February 18th marked the beginning of Lent, and for many of us, the start of a daunting, forty-day dessert hiatus. Although saying goodbye to sweets is never an easy task (we miss you, chocolate!), we’ve come up with a few dessert substitutions to minimize your separation anxiety. Below are ten snacks so naturally sweet and delicious that you’ll forget all about that cupcake you’ve been craving.
Photo by Nick Schmidt
1. Frozen Banana Ice Cream
Place a frozen banana in the blender with the mix-ins of your choice (we like peanut butter, cinnamon, and coconut), add a dash of almond milk and pulse until smooth. Ban(an)a-ppetit!
Photo Courtesy of Becky Luigart-Stayner
2. Hot Apples with Nuts and Spices
In the mood for apple pie? Cut up a fresh Granny Smith, mix with a dash of allspice and a tablespoon of your favorite nut and put it in the microwave for one minute.
Photo Courtesy of www.saucymommy.wordpress.com
3. Frozen Yogurt Bites
Say hello to Dippin’ Dots’ healthy cousin. Just use a plastic bag to pipe small circles of your favorite yogurt onto a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer until they’re frozen solid.
Photo courtesy of thedeliciouslife.com
4. Toast with Almond Butter and Honey
It might sound boring, but this sweet-salty combo will satisfy you straight through the Lenten season.
Photo by Rafi Letzter
5. Fresh Fruit Popsicles
Simply choose your favorite fruit juice and put it in a popsicle mold for a sweet and refreshing snack. Don’t have a popsicle mold? Try using small dixie cups.
Photo by Tiare Brown
6. Trail Mix
Mix together your favorite dried fruit, nuts and seeds for a quick and easy treat.
Photo by Kelly Logan
7. Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
When you sink your teeth into these tasty morsels, you won’t believe they don’t have any added sugar. Find the recipe here.
Photo by Andrea Kang
8. Cinnamon Popcorn
Although this isn’t actually a sugary snack, the sweet-spiciness of the cinnamon will knock out your dessert cravings. Just add a dash of cinnamon to your favorite brand of simple, lightly-salted popcorn.
Photo by Alex Weiner
9. Frozen Mangoes
Light, sweet, and tropical, these delicious chunks taste just like fresh sorbet.
Photo By Rachel Conners
10. Sweet Potatoes
Mash ’em, bake ’em, or boil ’em– any which way, they’ll make your taste buds happy.