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Home » Recipes » Best Of

22 Healthy Treats that are Absolutely Crave-Worthy

By Laura Fuentes Updated Dec 13, 2024

5 from 13 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

Cookies, smoothie bowls, bars, and no-bake treats these 20+ crave-worthy dessert recipes will satisfy any sweet tooth and it all starts with this homemade pineapple whip.

You know that feeling when your sweet tooth is driving you crazy, but you still want to keep your health goals on track?

OR maybe, you want a special treat or dessert without the guilt? I’ve totally been there. In fact, I’m there several times a week, which is why I like to keep this list of healthy treats handy.

These recipes taste indulgent, but they’re also good for you, and each one is made with real ingredients. YES, those treats we should all be enjoying! So pull up a chair, grab your coffee and let’s make our way into the chocolatey, chewy, sweet world of crave-worthy healthy treats.

a collage of healthy treat images

The Best Things to Eat When You are Craving Sweets

When a craving for sweets hits and you know that fruit, nuts or Greek yogurt aren’t going to cut it – these are the recipes for you. Moist, chocolate cake, fresh-baked cookies, and so much more. 

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to cover up your cravings, you can eat a fresh, whole-food diet and have your cake too. 

It’s all about balance. 

So acknowledge the craving and then do something about it with one of these healthy treat recipes. Some recipes include chocolate, while others are fresh baked cookies, no-bakes, and cold blended treats. One thing they all have in common- they are made with real, clean ingredients!  

I told you you were going to love this, let’s get to the good stuff!

Clean Treats Cookbook

Healthy and wholesome dessert recipes you’ll want to eat made with clean ingredients you already have on hand.
Grab your copy today!

clean treats cookbook standing upright with small shadow behind
Buy the Book

Types of Healthy Treats

Cake, cookies, brownies, bites, ice cream, shakes- if it’s sweet and you love it, 95% of the time, you can make it into a healthier version with the right ingredients. The other 5% are Apple Fritters and cookie cake; those should be enjoyed as is. 

Here are some ingredient swaps I use to make drool-worthy, healthy treats:

  1. Instead of Sugar
    Honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, dates, and coconut sugar. 
  2. Instead of regular flour
    Oat flour, almond flour, or whole wheat flour
  3. Instead of vegetable oil or butter
    Coconut oil, peanut or almond butter, and sometimes, pumpkin pureé.

You can see my full list of ingredient swaps for baking here if you really want to get swap happy! 

Now, time for the treats.

Smoothie Bowls

Smoothie bowls are a lot thicker than the standard smoothie in a glass, thus the reason they’re best enjoyed from a bowl and eaten with a spoon. It’s a much more satisfying experience and encourages delicious toppings like sliced fruit, chopped chocolate, coconut flakes, and granola. Overall, smoothies and smoothie bowls make a healthy treat that satisfies a sweet tooth and gives ample nutrition.

If you’ve never made one before, I’ll show you how to make a smoothie bowl in this post and video. Then, you can jump right in to these recipes.

overhead view of strawberries and cream smoothie bowl
Strawberry Smoothie Bowl
5 from 21 votes
Low in sugar, full of protein, and super refreshing, strawberry smoothies for the win!
Make This Recipe
High Fiber and Protein Chocolate Smoothie Bowl in a bowl
Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
4.93 from 65 votes
Chocolate is always a good idea, put it in a smoothie and you have a new favorite chocolate treat that is high in fiber and protein! 
Make This Recipe
overhead view of peaches and cream smoothie bowl
Peaches & Cream Smoothie Bowl
5 from 15 votes
Peaches and cream make a delicious combo in this healthy smoothie. Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder for an extra protein boost. 
Make This Recipe
overhead view of healthy coffee smoothie bowl
Frozen Mocha Frappucino
5 from 13 votes
A super thick, smoothie of coffee and chocolate- this is heaven!
Make This Recipe
blueberry smoothie bowl topped with grains and raspberries
Blueberry Protein Smoothie Bowl
4.82 from 144 votes
A high-protein, nutrient-packed smoothie that tastes like blueberry and vanilla soft serve!
Make This Recipe

Bite-Size Treats

When you need something sweet, but only want a little taste, say hello to bite-size treats! They’re packed with all the good things and keep for up to a week in the fridge, so grab 1 or 2 of these bites for a quick treat. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bites
4.96 from 25 votes
Like the cookie minus the baking, and you can eat 3 without feeling guilty. 
Make This Recipe
Pecan Pie Bites
If you’ve never had pecan pie, you owe yourself the favor, and these bites do a number on any sweet/salty cravings. 
Make This Recipe
bowl of pumpkin snack bites
Pumpkin Pie Bites
4.91 from 30 votes
Pumpkin spice everything, and these bites are a healthier option to maneuver your way through pumpkin season. 
Make This Recipe
Coconut_Energy_Bites
Coconut Brownie Energy Bites
5 from 22 votes
Made with coconut, cocoa powder, raisins, and cashews these are gluten-free and my go-to for a post-workout snack or whenever I need a pick-me-up. 
Make This Recipe
Homemade Almond Joy
5 from 13 votes
These homemade almond joys are easy to make and make the perfect bite sized treat when you want to satisfy your cravings for something sweet!
Make This Recipe

Homemade Healthy Bars

Drop those pre-packaged bars and brownies and make one of these recipes. They taste like a treat but are made with real ingredients so that you can get your sweet fix without the guilt.

