Looking for something healthy-er to serve your loved ones on Valentine’s Day? While super delicious, these 17 desserts are just healthy-er because they are still sweet. (Upgrading the grains and fats and adding secret ingredients only does so much.) I’m all for infrequent indulgences, as long as we greatly reduce our day to day sweetening. You’ll find something to love here!
My Healthy-er Treat Picks
I pulled these family favorite treats from my archives. Enjoy!
This marbled fudge is very, very good and makes excellent use of coconut butter.
Have you tried my chocolate sourdough cake with (probiotic) cream cheese frosting?
If you haven’t yet tried Erin’s soaked chocolate torte with citrus yogurt cheese frosting, you should. (The frosting is probiotic!)
My spelt lemon cake can be made with sprouted or soaked flour (I recommend spelt or whole wheat pastry). It may look plain, but take note: once the cake is baked, you pour a fresh lemon juice syrup over all and it soaks in, permeating the cake with ribbons of slightly tart lemon syrup. So the delicious drizzle is inside and boy, is it ever scrumptious! This is my favorite cake ever.
And not on this blog, but definitely one of our favorites: Avivah’s Peanut Butter Cups. I double the chocolate layer and omit the nut meal entirely. Also, I keep the honey at about half what’s written. There’s nothing like these!
That’s it for my selections. Visit my Desserts category for more!
Blog Friends’ Healthy-er Treat Picks
I gathered these treats for you by asking some of my blog friends to share their favorites. Mmm… I wish I could host a real-life sampling, don’t you? 🙂
Michele at Frugal Granola suggests her Chocolate Nut Truffles. She says to use real cream — it makes a difference! Use soaked crispy nuts to minimize the enzyme inhibitors.
Wendy, The Local Cook, shares her Secret Chocolate Cake, reportedly rich and decadent with two surprise ingredients.
Sarah from Heartland Renaissance offers her classic gluten-free, flourless chocolate brownies which can use alternative sweeteners. (Pictured above, photo credit Sarah Warren.)
Sharon — Keeper of the Home contributing author — created a Sweetheart’s Breakfast of healthy oatmeal-whole wheat pancakes and homemade pancake syrup. This would be a wonderful love gesture first thing in the morning!
Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa says this Naturally Sweetened German Chocolate Cake is her husband’s fave. I think my husband would agree… 😉 Her cake uses coconut flour, making it gluten-free.
Kate, the Modern Alternative Mama, has three suggestions for you: a grain-free chocolate fudge cake, GAPs-friendly chocolate almond coconut candy, and GAPs-friendly and grain-free white bean vanilla cake.
Donielle of Naturally Knocked Up brings you her grain-free brownies and vanilla kefir ice cream. I make my kefir ice cream just about the same way — you’ll get to see it in the Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese eCourse. (Ice cream pictured above, credit: Donielle Baker.)
And last but not least, Marillyn Beard from Just Making Noise — she’s an ice cream queen — gives you: Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream. But she makes other sweet treats, too, like these Double Chocolate Velvet Pancakes and Sweet Chocolate Pudding (raw, gluten-free, and contains a surprise creamy ingredient!).
Looking for more healthy-er treats for special occasions? Try Healthy Homemade Wedding Cakes & Alternatives (Homespun, Pretty, Allergy-Friendly!)
What are your favorite healthy-er Valentine’s Day treats? Feel free to link to a blog post in the comments, or add your recipe right here. Have a blessed weekend, everyone!
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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Thanks! People are always asking me for healthier dessert ideas. These look so great!
Great! I hope they are helpful!
Yum! These all look fantastic! We did a little experimenting with truffles last night and came up with some really interesting combos. All are gluten-free and it can be easily dairy-free by utilizing the coconut options. http://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2011/02/homemade-truffle-recipe-with-variations/
Thanks for sharing your truffles, Amy Love! Delish.
Looks great! Thanks for mentioning my recipes :o) I forgot to let you know that you can use my pictures… sorry about that! Hugs!!
Hi, Marillyn! No problem! I’d love that next time – your pictures are so beautiful!
These all look so decadent – hard to believe they can have healthy stuff in them 🙂 I’ve got to try your sourdough cake – yum!
For my family I put a large batch of sweetened banana strawberry kefir smoothie in the ice cream maker to make probiotic icecream. I was busy after that, so I bought chocolate heart shells at the grocers to serve the cream in to make it extra special.
Thank you for posting these! I made the peanut butter cups and while super rich, they are great. It came at the perfect time too because my friend who loves reese’s pb cups is suffering with some severe digestive issues right now and I made these for her so she could have a natural treat for V-day! She loved them! And I can’t wait to try the lemon cake! I just made one with white flour and reg sugar last week for my daughter b-day, and it was delicious, but I’m glad to see a healthier whole food version!!!
Thanks! I was planning on the sourdough chocolate cake, but I may need to try the fudge too.
thanks for sharing. I have cacao butter and wanted to make some kind of chocolate/fudge for my kids for Valentines day. This looks delicious!
I can’t believe I’ve been a fan for over a year now! I appreciate all your hard work and sharing your life with us. God bless your beautiful family!
May I also recommend that fudge!? 😀
I am making this… http://www.primal-palate.com/2012/02/chocolate-and-raspberry-pot-de-creme.html?m=1
mmm my mouth is watering!!!
Great, I thought I had to start fresh with only my own recipes. It’s nice to find likeminded people and talented cooks.