Better-For-You Desserts That Don't Taste Like It
Because life is too short to skip dessert.
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Friends, I have a philosophy about dessert that I’ve had for a long time now: all foods fit. I spent years in a relationship with food that was defined by restriction and fear, and coming out the other side of that means I truly believe in eating the things you love—including the damn cookie.
That said, I do love developing desserts that are made with better ingredients, not because I think you should always avoid sugar or dairy, but because I find that I feel better when I’m not eating a ton of refined sugar, and I’ve figured out over the years that you don’t have to sacrifice any flavor to get there. Most of the desserts I make regularly happen to be gluten-free, dairy-free, or refined sugar-free.
There’s something here for every kind of craving—something chocolatey, something frozen, something you can keep in the freezer for whenever the mood strikes, and the tahini cookie that people have been making on repeat since I first posted it years ago. Save this one for when you need a sweet treat.
A food processor is essential to making this perfect dairy-free sorbet
A cookie (or ice cream) scoop. For the cookies and ice cream, it makes portioning easy and keeps everything uniform.
Parchment paper. Non-negotiable for the date bark and the cookie dough bites. Nothing sticks, nothing tears, cleanup is effortless.
Flaky salt. I finish almost every dessert I make with a pinch of it and I will never stop.
You can shop all of my kitchen favorites over on my Amazon Storefront — I keep it updated with exactly what I’m actually using.
If you know my blog at all, you know about the Life-Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies. They have been one of my most made, most shared, most requested recipes since I first posted them — and I’ve now taken that same dough and turned it into a warm, gooey scoopable skillet cookie that I think is even better than the original. One bowl, one baking dish, baked until the top is golden and crunchy and the inside is still soft and fudgy. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a pinch of flaky salt.
Welcome to the only cookie you need in your life, my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, a recipe with “Life Changing” in its title for very good reason. These cookies are truly life changing! They are paleo-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, and they can be made vegan and nut-free too, which means that people with various food aversions, allergies, and what not, will likely have their lives changed too. And that texture? They are lightly crispy on the outside, perfectly soft and chewy on the inside, and they melt in your mouth.
If you’ve been searching for the perfect sweet treat to keep stashed in your freezer for whenever a craving strikes, then look no further — these No Bake Cookie Dough Bites are exactly what you’ve been missing. They start with a rich chocolate base, followed by a thick layer of edible cookie dough, a smooth peanut butter layer, and a final drizzle of chocolate on top. Pop them out of the freezer in ice cube trays, let them thaw for just a minute, and you have the most satisfying little bite that is so good — only it’s made from better-for-you ingredients.
Have you seen the 2-ingredient Viral Japanese Cheesecake hack everyone’s been talking about lately?! Well, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it. Except I made it raspberry flavored. And yes that technically makes it three ingredients, but honestly… who’s counting?! After trying it myself, I get the hype. It’s a no-bake, no-recipe required dessert that somehow tastes like cheesecake. Bonus points for being high-protein and easy to prep ahead, which makes it just as great for breakfast as it is for dessert.
This One Bowl Churro Snacking Cake is an easy, no-fuss recipe that is light, fluffy, and warmly spiced with cinnamon. It delivers all the cozy churro flavors in an approachable, everyday snack cake form. Made in a single bowl and finished with a classic cinnamon-sugar topping, this cake is perfect for just about any time of day.
Imagine for a moment if your favorite candy bar got a healthy and delicious high-protein twist – except with this recipe, you don’t have to imagine. These are my Snickers Mousse Cups, and these rich and creamy cups are filled with all of the ingredients of a classic Snickers bar that you know and love. They start out with a creamy greek yogurt and peanut butter base, topped with a thick peanut butter layer, a hard chocolate topping, and a finish of chopped peanuts and sea salt. The end result? The perfect healthy snack to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
Frozen tangerines, a food processor, and about two minutes of your time. The result is a sorbet that is light, creamy, and naturally sweet without anything added — and it tastes like summer in a bowl. This is the recipe I reach for when the weather gets warm and I want something cold and refreshing that doesn’t feel heavy. Seriously one of the most satisfying desserts on this entire list for how little effort it requires.
If you’re looking for a no-bake treat that satisfies your sweet tooth without sending you into a sugar spiral, these Smashed Date S’mores are about to become your new obsession. Made with just four simple ingredients — medjool dates, graham crackers, marshmallow fluff, and melted chocolate — they come together in under 10 minutes and are the perfect bite-size treat to keep stashed in the freezer for when a craving strikes.
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