Chocolate is my kryptonite. If you’re unfamiliar with that term it is defined as an extraordinary exploitable weakness. That might sound extreme, but if you know me, you know it’s true. I ingest some form of chocolate every day. From bar to chip to liquid, I’d probably take a cocoa pill if that was a thing. Because that doesn’t exist (yet) I have spent more time than I should admit researching, testing, and gathering recipes that are basically healthy vessels for chocolate.
Here are my very favorite, tried and true, no-fail, can’t believe it’s not that bad for you, healthy chocolate desserts that will absolutely satisfy your family’s sweet tooth.
Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (Chickpea) Cookies
I discovered these cookies about 8 years ago when I was a nanny for some pretty picky eaters. Getting these kids to try new foods was virtually impossible if they knew what they were eating. Thus the title of my cookies- you can totally omit the word “chickpea” when you talk about the delicious and healthy chocolate desserts you’re baking, but do not omit the chickpeas from the recipe! You can’t even tell they’re there and they add so much protein and fiber!
I made the recipe while the kids were at school and served them as peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Much to my surprise, success! Two out of three kids liked them. (The third would have only liked them if they were macaroni, or cheese, or macaroni and cheese. Can’t win ‘em all).
The consistency of these delightful morsels is not the same as normal cookies, but the flavor is amazing! As the name states, these cookies are gooey. Not firm, not soft in the middle with crispy outsides; they are melt-in-your-mouth, (peanut) buttery soft and smooth, and the warm chocolate chips just add to the silkiness. Not only are these delectable right out of the oven, but you can also eat the dough raw because there are no eggs in it! My five-year-old daughter says these are her absolute favorite dessert and even requested them on her birthday.
Quite honestly, this was my gateway recipe into healthy treats.
Ingredients
1 – 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas
1/2 cup natural peanut butter or any other nut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
In a food processor or blender combine the chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Either pulse in your chocolate chips or fold them into the batter.
Use a melon baller, spoons, or slightly damp hands to form batter into 1” balls. Can be squished down into patties or kept as balls.
Bake on greased baking sheet for 10 minutes. They will get a little golden color, but no darker as you don’t want to overbake! You want them to be moist and gooey.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator, if there are even any left.
Inspiration: The Lucky Penny Blog.
Peanut Butter Banana Bars
What a boring name for an amazing, healthy chocolate dessert! This is one of the simplest recipes I have found that is sinfully delicious and manages to be incredibly healthy. It is all-natural, high in protein, fiber, and potassium, has no refined sugar, and tastes like a friggin cake.
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
1 ¼ c. oats
¼ c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. dark chocolate chips (or more)
Optional Ingredients
Chopped walnuts (or another type of favorite nut)
Shredded coconut
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease 9 x 9 glass baking dish.
In a large bowl, mash ripe bananas.
Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Mix in oats until well combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour mixture into baking dish, using spoon to smooth out on top.
Add more chocolate chips or chopped walnuts or shredded coconut on top, if you desire.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Let cool and cut into squares. Serve immediately and store leftovers in refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Inspiration: Sammi Brondo Nutrition.
Chocolate Nice Cream- the ultimate healthy chocolate dessert for summer!
This healthy chocolate dessert is wonderful because it is so simple, versatile, and has a dreamy texture. It is also a fantastic way to use overripe bananas! We buy extra bananas just to make this, and I also have a permanent container in the freezer for those times when my kids can’t manage to eat a whole banana. They have no problems consuming them as “nice cream”!
Ingredients
4 frozen overripe bananas
1/3 c. cocoa powder
¼ – ½ c. milk*
Dark Chocolate Chips (I don’t measure, I pour with abandon)
*I use full-fat cow’s milk, but any type of milk will work. Start with ¼ c. and add as needed for smoother consistency.
Optional Ingredients
¼ c. peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
Chopped strawberries
Candy bar bits
Chopped nuts
Anything you imagine might taste good in a simple smooth banana-based frozen treat
Instructions
Put bananas and milk into a high-powered blender, blend until almost smooth.
Add cocoa powder, blend until powder is evenly dispersed throughout mixture.
If using peanut butter, blend it in now.
Add any other desired optional ingredients and mix well.
Pour into serving dish and enjoy!
The texture of this Nice Cream is best right out of the blender because your bananas are still frozen and now silky smooth, but I like to make large batches so I can have a stash of full mason jars ready in the freezer for any time I’m in the mood. This chocolate dessert is so healthy that you could have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, too. No judgment here.
This recipe was inspired by the queen of cocoa herself (and my hero), Chocolate Covered Katie.
If you enjoy these healthy chocolate desserts, check out my other post on lunchbox treats. They are also all-natural, healthy concoctions that can satisfy a sweet tooth. And my kids love them, too!
Let me know which healthy chocolate dessert is your favorite after you try them all. Better yet, do you have any fun recipes like this to share?
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