5 Must Try Healthy Things to Bake

If you find yourself craving baked treats but are trying to stay on track with your health and fitness goals, it’s helpful to have some healthy things to bake in your regular rotation. Whether you’re in the mood for a frosted doughnut, fluffy muffin, moist loaf, or granola bar these delicious treats will satisfy your cravings, while filling your body with healthier ingredients than the store-bought versions. Keep reading for 5 of our favorite healthy things to bake that will keep you satisfied and on track with your health and fitness goals!

1. Frosted Sugar-Free Protein Doughnuts Recipe

If you’re finding it difficult to resist the sweet doughy temptation, we have the perfect healthy solution for you - healthy frosted sugar-free protein doughnuts! These have about 13 grams of protein and are only 225 calories per serving! The creamy sweet coconut cream with a touch of stevia for sweetness will be sure to satisfy your craving without the guilt!

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free flour
2 scoops collagen protein
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup coconut milk
Coconut cream
Stevia

Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients.
Blend dry and wet ingredients.
Place batter into silicone mold.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.
Dip in coconut cream.
Sprinkle stevia.
Enjoy!

2. Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

This lightened-up version of this popular recipe includes white whole wheat flour and is sweetened naturally with honey and banana to make it a more nutritious choice than your average muffin. These muffins are just the right amount of sweetness and are so good as an afternoon snack or delicious breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. In this version, we added a cream cheese frosting to make these muffins more of a fun treat, but they’re great on their own.

Muffin Ingredients:

2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
½ Cup Honey
1-2 Bananas, mashed
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
¼ Cup Plant-based Milk
2 tsp Pumpkin Spice
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
½ tsp Salt
1 ¾ Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
½ Cup Chocolate Chips

Frosting Ingredients:

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened.
½ Cup Butter, softened.
1-3 Cups Powdered Sugar (depending on desired level of sweetness and consistency)
1 tsp Vanilla
Milk if needed

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 12 liners or non-stick cooking spray.
Mix eggs, coconut oil and honey.
Add in banana, pumpkin puree, milk, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until well combined.
Add in flour and mix until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into muffin tin.
Bake at 350 for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While muffins are baking, prepare frosting. Mix cream cheese and butter at high speed.
Once well combined and creamy, add powdered sugar in small amounts at a time until well incorporated.
Add vanilla, mix well. Taste, and add more sugar if needed, or a small splash of milk if frosting is too thick.

3. Delicious Vegan-Friendly Fudgy Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe

Ooey gooey chocolatey goodness awaits, with this upgraded version of your average banana bread. If you’re a chocolate lover, I deem this recipe a must try! The best news is this Fudgy Chocolate Banana Bread is plant-based and egg-free making it safe for all of our vegan friends, and it’s every bit as fluffy and delicious!

This recipe has already been trimmed to make it a little healthier than your average banana bread. I’ve replaced oil with applesauce, which adds to the sweetness and helps us limit the added sugar. To make this recipe even healthier, you could easily sub flour for wheat flour 1:1, as well as sugar for coconut sugar 1:1. But if you’re not too picky, it’s perfect as is!

Ingredients:

2-3 Ripe Bananas
½ Cup Applesauce
½ Cup Plant-Based Milk
1 ½ tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ½ Cups Flour
¼ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
⅓ Cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of salt
½ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips plus more for topping

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mash bananas in a bowl.
Mix in wet ingredients until well incorporated.
Pour mix into the bread pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until dough is just cooked through.
Top with chocolate chips as soon as you take out of the oven, chips will melt slightly and harden onto the top of the bread as everything cools.

4. Healthy & Wholesome Homemade Granola Bars

If you love sweet treats, granola bars might be one of your favorite snacks you enjoy throughout the day. But many store-bought bars are packed with added sugars and preservatives, and actually aren’t much better for you than eating dessert! With these fresh, homemade granola bars, you have full control of the ingredients in your sweet treat.

These bars have less sugar than many store-bought options, and are filled with whole ingredients like chopped nuts, and dried fruit! Meal prep these on the weekend or weeknight and enjoy fresh granola bars for the entire week. Heat up for a few seconds in the microwave before eating, to make the chocolate all melty again!

Dry Ingredients:

1 Cup Oatmeal
¾ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp salt Wet

Ingredients:

½ Cup Maple Syrup
⅓ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
¼ Cup Coconut Oil
1 Egg

Other Ingredients:

½ Cup Chopped Almonds (or nut of choice)
½ Cup Chopped Hazelnuts (or nut of choice)
½ Cup Chopped Dried Apricots (or dried fruit of choice)
½ Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
½ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

Combine Dry Ingredients in a bowl.
Combine Wet Ingredients in a bowl.
Combine Wet & dry and mix well.
Fold remaining other ingredients into the mixture.
Mix well and pour into an 8x8 greased baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

5. Healthy Gluten Free Zucchini Muffin Bites Recipe

This simple healthy recipe is great for the whole family. The hint of sweetness combined with a trace of zucchini flavor makes these warm muffins an excellent choice for breakfast, lunch, or snack. These delicious muffins are guilt free too! They don’t have added sugars and use only organic ingredients. If you want to cut down on the fat content, you can try substituting the oil with applesauce. While these muffins are made with gluten free flour, you may choose regular flour if you aren’t worried about gluten sensitivity. We hope you enjoy them!