Healthy Sweet Snacks

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5 from 121 votes
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These 25+ healthy sweet snacks will make sticking to your healthy diet feel like a treat. From creamy ice cream to low calorie cookies, you’ll never run out of new recipes!

healthy sweet snacks

Nothing can quite derail my diet like a massive, fudgy brownie. Luckily, if I know I have healthy sweet treats to look forward to, I can typically ignore the temptation. 

There’s no shortage of “healthy” sweets on the market, but I’ll be honest: a lot of them lack imagination. Plus, there’s no denying that anything you make from scratch is going to taste WAY better than anything from a package… and be far cheaper, too. 

Table of Contents
  1. Tips for making the best healthy sweet snacks
  2. Easy no-bake sweets
  3. Healthy cookie recipes
  4. Healthy chocolate snacks
  5. Healthy frozen sweet treats
  6. More recipe collections
  7. 25+ Healthy Sweet Snacks (Recipe Card)

Tips for making the best healthy sweet snacks

Whether I’m perusing the aisles of my grocery store or making sweet treats from scratch, I follow these tips to help make the best choice:

  • Stick to natural or low-calorie sweeteners. There’s no denying that added sugar contributes to weight gain and crashes in your blood sugar. Opt for snacks that are naturally sweetened with fruit or don’t have refined sugar added.
  • Opt for fruit or dark chocolate desserts. Similarly, dark chocolate or fruity treats can curb sugar cravings without packing on the calories. 
  • Read the labels. This may seem like a no-brainer, but pay attention to the hidden ingredients in your snacks. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve raided my pantry only to find there’s corn syrup hidden in half of my favorite sweets!
  • Healthy-fy your favorite treats. I love ice cream as much as the next guy, but when I want a pint of delicious ice cream, I make it with cottage cheese, and it’s instantly low in calories and high in protein. 

Easy no-bake sweets

When I have a craving for something sweet, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven and patiently wait (yes, even if it is for healthy donuts). Que, easy, no-bake sweet snacks. 

  • Protein pudding– With just two ingredients and a few minutes, you can make creamy pudding with no added sugar, countless flavor combinations, and 28 grams of protein! 
  • Healthy cookie dough– Who doesn’t love edible cookie dough? How about edible cookie dough with no raw flour, added sugar, or gluten? Count me in!
  • Coconut chia pudding– Chia seeds are packed with fiber and protein, and when you mix them with coconut milk and maple syrup, you get the perfect midday pick-me-up. 
  • Banana protein bars– We love making homemade protein bars, especially when you get to have them taste exactly like banana bread!
  • Coconut energy balls– Soft, fudgy, and made with 4 wholesome ingredients. 
  • Larabars– Try one of these almond and cashew-laden bars once, and you’ll never buy the store-bought bars ever again!
  • No-bake granola bars– The perfect grab-and-go snack, they’re packed with fiber-rich oats and dried fruit. Have a nut allergy? Make these nut-free granola bars instead. 
  • Banana bread energy bites– The perfect healthy snack for using up those leftover bananas. 
protein balls

I could never stick to a diet that didn’t let me indulge in cookies. Luckily, I’ve never had to make such a sacrifice, and neither should you!

strawberry oatmeal cookies.

Healthy chocolate snacks

I can’t go a day without chocolate, and why should I? With countless healthy chocolate recipes available, you can make a new one every day of the week. 

  • Chocolate peanut butter balls– If you love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do, you’re going to love this recipe. 
  • Healthy mug cake– An easy way to satisfy my sweet tooth in a few minutes using wholesome ingredients. 
  • Healthy chocolate muffins– I’ve made this recipe for countless friends and family, and they NEVER believe me when I say they’re made with whole grains!
  • Healthy Snickers– Yes, you read that right. You can now enjoy your favorite candy bar guilt-free. 
  • Keto chocolate bark– It’s amazing what roasted almonds and low-carb chocolate can taste like!
  • Healthy chocolate peanut butter smoothie– Creamy, chocolatey, and deceptively healthy, it’s basically a healthy banana milkshake. 
keto bark.

Healthy frozen sweet treats

If my family ever wonders where I am in the middle of the day, they usually check the kitchen first. That’s because I’m sneaking some ice cream for a little pick-me-up!

  • Sugar-free frozen yogurt– Once you learn how to make frozen yogurt from scratch, you’ll never buy it again– especially when you can make it with or without an ice cream maker!
  • Protein ice cream– I’m not going to lie; there are a lot of protein ice creams on the market, but they taste a little ‘off,’ in my opinion. This recipe proves that you can have protein-packed ice cream that actually tastes like the real deal. 
  • Healthy popsicles– Naturally sweetened with a drizzle of honey, you can customize them with any fruit you have on hand. 
  • Low-calorie ice cream– At under 50 calories per serving, you better believe I make this every week!
  • Healthy milkshake– Ultra-creamy, chocolatey, and decadent, this dairy-free milkshake is the perfect midday treat. 
  • Protein milkshake– Get your protein fix AND dessert in one. I’ve included all the popular flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
healthy frosty.

More recipe collections

healthy sweets

25+ Healthy Sweet Snacks

5 from 121 votes
These 25+ healthy sweet snacks will make sticking to your healthy diet feel like a treat. From creamy ice cream to low calorie cookies, you’ll never run out of new recipes!
Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 1 minute
Total: 2 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix together the oat flour, peanut butter, and maple syrup until combined.
  • Transfer the mixture into the pan and press down until smooth. Refrigerate the bars for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the refrigerator and slice into bars. Melt the chocolate and drizzle over each one.

Notes

TO STORE: Leftover snacks can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to two weeks. 
TO FREEZE: Place the bars in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to six months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 149kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSodium: 53mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 2gCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 18g
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally published January 2022, updated and republished June 2024

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    They all look awesome, but I’m keto, can you make any keto oatmeal anything? Please try, I really miss Oatmeal cookies, etc.
    Thank you, Cristina

  2. What a lineup of STARS and GEMS! Now I don’t count calories, but it’s SOOOOO easy for me to overdo desserts, especially healthy ones! Thanks so much for this post! Everything looks amazing, UNSURPRISINGLY. 😉

  3. Thanks for all of the yummy looking low cal recipes! While family and friends enjoyed my cookies, I stuck to dark chocolate over the Christmas weekend. 🙂 Happy New Year!

  4. Your timing is perfect here, mate! We’ve been counting calories since before Thanksgiving…and it’s working. But I just didn’t even try on Christmas Day. Oops. Haha! Hope you are having a great holiday break, and I hope it’s full of lots and lots of 100 calorie snacks. Nomnomnom. 🙂