Looking for simple, healthy dessert alternatives that will keep the kids happy? These nutritious (yet easy to make!) recipes are all tried and tested, and allow you to create guilt-free treats that your kids will love.
Almond Maple Popcorn
Popcorn is high in fibre and low in calories, so is a perfect choice for a light sweet treat for the kids.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup *popcorn Kernels
- 2 TBL Butter
- 1 TBL Maple syrup
- 3 TBL Almond Butter
- Chopped almond pieces
Pop the popcorn in the microwave with a brown paper lunch bag for 2 minutes. Then in a small pan, melt remaining ingredients together. Pour the sauce over popcorn. Top with extra almond pieces, and serve!
All Natural, No Dye Rainbow Snow Cones
This dessert is bound to be a hit during summer, and is a healthy alternative to the artificial and highly processed commercial versions. It is quick and easy to make, and will have the kids coming back for more!
Simply choose fruit and vegetables that you would like to use as colour, and juice them. Pour the juice into little squeezy bottles and put aside. Some suggestions are strawberry (for red), orange mixed with a little bit of carrot (for orange), apple and celery (for green), however the possibilities are endless. Shave the ice into little snow cone cups, then let the kids choose which colour/flavour combination they would like, and they can drizzle them over the ice. Instant, healthy snow cones!
Sugar-Free Honey and Almond Cookies
This tasty cookie recipe uses honey as the only sweetener. Sugar free baking can be a challenge, however between natural sweeteners and whole foods such as honey, you?d be surprised how healthy your dessert baking can be. The kids will love this healthy alternative to processed supermarket cookies, plus they can help with the baking!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole almonds, toasted
- 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup honey, divided
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
1. Process whole almonds in a food processor/ blender until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt; stir until just combined. Beat 2/3 cup honey, oil and 3 tablespoons butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 180?C. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
3. Roll tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press the tip of your index finger in the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Bake the cookies, in batches, until set and barely golden on the bottom, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 30 minutes.
4. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup honey and 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl until creamy. Use about 1/4 teaspoon to fill each cookie and top with 2 sliced almonds, if desired.
Choc-Top Banana Pops
Bananas are one of nature’s super foods, being high in potassium, B vitamins and fibre. This simple dessert treat is a great way of getting your kids to enjoy this fantastic fruit!
Simply push a paddle pop stick into the base of your peeled bananas, then freeze for an hour or two. Once hard, dip the ends into some melted chocolate, then into dessicated coconut and return to the freezer until the chocolate sets. A healthy ice-cream alternative that the kids will keep coming back for!
With these healthy dessert ideas, you can be sure that your kids are eating well, while still enjoying a delicious sweet treat which we all know they crave! It’s not just the kids that benefit though, these simple desserts can be enjoyed by all ages alike.
This is a guest post written specifically for this site. Opinions expressed are of the author.