Part five of my summer series (under the umbrella of fitness): healthy dessert recipes (aka the post we’ve all been waiting for…so no pressure, right?). Who says dessert has to be a guilty pleasure? Not me. Having a sweet tooth is a desire no one can deny, so why not indulge every once in a while? (The healthy way, of course.) Not only do you deserve to treat yourself from time to time, but doing so with health in mind is actually fun and exciting because the recipes are more customizable, unique, and let’s be real, Instagram worthy. Healthy dessert recipes are great because 9/10 they are lower in sugar, carbs, processed or artificial flavors, gluten or dairy (if you so choose), yet can be remarkably high in protein, nutrients, vitamins, and healthy fats, while assisting in portion control. Also, healthy dessert recipes serve as a DIY project for you and your loved ones on any given night. Health is all in moderation and by calming your sweet tooth and curbing that hankering in a safe, wise, and fitness-friendly environment, you will be less likely to binge later on. Trust me, my friends, dessert is okay…I promise. Here are 20 of my favorite healthy dessert recipes. Oh by the way, you’re welcome. #HealthyIsTheNewSkinny #BeComfyWithTheSkinYouAreIn

P.S. If you have any healthy desserts you love that I did not list, please feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions and recipes. I would absolutely love to try them out!

1. Artic Zero ice cream.

With only 150 calories per pint…yes, per pint, Artic Zero is a great frozen alternative to your favorite cold and creamy products. Not only does Artic Zero resemble ice cream’s smooth texture and taste to a T, but you don’t have to worry about even sharing any of your frozen treat because heck, why not eat the entire pint yourself when it’s less than 200 calories? For fun and healthier toppings, try adding crumbled protein bar pieces, honey, sugar-free whipped cream, fruit, or melted peanut/almond butter to the top of your delicious ice cream mound.

2. Banana ice cream.

“I won’t believe it’s not (ice cream)!” Really though, banana ice cream has to be the best invention in the cooking world since sliced bread. For this recipe, take some of your ripest and brownest bananas (the more “well-done” your bananas, the sweeter and more flavor they’ll have), freeze them for a few hours (or best, overnight), and then blend. It’s that easy! Not only do you create a creamy bowl of “ice cream” you don’t have to feel conscious about, but this dessert also allows for your imagination to take charge. Add some chocolate protein powder into the blender with the frozen bananas. Maybe some nut butter or honey? Or if you are even more daring, some espresso? The options for this dessert concoction are limitless, truly. I’ve got a "peeling" that you’ll go "bananas" for this one.

3. Mug cakes.

Although I am not referencing a specific recipe, mug cakes are a huge trend in the health and fitness world because they give you a fun and tasty treat in a small, quick, convenient, and totally customizable form. Using fitness-friendly substitutions, such as almond flower, almond milk, egg whites, dairy-free chocolate chips, and stevia (and even adding protein powder!), in your mug can create a masterpiece of gooey goodness you don’t have to regret. Top your cake with a nut butter spread, crushed nuts, a melted protein bar, or oatmeal crumbles to add another fun texture and taste. This dessert is also great for portion control and when you are in need of a chocolate fix fast.

4. Dark chocolate peanut butter banana bites.

Slice up a banana, sandwich your favorite nut butter between two slices, and then dip the entire “sandwich” in dark chocolate. Boom.

5. Oatmeal balls.

As shown in my healthy breakfast recipes post, https://www.theodysseyonline.com/part-two-of-my-summer-series-healthy-breakfast-recipes, oatmeal balls are also a great and tasty dessert. In a bowl, mix gluten free whole rolled oats, a ripe banana, honey, nut butter of your choice, and dark chocolate chips. Roll the mixture into balls and bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

6. Homemade popsicles.

Take your favorite fruit juices, fruit pieces, or flavored water and pour into a popsicle mold (or for a complete DIY, pour the liquid into small paper cups, top with tin foil, and insert a popsicle stick). Freeze for a few hours, or best, overnight, and enjoy!

7. Strawberry yogurt bites.

Cut the stem and hollow out 5-8 strawberries. Fill with Greek or dairy-free yogurt and top with crushed nuts, honey/agave, chocolate chips, or graham cracker crumbles.

8. Tropical grilled fruit kabobs.

Slice up peaches, plums, apples, and pineapples into chunks of fruit. Heat up the grill and place the sweet slices onto the grill’s surface. After turning the fruit a few times and heating it up just enough to notice grill marks appear on the fruit’s surface, take the hot fruit off the heat and slip it onto a wooden skewer. For a fun twist, add some dark chocolate dipped strawberries to the kabob along with the grilled fruit.

