Sweets

Sweets

Easy Christmas Pecan Balls (Snowballs)

This recipe is so easy, anyone can make homemade snowball cookies. Everything in one bowl, mix, refrigerate, shape, and bake. Everyone will ask for the recipe! 🎄

Quick & Easy Chocolate Cake

👍 This is the easiest cake recipe ever! 👍 One bowl. No mixer. No eggs, and only butter in the frosting. For a butter-free glaze, see Baking Without Butter.

One Bowl Lemon Brownies

Everyone is loving this easy recipe. One bowl. No mixer. No butter. Use all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour – it’s a super easy recipe with minimal cleanup. 🍋🍋

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Here’s a simple recipe for soft and chewy oatmeal cookies you can make with raisins or wait for it… chocolate chips! 👍 🍪

Easy One Bowl Yellow Cake

With this simple recipe everything goes in one bowl for a faster, healthier cake. It’s low in sugar and made without butter. Try it with my 2-minute frosting.

Polish Doughnuts – Pączki

Traditional Polish pączki are fried but with my healthy recipe they are oven-baked, then filled with jam. Try my other recipe with homemade custard filling. Both are smaczny! 😋

Simple Apple Cake

One bowl. No mixer. No butter. Super Easy. Anyone can make this easy light cake, made with 3 cups of apples! 🍏🍏🍏 It’s not too sweet, perfect as an apple coffee cake.

Crispy Top Oatmeal Bars

These oatmeal bars have dark chocolate chunks inside with a crispy broiled coconut pecan topping. Make it with all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour.

Custard Filled Pączki

I love these! This is the same paczki dough as the jelly-filled “Polish Doughnuts.” The only difference is the filling. This version includes my recipe for homemade custard.

Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

Simple recipe. Easy prep. Minimal cleanup. This super easy lightly sweet cake uses chocolate chips (or chunks of a dark chocolate bar) and toasted nuts.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Choc. Chunk Cookies

These healthier 100% whole grain cookies are soft & chewy and use no white flour or butter. I make them with oats, whole wheat pastry flour and lots of dark choc. chunks.

Quick & Easy Vanilla Cake

This simple one bowl cake uses no eggs and takes just 5 minute to put together. It’s moist & light and so easy, anyone can make it. It’s super easy. 😋

2-Minute Vanilla Frosting

NEW: Make the easiest and fastest vanilla frosting ever with this easy recipe. I only use 2 tablespoons of butter for the fastest possible delicious homemade frosting.

Healthier Apple Crisp

My apple crisp has a 100% whole grain topping of oats and whole wheat pastry flour and it’s made entirely without butter. (Butter option is available)

Chocolate Loaf Cake

My double chocolate loaf cake is full of dark chocolate chips and toasted nuts. Works just as well using all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour. And oh… no butter!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

GF – These gluten-free, low carb cookies are surprisingly good – made with less sugar and full of dark chocolate chunks and toasted pecans. Easy recipe.

Chewy Oatmeal Choc. Chunk Cookies

There is no butter in these wholesome chewy oatmeal cookies made with big chunks of dark chocolate. 🍫 They’re not too sweet and easy to make.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

These chewy bars are full of dark chocolate, toasted pecans, oats and whole wheat pastry flour – no white flour, no butter. Gotta love that!

Gluten Free Lemon Brownies

GF – This is the exact same recipe as my regular lemon brownies but with gluten free flour. It was hard to tell the difference in taste and texture.

Strawberry Cake

This is a special occasion cake best made when strawberries are in season. It’s my healthier white cake with fresh berries and real whipped cream. OMG! 🍓🍓🍓

Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

This is intense. You start with a 70% cacao dark chocolate bar and add even more cocoa for a moist & fudgy brownie made without butter. It’s a really easy recipe.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

There’s something for everyone in this healthy cookie, made with oats, peanut butter, nuts, chocolate chips and coconut but no butter.

Buttermilk Spice Cake

This easy one-bowl cake is made without butter and has a reduced fat cream cheese frosting but I have also made it with my 2-minute chocolate frosting.

Easy Pumpkin Bars

These quick bars are low in sugar and so light you’ll want to eat three! I use less sugar in the batter, and less butter and cream cheese in the frosting.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

No one will guess there’s a vegetable in this moist, healthier chocolate cake made with vegetable oil and fresh grated zucchini. Works great with whole wheat pastry flour.

Easy One Bowl Coconut Cake

This variation on my easy yellow cake is just as simple. It’s a coconut lover’s dream, topped with a coconut cream cheese frosting and it’s all made without butter.

Tapioca Pudding

Light and fluffy tapioca pudding will take you back to your childhood. This old fashioned comfort food is easy to make from scratch.

High Fiber Cookies

There’s lots of fiber and no butter in this crispy oatmeal cookie made with oats, bran cereal, 100% whole grains, figs, and dark chocolate chips.

Chewy Chocolate Clusters

Dark chocolate, toasted almonds, dried cherries, and raisins make a heart-healthy, chewy chocolate treat. Make it in minutes.

