Most people associate dessert with treats rich in sugar, unhealthy fats, and calories. However, desserts can also be rich in nutrients if you use the right ingredients. To all the chocolate lovers out there who are also trying to maintain a balanced lifestyle—I feel you. And I am pleased to report that healthy chocolate desserts do exist.
These healthy chocolate desserts contain natural sources of protein, like beans and nuts, healthy fats from coconut oil and avocado, and the majority of sugar comes form natural sources. I’m not an advocate of counting calories, so that was not taken into consideration.
1. Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
I dislike avocado. A lot. But I promise that all you’ll taste in these avocado dark chocolate truffles is the rich and smooth chocolate goodness.
2. Black Bean Brownies
Moist, fudgy, chocolatey—there’s no way you’d be able to tell that the secret ingredient in these healthy chocolate brownies are black beans!
3. Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
Struggling to eat enough veggies? These zucchini brownies are the perfect excuse to whip up a batch of brownies. As a child, it took me a long time to clue in to the fact that they were filled with a green veggie I refused to eat otherwise!
4. Sweet Potato Cinnamon Brownies
These sweet potato brownies are another sneaky way to eat your veggies and get a dose of Vitamin A at the same time. Talk about a win-win situation.
5. Chocolate Quinoa Squares
Did you know quinoa is an excellent source of plant-based protein? Just another reason to whip up a batch of these chocolate quinoa squares tonight.
6. Oatmeal Fudge Bars
These oatmeal fudge bars are basically a chocolate oatmeal sandwich. ‘Nuff said.
7. Buckeye Brownies
For healthy chocolate desserts, my go-to blogger is Chocolate Covered Katie. Her recipes are suitable for any diet or lifestyle and always taste amazing. A delectable combination of bitter chocolate and peanut butter, these buckeye brownies are always gone in a flash.
8. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I know, I know…how can cookies be healthy? Swap out the butter and oil in these oatmeal cookies for applesauce instead!
9. Chocolate Chickpea Cookies
Another healthy chocolate dessert that packs a protein punch. If you love hummus as much as I do, these chickpea cookies are must-have. If you’re feeling super ambitious, try this chickpea cookie dough recipe. So healthy (and delicious!) you’d be able to eat it for breakfast.
10. Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
Fudge is normally made with sweetened condensed milk, which is yummy, but not exactly the healthiest. This fudge recipe relies on coconut oil instead.
11. Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin + anything is perfect for this time of year. And this fudge recipe is suitable for vegans because it uses coconut butter, pumpkin puree, and cocoa powder.
12. Sweet and Sour Chocolate Bark
I am a huge sour fan of anything sour, especially dried cherries. Add some nuts, such as pistachios, or pumpkin seeds to your chocolate bark for a healthy chocolate dessert filled with nutrients.
13. Chocolate Coconut Squares
Filled with superfoods like coconut, dates, dark chocolate, and nuts, these chocolate bars have no added sugar. But don’t worry, they’re perfectly sweet just the way they are!
14. Healthy Dessert Smoothie
Chocolate-banana is another epic combination. This dessert smoothie tastes like a milkshake, and the liquid can easily be swapped for a dairy-free option.
#SpoonTip: If you’re really craving a milkshake, freeze the banana first and use less liquid when blending.
15. Chocolate Peppermint Smoothie
The trick to getting the rich green color in this peppermint smoothie? Spinach.
16. Healthy Chocolate Mousse
Remember chocolate pudding cups from elementary school lunches? This chocolate mousse recipe is 100x better and uses avocado to get that smooth and creamy texture.
17. Chocolate Chia Pudding
Chia seeds are seriously magical–you can add them to smoothies, cookies, oatmeal, or muffins for tons of nutrients. Top this chia seed pudding with raspberries, strawberries, or banana for a sweet contrast to the bitterness of the cocoa powder.
18. Chocolate Banana Sushi
If you aren’t a fan of raw fish, try this unique take on sushi. Experiment with toppings for your banana “sushi.” Chopped nuts, cinnamon, sea salt, or coconut flakes are all great options.
19. Chocolate “Nice Cream”
If you haven’t tried nice cream, you are seriously missing out. Instead of a base made from cream, milk, and sugar, nice cream uses one simple ingredient—frozen bananas. The flavour possibilities are endless, so go bananas. Literally.
20. Healthy Eatmore Chocolate Bars
Eatmore bars are the most underrated chocolate bar ever. A chewy combination of chocolate, peanuts, and fudge, I was always thrilled to get one of these in my bag for Halloween. You definitely need to try this healthy chocolate dessert.
21. Healthy Twix Bars
Before going gluten-free, Twix bars were my absolute favourite chocolate bar. I was ecstatic to discover this gluten-free and vegan recipe for Twix. The caramel portion uses dates that have been blended in a food processor.
22. Chocolate Donuts
If I still haven’t managed to convince you that healthy chocolate desserts do exist, this donut recipe will for sure change your mind.
With a bit of planning and creativity, it’s actually fairly simple to include chocolate as part of a balanced diet. Some of these healthy chocolate desserts are so healthy, you could probably eat them for breakfast if you wanted.