors of pie rolled into one healthy and delicious bite! 

Healthy Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate lovers rejoice because this part is all about YOU! There’s no shortage of delicious ways to get your chocolate fix without the guilt, and these healthy chocolate desserts help you do just that! 

Recipe: Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Thanks to the bananas, cocoa powder, and honey this pudding tastes nothing like avocado and has the perfect silky texture and decadent, rich flavor. 

Recipe: Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
Another super thick smoothie bowl you can top like a sundae and enjoy for a guilt-free dessert of breakfast. 

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip
This EPIC fruit dip is made with cocoa powder, peanut butter, and yogurt. It has a chocolatey-rich flavor that will make you want to lick the bowl! 

Recipe: Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
My family loves brownies straight from the oven with a tall glass of milk and these are no exception. Thanks to the prune pureé they’re extra rich and moist without the need for extra sugar and butter. 

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Brownies
Only 3 ingredients needed to make these soft, chocolate bite-size brownies and they’re less than 100 calories per serving. You can pack them in a lunch for a healthy treat to-go. 

Recipe: Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
Bananas and Nutella are the only items you need to make this frozen treat. I knew bananas could make ice cream but I didn’t expect it to be this good!

Easy Healthy Desserts

These healthy desserts are the perfect easy, quick fix when you need something on the fly. Items like the muffins, frozen yogurt, and popsicles can be made ahead and readily available for an afternoon pick me up. 

The smoothies can double as both breakfast or dessert. Imagine, something that’s good for you yet tastes irresistible. 

Recipe: Homemade Watermelon Slushee
A naturally sweet, delicious treat similar to an icee and made with only one ingredient: frozen watermelon! 

Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Thanks to bananas and oats these muffins are soft and light without any oil or butter. Oh, and you can put away the mixer and mixing bowls- these are whipped up in a blender and baked in the oven. 

Recipe: Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt
A lightened up version of vanilla ice cream and it’s surprisingly easy to make with only three ingredients. 

Recipe: Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles 
Made with fruit and yogurt these are the perfect treat on a hot day. 

Recipe: Strawberry Smoothie Bowl
Few things are better than a rich, thick, creamy smoothie that tastes like a dessert of strawberries and cream. How about one that’s made with less sugar and more nutritious?

Recipe: Coconut Pie Smoothie
This is one you’ll want to make for all the coconut pie lovers! It has a wonderfully creamy texture with lots of coconut flavor and made without any added sugar.

Recipe: Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie
Frozen cherries, dark chocolate, and banana make a delicious, velvet smooth drink with flecks on chocolate in every sip. 

Keto Desserts

It can be a challenge to find Keto desserts that taste good and will not mess up your macros but these two recipes and storebought treats are my go-to desserts whenever I’m doing Keto!

Recipe: Keto Cookies
Think of a coconut macaroon but fresh baked and keto-friendly! These are a perfect healthy cookie whether you’re on keto or neat. 

Recipe: Sugar-Free Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate that’s high in protein, sugar-free, and tastes amazing. This recipe is great as a replacement for traditional cocoa during the holiday. 

Buy it: Keto Dark Chocolate
The perfect chocolate for anyone doing keto or thinking about it. These bars are made with cocoa powder, nuts, and erythritol a sugar substitute that has no calories and doesn’t cause insulin spikes. 

Buy it: Keto Brownies
A no-bake, chewy brownie that’s under 230 calories and 8 net carbs total! 

Paleo Desserts

Who said there’s no room for something sweet on paleo? I’m not talking about fresh fruit sweet but something, baked and delicious, kind of like chocolate cake! 

Yes, you read that right, there is an actual chocolate cake that’s both out-of-this-world and paleo-approved so you can have your cake and eat. It. Too! 

Recipe: Paleo Chocolate Cake
A chocolate cake you’ll never guess is grain-free! Perfectly moist with the texture and taste of the traditional cake. You can top it with whipped coconut cream, powdered sugar, or ice cream (if you’re not doing Paleo). 

Recipe: Paleo Breakfast Cookies
This cookie is made with healthy fats, fiber, and tons of goodness! It’s the perfect addition to your make-ahead breakfast routine.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones
One thing I love more than coffee is coffee AND scones and these Pumpkin Scones don’t disappoint. Made with brown rice flour and tapioca starch they’ll make the perfect substitute for the bakery version. 

Recipe: Grain-Free Blueberry Scones
Another scone recipe you’ll be so glad I shared. These can be made ahead of time, frozen, and baked on demand. 

Whole30 Desserts

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any more, these Whole 30 friendly recipes are made with minimal ingredients and added natural sweeteners. The Pineapple Whip and 2 Ingredient Magic Cookies are still household favorites. 

Recipe: Pineapple Whip 
This pineapple whip recipe is made with only three ingredients and a healthier version of the Dole Whip from Disney. 

Recipe: Fruit Leather
Don’t know what to do with the abundance of strawberries sitting in your fridge, now you do! This homemade fruit roll-up is a nice change from the usual strawberry smoothies and the recipe can be interchanged with whatever berries you have on hand. 

Recipe: Mango Freeze Pops
Mango-freeze ice cream turned into healthy popsicles everyone can feel good about grabbing from the freezer. 

Recipe: 2 Ingredient Magic Cookies
Nope, we’re not missing any ingredients, these cookies only need bananas and oats to turn into warm, soft cookies. The chocolate chips are optional but always recommended. 

Recipe: Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Pumpkin pie but in a smoothie! Thanks to the chia seeds and pumpkin spice this has a delicious thick texture with lots of healthy fats and flavor. 

Some people think there is only one way to do a Whole30- hardcore and more power to them, but with a family that’s not always the best approach. 

That’s the #1 reason I created the Family Kickstart. It organizes everything for you and breaks each week down with a completed shopping list, prep guide, and helpful tips so you can make clean eating no big deal!

While the focus is on eliminating processed and junk foods, it gives room for the kids to grow and learn how to enjoy fresh meals made with better ingredients. Desserts included! 

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