Homemade Butterscotch Pudding

Homemade pudding is surprisingly easy to make, and quick. My easy butterscotch pudding takes just ten minutes to make and tastes a lot richer than you think.

Polish Chrusciki – Angel Wings

My mother, Zosia, taught me to make these delicate Polish Christmas cookies. They simply melt in your mouth and make a stunning presentation.

Oatmeal Fig Bars

These yummy & soft high fiber bars have no white flour or butter, are low in added sugar, and figs are full of vitamins & essential minerals. Lots to love! Great for vegans.

Easy Pecan Pie Bars

With my easy oil crust and no pre-baking, you can make these delicious gooey bars in 45 minutes, start to finish.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Soft and gooey homemade cinnamon rolls will be on your table pronto with my easy one-rise recipe. You can even start them the night before and bake in the morning. ⏰

2-Minute Chocolate Frosting

It only takes two tablespoons of butter and two minutes to make this impossibly easy and delicious chocolate frosting. Try it on my easy yellow cake.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

GF – Here’s why you will LOVE this easy recipe: One bowl. No flour. No butter. No mixer. No shaping. It’s the easiest cookies you will ever make. And they’re gluten free.

Homemade Apple Pie

There is no butter anywhere in my healthier homemade deep dish apple pie. It uses an easy oil crust and THREE pounds of apples. 🍏🍏🍏

Whole Wheat Brownies

These healthier chocolate brownies have no butter! My quick & easy recipe uses olive oil, yogurt, whole wheat flour, toasted nuts & dark chocolate chunks.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

GF – What an easy recipe! Only four ingredients into a bowl, mix, and bake. Then dip into melted dark chocolate. I make them for parties and we always run out.

Crispy Oatmeal Choc. Chip Cookies

Big crispy crunchy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made with no butter, made even crunchier with toasted nuts. They make a great ice cream sandwich.

Chocolate Almond Clusters

Two ingredients. Fifteen minutes. And you’ll never want a candy bar again. Heart-healthy dark chocolate with protein-rich almonds makes a healthy, crunchy, sweet treat.

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Brownies

GF – They are chewy and fudgy and gluten free. The toasted nuts and added chocolate chips are optional, but why? 🙂 I make them with avocado oil but you can use butter.

Canadian Butter Tarts 🇨🇦

Canadians (like me) love these! My tarts have a healthier and easier oil crust and a sweet, gooey filling. Make them in a tart pan or muffin pan. 🇨🇦

Dark Chocolate Chunk Blondies

You don’t need 2 sticks of butter to make moist & chewy blondies – I use just 3 tablespoons for these easy bars full of dark chocolate chunks and nuts.

Crispy Apple Tart

It looks impressive but it’s easy to make this lightly sweet, crispy apple tart with an apricot glaze and an easy oil crust. Make it for kids and call it an apple pizza!

Healthier Christmas Sugar Cookies

My sugar cookies have half the saturated fat, less sugar and you can make them whole wheat. Cut into holiday shapes or use a cookie press.

Chocolate Pudding

People are loving my easy homemade chocolate pudding recipe, especially the video. My secret is stirring in some healthy dark chocolate pieces while it cooks.

Healthier Easier Pumpkin Pie

You can make a delicious pumpkin pie with low fat ingredients and no cream or butter anywhere. Mine has an easy oil crust and the filling is a breeze.

Lemon Coconut Cake

It’s a fresh lemon cake with a lemon curd filling and a fluffy 7-minute frosting sprinkled with coconut – and it’s all made without butter.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This buttermilk streusel coffee cake is moist and light and has tons of antioxidant-filled blueberries, which are known to support brain health.

Light as a Cloud Ricotta Cheesecake

My Italian style ricotta cheesecake has less fat and less calories but lots of flavor from fresh orange & lemon peel. It will melt in your mouth.

My Everyday Cookies

These are my go-to cookies because they’re 100% whole grain, made with whole wheat flour, oats, and no butter. They keep really well.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

My healthier chocolate chip cookies use less butter, less sugar, and dark chocolate chips. Don’t want whole wheat? You can also make them using only all purpose flour.

Marble Loaf Cake

There’s no butter in this lightly sweet marble loaf with a chocolate swirl, great for a light dessert or something sweet with tea. I sometimes add fresh orange zest… yum.

Citrus Chiffon Cake

Old-fashioned chiffon cake is like angel cake only more moist because it contains oil. This light, airy cake is beautifully fragrant with orange & lemon zest.

Fruit Pizza

It’s a show-stopping dessert and so much fun to make. Decorate this giant (healthier) sugar cookie with cream cheese, fresh fruit and an easy marmalade glaze. Wow!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Billows of heavenly meringue piled on a luscious lemon curd. It’s the easiest and healthiest lemon pie with an oil crust and foolproof filling.

Black Forest Brownies

These are some seriously fudgy brownies. Canned dark sweet cherries send these moist and yummy bars into brownie heaven… without butter. Easy recipe.

Custard Pudding

This simple 4-ingredient recipe makes creamy, delicious custard – it’s one of my favorite desserts. Make this easy pudding from scratch in 15 minutes.