9. Dessert parfait.

Into a bowl, mix your favorite Greek or dairy-free vanilla yogurt, chocolate protein powder or chocolate Ovaltine, honey/agave, a pinch of Stevia sweetener, and a tad of vanilla extract. Combine the mixture until it is smooth and top with sugar free whipped cream, crushed nuts, fruit, protein bar crumbles, or a few dark chocolate chips. This can also work by adding espresso powder or brewed coffee into your choice of yogurt and mixing.

10. Dark-chocolate covered date nut balls.

After blending pitted dates, mix the dates in a bowl with crushed nuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, honey/agave, and a tad of whole gluten-free (if you so choose) rolled oats. Roll small doses of the mixture into balls and let firm in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. While your date nut balls are stiffening up, melt dark chocolate in a bowl. Once it is time for your dessert to come out of the fridge, dip it in the melted dark chocolate and allow the chocolate to harden.

11. Peanut butter chocolate smoothie.

Into a blender, combine lots of ice, a small amount of almond milk (the ice > almond milk ratio allows for the mixture to blend thick and creamy as opposed to thin and runny), PB2, chocolate protein powder, vanilla Arctic Zero ice cream (optional), and chocolate Ovaltine. Once it is blended, add in a few dark chocolate chips and enjoy!

12. Frozen yogurt granola grapes.

Dip grapes in your choice of vanilla yogurt, add a dash of granola on top of the grape-yogurt pair, and let the grapes completely freeze. Once frozen, you will have a delightful and refreshing summertime fruit yogurt treat. This recipe also works well with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries.

13. Peaches and cottage cheese.

Add cottage cheese and sliced peaches into a bowl. If you’re up for it, add some honey or cinnamon on top. Yup, it’s that easy.

14. Gooey cinnamon and chocolate bread.

Using your choice of bread, toast in the toaster until soft and warm (as opposed to golden and toasted). To the top of the bread add dark chocolate chips, cinnamon, chopped pecans, and a dash of brown sugar. Once the bread looks picture-perfect and is full of your yummy toppings, insert the bread into your oven set on broil. Once the chocolate is completely melted, take the bread out, cut into slices, and serve with a bowl of “whipped dip” (aka cool whip).

15. Not your momma’s fruit salad.

Add blueberries, cut strawberries, sliced apples, and banana slivers into a bowl. Top with my infamous fruit topping (otherwise known as a warm combination of melted peanut/almond butter, honey, and cinnamon) and voila!

16. Probably your college dorm-mate’s fruit salad.

Using the fruits listed above, top your sweet bowl with melted Nutella (also referred to as “the spread of champions” by every college student).

17. “Raw” cookie dough.

There are bunches and bunches of raw cookie dough recipes online that combine everyday home ingredients to make a “raw” cookie dough you can actually eat! Hint: this cookie dough recipes does not use any eggs. By substituting some staple cookie dough necessities for almond flower, almond milk, dairy-free chocolate chips, and stevia (and even adding protein powder!), your concoction will not be nearly as carbo-loaded and sugar-filled as the average cookie dough. Also, these delicious cookie dough recipes are great because they allow you to make whatever kind of cookie dough flavor your heart desires! Chocolate-chocolate chip? Red velvet with white chocolate chips? Cinnamon? Birthday cake? You name it- the options are limitless.

18. Homemade peanut butter cup sandwiches.

After melting dark chocolate into a runny consistency, take silicone baking cupcake cups and add a layer of your chocolate to the bottom. Freeze this layer for 10-15 minutes and then add a layer of your favorite nut butter to the mold. After freezing this second layer, add your final layer of chocolate to the top of the silicone cup, top each cup with a pinch of sea salt, and freeze again. To spice this recipe up, you can also add other fun fillings such as fruit pieces, nuts, white or butterscotch chocolate chips, or Nutella.

19. Yogurt cone.

Into an average ice cream cone, add your choice of vanilla yogurt (even with some chocolate or vanilla protein powder mixed in, too!), and garnish with marshmallow fluff, fruits of your choice, dark chocolate chips, melted honey/nut butter/cinnamon, and crushed nuts.

20. Decaf coffee.

Yes, I know this isn’t necessarily a “dessert,” but for coffee-aholics like myself, we always look forward to a coffee flavored treat. At the end of the long day, nothing says “you did it” like a big cup of Joe…but then again, at the end of the day, who really needs all that caffeine? Instead, make a smaller cup of decaf coffee and sweeten it with coconut or almond creamer (or coconut and almond milk), and coconut sugar. To add a more decadent taste and image to your beverage, mix in some chocolate Ovaltine powder, top with a small dollop of sugar-free whipped cream, and sprinkle some of the Ovaltine powder on top of the creamy goodness.