We have partnered up with Chocolate Covered Katie – healthy food blogger extraordinaire – to share some of her seriously amazing dessert recipes. And the best part? They’re all healthy! Each recipe features at least one unique, unexpected and deliciously healthy ingredient, and many are perfect recipes for children with food allergies or sensitivities!
No-Flour Black Bean Brownies (GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN)
The main ingredient in these seriously amazing brownies is certainly unconventional when it comes to desserts: black beans. Black beans work as a great, healthy substitute for flour in brownies, as the starch in the beans makes for a deliciously fudgy texture.
These chocolatey brownies are full of fiber and omega-3s, are low in fat, and the best part is that your kids will never suspect they’re healthier than traditional brownies!
Chocolate Covered Katie’s black bean brownies are a great option for children with celiac disease, gluten sensitivities, or for anyone living a vegan lifestyle (for full vegan recipe, be sure to use maple syrup/agave instead of honey, and select vegan chocolate chips).
Here is the recipe for No-Flour Black Bean Brownies!
Microwave Chocolate Truffles
Chocolate Covered Katie’s 5-Minute Microwave Chocolate Truffles are to die for. The best part is that they’re gluten-free, and can be dairy-free, and vegan!
We thought that 5-minute truffles, made without heavy cream, were just too good to be true. But they’re not – these truffles taste like they’re straight out of a specialty chocolate shop!
Of course, it goes without saying that chocolate has many health benefits. But in case you didn’t know, chocolate has antidepressant properties, helps your cardiovascular system, can help reduce acne, and can even help lessen the impact of headaches, including migraines. So, in short, try these truffles for your health!
Here is the recipe for Microwave Chocolate Truffles!
Crazy Ingredient Chocolate Cake
This recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie contains the biggest shocker ingredient we have ever seen in any recipe. Are you ready? Wait for it…
CAULIFLOWER. In chocolate cake. And not just any chocolate cake, a seriously delicious chocolate cake! Who knew? Your kids will never see it coming. We sure didn’t. Cauliflower is packed with B vitamins and antioxidants, and also helps aid digestion. On top of all that, cauliflower has anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.
When made with gluten-free flour, this recipe is perfect for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. You can also substitute almond/coconut/soy milk in for a dairy-free version as well.
Here is the recipe for Crazy Ingredient Chocolate Cake!
Chocolate-Strawberry Truffle Pie
You would never guess that just a handful of simple ingredients could make such an amazing – and healthy – dessert. One of the best parts about this pie is that not only is it delicious, it’s gluten-free and dairy-free.
Chocolate Covered Katie’s Chocolate-Strawberry Truffle Pie contains many ingredients with huge nutritional benefits, such as coconut oil (read more here) and cashews, which have cancer fighting properties, are good for heart health, and for your skin and hair. The cocoa powder in this recipe is loaded with antioxidants, as well as phenethylamine, which has antidepressant properties. See? Women have known all along that chocolate makes them happy! And we know you’ll be beyond happy when you try this pie!
Here is the recipe for Chocolate-Strawberry Truffle Pie!
Grain-Free Sugar Cookies
What if we told you that we found an incredible recipe for sugar cookies that was not only gluten-free, but grain-free? And that these cookies are also free of butter AND refined sugars? We’re guessing you would be as excited as we were!
This recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie is an incredible one, and also unexpected. You would never expect grain-free/butter-free/refined sugar-free cookies to be this seriously, insanely, incredibly delicious. And because these are gluten/grain-free as well as dairy-free, they’re a great option for people with gluten and dairy sensitivities. The almond flour in this recipe gives the cookies a huge boost of vitamin E, which we love. Did we mention they’re delicious?
We hold no responsibility for our readers who try this recipe and end up eating the whole batch in one day.
Here is the recipe for Grain-Free Sugar Cookies!
Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
Cheesecake made out of healthy, protein-packed Greek yogurt? Instead of fattening cream cheese? We’ll take it!
This is a healthy twist on a traditionally unhealthy dessert, and it actually tastes amazing!
Greek yogurt packs a serious nutritional punch – something that cannot be said for cream cheese. With almost double the protein of regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is high in calcium, low in sugar, and also contains powerful probiotics (something we’ve discussed in 3 Benefits Of Probiotics For Your Baby). It’s also low in carbohydrates and sodium, which is a benefit for everyone, especially those on low-carb or low-sodium diets.
This Greek yogurt cheesecake filling is gluten-free, so when paired with a gluten-free pie crust, it’s a fantastic option for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities.
Here is the recipe for Greek Yogurt Cheesecake!
For more great recipes, check out our NEST section!
Photo credits: Chocolate Covered Katie