Easy Coconut Macaroons

GF – With only 4 ingredients, anyone can make these easy, chewy cookies. You don’t need a mixer – just 2 forks. (It’s my choc-dipped macaroons without the chocolate.)

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

It’s my favorite chocolate cake. This moist, delicious cake uses anitoxidant-rich sweet potato and it’s also good using whole wheat pastry flour. The only butter is in the frosting.

Greek Walnut Cake

Greek karithopita is a sweet, moist walnut cake spiced with citrus peels, cinnamon, and cloves and infused with a sweet syrup.

Lightened Up Pumpkin Cheesecake

Light as a cloud, my ricotta and cream cheese pumpkin cheesecake uses all reduced fat ingredients for a healthier but rich tasting holiday dessert.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake

Fresh blueberries and fresh lemon are the key to this moist and delicious lightly sweet loaf made without butter. You don’t even need a mixer.

Chocolate Cinnamon Raisin Christmas Bread

Chocolate Cinnamon Christmas Bread

This is fabulous! It’s an easy one rise recipe. Inside are two kinds of dark chocolate, golden raisins, brown sugar & cinnamon, and outside… a light sweet glaze.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This easy banana bread comes together quickly with fragrant toasted nuts, dark chocolate chips, and no butter. Make it will all purpose flour or part whole wheat.

Easy Healthier Chocolate Cupcakes

Easy healthier one-bowl recipe uses no eggs and no butter, except for the frosting. The frosting has only 2 Tablespoons of butter. Moist, rich tasting, and easy to make.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

It’s the perfect combination: fresh lemon and fresh blueberries for a moist and light cake made with minimal butter and maximum anti-aging blueberries.

Easy Red Velvet Cupcakes

If you love red velvet cupcakes, then have them… with my healthy recipe: No eggs – one bowl – easy cleanup – and only one tablespoon of butter. Super easy!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I bake a lot of cookies but these are the first to disappear. They have less sugar & butter than most and I use dark chocolate chips and toasted nuts.

Meringues

They’re fat-free – basically egg whites and sugar but they taste like cotton candy! Homemade meringues are incredibly easy (and cheap) to make.

Double Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Homemade biscotti takes a little work but it’s really worth it. They’re made with heart-healthy dark chocolate and fragrant toasted almonds. I like to dunk mine in milk.

Easy Pecan Pie

No fancy ingredients needed. My simple pecan pie is made with an easy, healthier, oil crust and the filling all goes into one bowl for a quick stir.

Apple Pie Bars

You’ll need 2 pounds of apples for this simpler alternative to apple pie. It takes less work to put together and the easy oil crust uses no butter or shortening.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

No mixer needed for this light as a feather coffee cake topped with toasted nuts and cinnamon streusel with dark chocolate chips, and can be made without butter. Serve warm.

Baked Doughnuts

Doughnuts are back! Doughnuts don’t have to be fried to taste good. Mine have no butter, no grease, and are so light they might just float away.

Anti-Aging Jelly

Some juices have enormous health benefits like blueberry, pomegranate, acai berry, even cranberry. Now you can have them for dessert.

Cinnamon Puffs

Is it a muffin? A doughnut? A cupcake? I don’t know! But it’s really good! The buttermilk batter makes these easy treats puffy and fluffy. They’re best served warm.

Bread Pudding

This old fashioned bread pudding is low fat and easy to make using 1% milk and just a pinch of nutmeg. It’s spectacular when made with my poppy seed egg bread.

Chocolate Chip Pizza

It’s my less-butter, less-sugar, giant chocolate chip cookie made pizza-style. And you can make it whole wheat.

Oatmeal Snacking Cake

If you ever wanted to have cake for breakfast, this is the one. It’s not too sweet, has whole grains, eggs, and a beautiful crispy broiled coconut-pecan topping.

Rice Pudding

My homemade rice pudding recipe uses just 5 ingredients and cooks in 30 minutes. Make it with short or long grain rice.

5-Star Carrot Cake

Here’s my delicious, moist carrot cake made with crushed pineapple and toasted pecans and a smooth cream cheese frosting. I make the cake and frosting without butter.

Recipes

Cookies & cakes & pies, oh my!

Now I wonder why there are more recipes in this section than anywhere else? Because I love my sweets! That’s why it’s important for my recipes to be as healthy as I can make them because I still have to live with myself. If I can make it with less sugar, I will. If I can make it with more fiber, I will.

The truth is, I eat dessert every day but many times, it’s a cookie that I made like my crispy crunchy oat cookies made with 100% whole grains and olive oil. There’s no guilt trip there. Sometimes I even have dessert after breakfast! My blueberry coffee cake is perfect after a light and healthy breakfast, or my oatmeal snacking cake also makes a great breakfast dessert.

I see no reason to avoid healthy sweets. Just make them as healthy as you can and don’t make my baked doughnuts and then eat them all in one sitting. I’m not saying I’ve done that…. I’m not admitting to anything. – Jenny Jones

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