If you know me personally or have been following along here long enough, you probably know two facts about me: I have a huge sweet tooth and I cut out all refined sugar and gluten when trying to get pregnant naturally with our first child, Lucy. While I still love to bake and eat sweets, after that life-changing experience I couldn’t deny the power of our lifestyle choices (including what we eat) and how they so clearly affect our health. So, since then, I’ve tried to maintain a “cleaner” lifestyle, cutting out toxins in my beauty routine, household products, and trying to eat “clean”. What that typically means is that I focus on eating whole, real, non-processed food and ingredients, generally trying to avoid refined sugar, gluten, and dairy. I certainly do not eat strictly like this, but I try to eat that way as much as I can (while certainly indulging in the occasional treat!).
While it seems that these two facts are mutually exclusive—if you want to have sweets, you can’t eat clean—the following recipes beg to differ. Since I certainly enjoy something sweet to cap out the evening (who am I kidding—even throughout the day) I feel a lot better indulging in one of these “healthier” or clean treats—sweetened with real maple syrup, honey, dates, or bananas. (You’ll notice many of these recipes are vegan—I am not vegan and do not necessarily try to eat that way, but many of the recipes are naturally vegan or offer a vegan option.) Here, I’ve compiled some of my favorite “clean” sweet recipes so none of us has to choose between a treat or eating clean.
No-Bake Energy Bites
I found this recipe on the back of the flaxseed meal from Trader Joe’s, and I’ve modified it ever-so-slightly to create my favorite “healthy” treat. These energy bites remind me of cookie dough (my favorite) with their chewy/gooey consistency (but are much healthier). I eat them for a quick snack as well as dessert. They are refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan except for the chocolate chips—but you could use Lily’s vegan, stevia-sweetened baking chips to maintain the clean factor. (You could also sub almond or other nut butters for the peanut butter if you prefer.) I always double or triple the recipe because I go through them so quickly!
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 heaping tsp. (or more) of cinnamon
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add in wet ingredients and combine. Finally, add chocolate chips. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place bites in a covered bowl or airtight container and refrigerate until set (about 1 hour).
Chocolate Date Bites
A friend sent me this recipe when I was completely avoiding all refined sugar and gluten as part of my efforts to get pregnant naturally by changing my diet and lifestyle. I love to pop in these little chocolatey bites, sweetened with dates, for an easy snack or for “dessert” at night. With three main ingredients, all you need is a food processor. Again, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan—all clean!
1.5 cups walnuts
pinch of salt
1 cup pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Add walnuts and salt to food processor and mix until nuts are finely ground. Add in the remaining ingredients until combined. Add a few drops of water to make the mixture stick together.
With your hands or a cookie dough scooper, form into small, round balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Healthy Brownies
Photo by Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in Love & Lemons Every Day
Before you scroll past this recipe, assuming “healthy” brownies couldn’t compare to the “real” thing, hold on a second. My sister Molly first made these from the Love & Lemons Every Day cookbook (which she has and I hope to get soon) and I couldn’t believe they were vegan, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free! They are gooey, chocolatey, sweet, and delicious. I was so glad to find the recipe online (see below for link) but I encourage you to get the cookbook—there are some incredible (and somehow still healthy and plant-based) recipes in it, like the vegan nachos Molly has mastered.
This recipe calls for cashew butter, which I LOVE, but Molly has used the less-expensive almond butter, and they still taste great! I’ve also used almond flour or almond meal instead of the homemade oat flour it calls for, but honestly, the oat flour is super easy to make (you just need a food processor) and cheaper than almond flour. Either works! Also, don’t skimp on the chocolate chips on top. I’ve yet to make it with nuts or raspberries but I can only imagine the brownies would be even better that way.
Vegan Date Brownies Recipe from Love & Lemons Every Day
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photo by Grace Foley on The State of Grace
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of using tahini in chocolate chip cookies… I was also very skeptical of trying to make the time-tested, classic dessert that is chocolate chip cookies (my personal favorite) paleo, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan. So you could imagine I was absolutely shocked by how much I loved these and how much they still tasted like… gooey, chewy, chocolate chip cookies! (I will say that the cookie “dough” for these is nothing like the original, so if you’re a dough lover like me, you’ll have to cede that.) The recipe (linked below) is actually from my sister Molly’s friend Grace Foley’s blog, The State of Grace.
To. Die. For. Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies by The State of Grace
Chocolate (Avocado) Pudding
A friend generously dropped off this “chocolate pudding” after Lucy was born, and I was hesitant to try it because I’m actually not a pudding person. So you can imagine I was happily surprised (yet confused) when I finally did try it and I liked it much better than any pudding I’ve ever tasted. When I admitted this all to my friend and asked her for the recipe, she smiled and said, “You must like avocados.” Turns out, this recipe is plant-based and clean, and is actually chocolate avocado “pudding” (and not really pudding at all). I guess that explains why I like it so much!
Do not skip the nuts, coconut flakes, and/or chocolate chips as toppings! They add the perfect crunch that the smooth and creamy pudding needs.
2 large avocados
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (no sugar added)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup hot water
Toppings: pistachios, unsweetened coconut flakes, other chopped nuts, chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
Scoop flesh from avocados into blender. Add cocoa powder, maple syrup, honey, orange juice, and salt to blender and blend to a coarse purée. With motor running, gradually stream in hot (but not boiling) water. Add more orange juice as needed until mixture is smooth and creamy. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Top with toppings and enjoy! (Makes 6 servings)
Refined Sugar-Free Chocolates / Peanut Butter Cups
Full disclosure: I have not tried this exact recipe. Again, a friend made me some “healthy” chocolate cups when I was trying to get pregnant (clearly, I have some awesome and generous friends) but I never got the recipe. All I knew was she used coconut oil, unsweetened cocoa powder, and maple syrup to make them. A quick google search led me to this recipe, which allows you to make them as healthy, vegan chocolates, but also offers a variation to make these into healthy, vegan peanut butter cups—umm, yes! If you’re a peanut butter cup or chocolate lover like I am but are looking for refined sugar-free or vegan options, these ones from I Love Vegan sound pretty simple.
5 Ingredient Coconut Oil Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups by I Love Vegan
Healthy Banana Muffins*
Photo by Love & Lemons
These are not technically clean because they are not gluten-free (they use whole wheat flour) hence the asterisk. However, because it’s whole wheat flour (rather than white or all-purpose flour), vegan, and refined-sugar free (and just delicious) I’ve included them in this list. Also from Love & Lemons, these healthy banana muffins are the perfect breakfast treat or snack (Lucy loves them). I modify the recipe to add a full teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and I usually use regular (cow’s) milk instead of almond milk because I have it on hand. I admit I also do sprinkle real refined sugar on top of the muffins, like my mom does with her pumpkin bread, to give it that signature crunchy top. And personally, I wouldn’t dare not add the “optional” chocolate chips (see above about Lily’s vegan/refined sugar-free option) .
Healthy Banana Muffins by Love & Lemons
Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake
Photo by Averie Cooks
This thick, chocolatey peanut butter banana shake hits the spot when I’m craving a milkshake but don’t want to fully indulge. This recipe from Averie Cooks (linked below) calls for a sweetener like Stevia, but I have never made it that way, as I think it’s plenty sweet with the frozen bananas (and that keeps it refined sugar-free). This recipe uses unsweetened almond milk, but if you don’t care about keeping it vegan (or don’t have almond milk on hand) you can use regular milk (or probably whatever kind of milk you prefer).
Thick and Fudgy Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie by Averie Cooks