closeup view of round post-workout snack bars
Grab the Gold Bars
4.95 from 53 votes
I used to buy these at the gym, but with a $2 price tag on each bar, I decided the nix the habit and made my own. Several attempts led to a chocolate version of the real thing, and I don’t plan on going back. 
Make This Recipe
six sliced no-bake blondies with chocolate chips. Freshly shaped from a loaf pan.
No-Bake Chocolate Chip Blondies
4.99 from 77 votes
If you take anything away from this post, make sure it’s this recipe. It’s practically chocolate chip cookie dough sans the egg so you can enjoy it by the slice, sign me up!
Make This Recipe
eight fudgy brownies
Healthy Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
4.82 from 33 votes
I’ve had this one around forever and for a good reason! These brownies get their extra fudginess from cocoa powder, chopped dark chocolate, and prune pureé.
Make This Recipe

Healthy Frozen Treats

Who can live without ice cream, popsicles, and slushies? These recipes bring out the very best of our favorite frozen treats, minus the excessive sugar and artificial flavorings. Check them out: 

Mango Freeze Pops
5 from 16 votes
A kid-favorite popsicle made with coconut milk, maple syrup, and mango. They’re always a good idea on a hot day!
Make This Recipe
Pineapple Whip
4.84 from 25 votes
This copy-cat version of the famous Dole Whip at Disney is made with only 3-ingredients. The same tropical deliciousness- no wait necessary.
Make This Recipe
vanilla frozen yogurt in a bowl
Easy Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
5 from 14 votes
This Vanilla Frozen Yogurt recipe is a healthy, high-protein treat you can make with just 3 wholesome ingredients. 
Make This Recipe
Frozen Yogurt Bark
5 from 66 votes
This yogurt bark comes together quickly and makes a great snack when you need to cool off. Swap the cereal for your favorite grain-free or low sugar granola. 
Make This Recipe
pink yogurt popsicle being held by a child wearing a striped green shirt
Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles
5 from 26 votes
These frozen pops are made with 3 simple ingredients, and thanks to the Greek yogurt, they make a great source of protein.
Make This Recipe
Homemade Watermelon Slushee
This healthy icee is made with only two ingredients, watermelon and water! It’s a must on hot days when you want something refreshing and sweet. 
Make This Recipe

Healthy Cookies

Want something soft, chewy, and warm? It sounds like you could use a cookie, and these recipes are a great place to start. They aren’t heavy on the sugar, and most are made with oats instead of flour. In other words, they double as a healthy breakfast AND treat. 

magic cookie stack on a tea towel
2 Ingredient Magic Cookies
4.93 from 28 votes
Oats and bananas make up the delicious cookie base. I add chocolate chips, but you can toss in dried cranberries, nuts, chopped chocolate chunks, or all of the above. 
Make This Recipe
breakfast cookie
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
One of my favorite recipes from the Best Homemade Lunches on the Planet, these are gluten-free and sweetened with honey- and actually, taste good.
Make This Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Cookies
When your pumpkin obsession and cookie cravings merge into one delicious baked treat, you can enjoy as a snack or healthy breakfast. 
Make This Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Cocoa powder is full of antioxidants, and peanut butter is an excellent source of healthy fats and protein. Combine them in an oatmeal cookie recipe, and you have every reason to eat a second.   
Make This Recipe

Kid-Friendly Healthy Treats

Each of the recipes above was designed and made with kids in mind. When it comes to sweets, I know if my kids won’t eat it, it’s probably not good, which in most cases for healthy, “store-bought” treats.

Making homemade versions gives you the right to change and swap ingredients to your family’s taste. The recipes also yield enough for me to pack into snack boxes so they can take along to school or you can take with you to the office.

Ready to start making the best healthy treats ever? Let’s start with this recipe for homemade pineapple whip.

Best Healthy Treats | Chocolate, Bars, Bites, Cookies & More!

a collage of healthy treat images
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 4 hours hrs
Total Time: 4 hours hrs
Cookies, smoothie bowls, bars, and no-bake treats these 20+ crave-worthy dessert recipes will satisfy any sweet tooth and it all starts with this homemade pineapple whip.
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin

Ingredients

Healthy Pineapple Whip

  • 20 ounces crushed pineapple, drained and rinsed
  • 14 oz can coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

  • In a blender, combine the pineapple, coconut milk, and honey. Blend until smooth, turn the power to high and blend for an additional minute.
  • Pour the mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan for 4 to 6 hours or until frozen, stirring every 30 minutes to break up and ice crystals. Use an ice cream scoop to serve.

Equipment

Clean Treats
Clean Treats Cookbook
Loaf Pan

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

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Comments

    5 from 13 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jenna says

    March 03, 2023 at 10:40 pm

    5 stars
    This was the perfect list of healthy treats. I made the chocolate bites and the bars and then I bought the book and I LOVE them!

    Reply
  2. Olivia says

    May 18, 2022 at 10:25 pm

    5 stars
    Needed some healthy treats for Easter this year!

    Reply
  3. Edith says

    March 11, 2022 at 3:54 pm

    5 stars
    Cooking my way down this list of healthy desserts

    Reply
  4. Kimmy says

    December 28, 2020 at 4:52 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, yum I want to try every last one of these healthy treats!

    Reply

Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

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