Zucchini pie anyone?!? When I say zucchini pie, most people give me a weird look! However, when they try it, they find that it is quite yummy! It reminds me of a custard pie; smooth, creamy, amazing. It is a great way to use up that one zucchini that you found hiding that has grown to the size of a small baseball bat.
healthier desserts
Healthy Snack Ideas
Let’s talk snacks!
I am a firm believer in snacks! Snacking can get a bad rep but if you are choosing healthy options, snacking can be a crucial part in a healthy lifestyle!
Puppy Chow
Puppy Chow is my absolute favorite holiday sweet treat! The crunchy, chocolate, peanut buttery goodness I crave! Have you ever had it? It’s the perfect party snack. I like to upgrade the ingredients to make it as “healthy” as possible! 😉
Puppy Chow Recipe Notes:
- The darker the chocolate you use, the less sugar it will have. I like these.
- Be sure to use natural peanut butter. ingredients should only contain peanuts and maybe some salt.
- This freezes great so keep it in the freezer and pull out when desired.
- Look for an organic powdered sugar that uses tapioca starch instead of cornstarch and is made with real cane sugar.
- This recipe is gluten free. To make it dairy free, use coconut oil instead of butter.
- Choose organic when possible.
For more healthy recipes, visit the RECIPES page.
Nut Butter Stuffed Dates
Nut Butter Stuffed Dates: a healthy treat for your sweet tooth!
Inspired by Restoring Radiance for these nut butter stuffed dates, they were a hit!! First of all, I’m a sucker for anything peanut butter & chocolate (anyone else?!) and while these originally called for almond butter, I switched it out for my favorite peanut butter instead! SO GOOD!
Dark Chocolate Brownies {Gluten, Flour & Bean Free}
I was on the hunt for a brownie. One that was extra chocolaty (is that a word?), free of refined sugar & flour and one that did not use black beans. As much as I do love a good black bean brownie, I honestly didn’t want to have to mess with the blender! Inspired by this online recipe, I made a couple upgrades and was so happy with the results that I’m sharing it with you.
Honey & Lime Fruit Salad
There is nothing quite as refreshing as a bowl of fresh fruit! This delightful combination leaves your taste buds happy and you tummy wanting more!
The key is to use all FRESH fruit. Be sure wash it first (get my produce wash recipe here), chop it into a big bowl, snitch a few pieces and smile at all the BEAUTIFUL colors!
Fruit is something we should all be consuming in our diet on a regular basis! There are so many options to choose from and each one has unique nutritional contents that nourish our bodies.
A few health benefits:
- Kiwis: extremely high in Vitamin C.
- Bananas: great source of potassium, which is used to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in our bodies.
- Blueberries: high antioxidant content, low sugar fruit and full of fiber which helps keep us “regular”.
- Pineapples: reduces inflammation and helps fight cancer.
- Grapes: can help with high blood pressure.
- Strawberries: boosts brain function and immunity.
Inspired by an online recipe.
Healthy Holiday Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Sauce-is it a part of your Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner?
Cranberry sauce was a new adventure for me. I was very excited to try it and quite pleased how it turned out! Throwing all the ingredients in the pan and turning the heat up, I was delighted to hear the sound of those berries popping! Most cranberry sauce recipes call for a large amount of sugar so I was pleased to find you can cut the content by over half! It does make more of a tart sauce, but it will go perfect with your turkey 😉
Facts on Cranberries
- As the berry ripens, it turns from green to red.
- High antioxidant content.
- Helps prevent or treat urinary tract infections.
- Decreases inflammation.
- Helps fight against cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
- All around a very powerful berry that boosts immune function
Smooth Cool Tropical Delight “Ice Cream”
Looking for a cool, delicious summertime treat?!
This one is dairy free, reminds you of a tropical island and is so so refreshing! I made this for guests one evening and it was a hit!
This dish contains NO ADDED sugar making it a great option for a snack or dessert or even a breakfast treat!
Bonus tip: add chia seeds and a handful of greens for extra health benefits! (However if you do add greens, it will loose the pretty color.)
*You can also freeze this in a container to eat later.
RECIPE UPDATE: I used strawberries in place of the pineapple and boy was it good!
Chocolate Pudding Made With Real Food Ingredients
I had a craving for chocolate pudding. From scratch. Using real food ingredients. That tasted delicious. I made this recipe, waited patiently for it to cool and sighed with delight when I tasted it! It was wonderful and tasted exactly how I hoped it would. SCORE. Now this recipe is mostly dairy free, minus the butter. However, you probably could replace the butter with coconut oil. I personally have not tried it. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
You can add whipped cream on top (use coconut cream to make it dairy free), berries, mini chocolate chips, granola, or just eat it!
*inspired by http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/
Healthy Fall Apple Crisp {Gluten Free}
Fall time = apple crisp time!
I absolutely love this apple crisp recipe! No, gluten, no refined sugar and totally a guilt free treat! It doesn’t last long in our house. You can add pears instead of apples and it is DELICIOUS! I may even like it a bit more 🙂 I’ve based this recipe from this one I found at Cookie & Kate. It is close to the same with just a few minor changes.
Note: If you are have Celiac Disease or are very sensitive to gluten, make sure you buy certified gluten free oats. They are usually processed in the same facility as wheat products and can have cross contamination if you buy the regular oats.
*You can add 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans to the crumb mixture. Enjoy!