Winter desserts might just be the best part of the season! Grandma’s cookies, Aunt Mary's pies and Cousin Tracy's brownies make it hard to walk by without grabbing an extra piece. Though tasty, these treats are often overflowing with sugar and calories. What if we told you that you could make nutritious versions of all of your favorite treats without losing their delicious flavor? It's true! Delicious desserts don't have to jeopardize your clean eating habits. In fact, they can be a great way to sneak essential fruits and veggies into a diet without anyone noticing, which makes it easier to get kids to eat healthy foods.
Surprise your dinner guests this winter with a tasty treat that's flavorful and full of nutrients. They'll love the taste, and you'll enjoy knowing that your dessert's secret ingredient is whole grain oats and veggies. To help get you started, we've listed some of our favorite healthy winter desserts that are sure to turn your baking into the talk of the town!
Healthy Grain Free Dessert Pizza
Photo by: nutritioninthekitch.com
Pizza crusts can be topped with just about anything. While usually enjoyed as a savory dish, pizzas can also be a delicious, wholesome winter fruit dessert. Simply swap out the savory ingredients for something a little sweeter and you have a treat that nearly everyone will enjoy. Grain-free and fruit-filled, this pizza recipe is the perfect dish to add a healthy boost of flavor to the dessert table this season.
In this recipe, Nutrition in the Kitchen used Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour to create a gluten free crust with a delicious nutty flavor. High in protein and low in carbohydrates, almond flour is the perfect flour to use in gluten free and paleo baking recipes. It's a great alternative to wheat-based flours.
Topped with honey, strawberries, bananas, peaches and other sweet ingredients, it's the perfect recipe to break out when you and your friends are craving a healthy winter dessert. This recipe is sure to brighten up the dessert table.
Cassava Brownies
No dessert list would be complete without brownies. Brownies often get a bad rap because they're labeled as a sugary treat with minimal health benefits. However, by just swapping a few ingredients, brownies can turn into a dessert packed with nutrition.
This brownie recipe is a great way to start your New Year's diet on the right track. Made with Bob's Red Mill Cassava Flour, this mix is a fantastic way to start experimenting with grain-free flours. Cassava flour is paleo-friendly and gluten free, which presents it as an excellent option for sweet baked goods. It has a naturally light texture that works great in cake and brownie recipes, and is a good substitute for breadcrumbs in dishes like meatballs and burgers!
Instead of chocolate syrup, natural cacao powder is used in this healthy winter dessert recipe to create its decadent chocolate taste. The thickness of the powder adds to the texture of the brownie, resulting in a chewy and delicious dessert.
To create a dessert brownie that's sure to calm any sweet tooth, top them with a delicious drizzle of local honey or a dollop of almond butter! Both toppings will melt into the brownie effortlessly and enhance its rich flavor even more.
Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
Chewy and bursting with flavor, gingerbread cookies are a signature dessert during the winter season. When we think about winter, gingerbread is one of the first things that come to mind. Whether you're making these cookies to keep on hand at home or preparing them for a large dinner party, this recipe is a great way to add a healthy winter dessert to the table. Sugar free, gluten free, dairy free and vegan, they're also a great choice when accommodating guests with food allergies and dietary restrictions.
To give these cookies a nutritious twist, we've swapped out traditional flour for a mix of our Almond Flour and Gluten Free Oat Flour. The almond flour provides this recipe with a tasty, nutty flavor and is a low carb, gluten free alternative to wheat flour. Gluten free oat flour is also used to perfect the texture of these cookies and add additional nutritional value. A good source of fiber, our oat flour has an extra fine texture, which works well when used to create cookie dough. It's also an easy way to add protein to any vegetarian diet.
A quick reminder: if you're cooking for gluten free guests, it's essential to make sure that the spices and extracts you choose for this recipe are also certified gluten free!
Easy No Bake Fruit Tart
What's better than a delicious baked winter dessert recipe? One that you don't have to bake, of course! Chances are there will already be a lot of warm dishes at the dinner table. This abundance of hot, savory meals can leave your palate craving something sweet and refreshing, which is why we've added this Easy No Bake Tart to our list of healthy winter desserts.
A tasty way to end any meal, this no bake fruit tart is simple to make and can be stored in the refrigerator until it's ready to eat. A nutritious alternative to a dessert cookie, it's no bake and made with a protein-rich crust that is naturally gluten free. The delicious crust is made from a mix of almond flour, coconut flour and coconut oil that creates a tropical tasting crumb that offers up great nutritional benefits. Coconut flour, which is made solely from coconut, is a good source of fiber. It also has a versatile flavor that tastes great when combined with a variety of ingredients, making it an excellent wheat flour alternative.
Top this yummy fruit tart with a spoonful of jelly or a drizzle of honey for an appetizing and healthy winter fruit dessert!
PB&J Crumble
Turn your favorite sandwich classic into a healthy dessert for winter! The tasty duo of peanut butter and jelly creates a delicious treat full of flavor. With ingredients like grape jelly, lemon juice, seedless black grapes and arrowroot starch, this recipe is tasty and simple to make.
To make the delicious crumble topping, we use our Gluten Free Organic Thick Rolled Oats. This 100% whole grain oatmeal is a delightful addition to any gluten free diet. The extra-thick rolled oats create a firm texture that adds a nutty flavor to any dish. They also come with some added health benefits! Made of whole oat groats and rich in dietary fiber, these oats help keep you full and energized. Enjoy this healthy winter fruit dessert as a sweet treat, or even as a tasty breakfast!
Hemp Protein Truffles
Your favorite dessert just got a whole lot healthier. Nothing to do with the fungus, dessert truffles are a confectionery treat made with sweet ingredients like chocolate, toasted nuts and sugar. These truffles take it up a notch by keeping all of the delicious truffle flavors without the added sugar. They're one of our favorite sweet and healthy desserts for winter.
These hemp protein truffles are just as nutritious as they are delicious. Made with Bob's Red Mill Hemp Protein Powder, this recipe is prepared with all of the essential amino acids that our bodies need. The mild taste and quickly dissolving texture of our hemp powder makes it a great addition to these truffles without changing their yummy flavor.
Medjool dates, hemp milk, maple syrup and dark chocolate chips are also used in this recipe to create a decadent flavor that embodies a rich and chocolatey taste. This sweet and healthy winter dessert is the perfect dish to bring to your next gathering or to keep on hand at home when you're craving a sweet treat.
Looking for more healthy, winter-inspired dessert recipes? Our blog is full of tasty treats to test out! Whether you’re craving chocolate truffles or a decadent crumble, the pros at Bob’s Red Mill have got you covered. Check out our full collection of recipes to get baking today.
