Healthy desserts are the jewel of healthy cooking. They are both satiating and satisfying, and you can treat yourself to a sweet tasty delight without giving it a second thought. So, what are some healthy desserts you can enjoy while exercising?
Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream
If you like experimenting with flavors, this is the perfect healthy dessert. The peanut butter and banana combination is a winning one. The peanut butter will load you with healthy carbs, protein, and fats, and the banana will give you potassium, some more carbs, and vitamin C. [1]
You will instantly gain energy, your mood will improve, and you will feel full but light for another few hours. I recommend you have this dessert before your workout, as it will energize you and enable you to have more effective training.
All you need for this recipe is one banana and two tablespoons of peanut butter. However, the recipe is variable, so you can adjust the quantities as you like, but don’t go too wild with the peanut butter.
Mash the banana and peanut butter until they homogenize, and place the mix in a plastic container. Pop it in the freezer and wait for a few hours. Scoop the ice cream, throw some crushed nuts, and enjoy your healthy snack.
Banana and Berry Pudding
This pudding is much more than bananas and berries. It is an entire meal, so you will be full for hours. You can have this dessert both before and after a workout.
If you have it before, it will energize you so that you can work out at full capacity, and if you have it after, it will replenish your body and help you recover sooner, especially if your workout session is more intense.
To make this pudding, you need a banana, a handful of berries, a handful of mixed nuts, a two-three dried dates, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds (two teaspoons of each), two teaspoons of cocoa powder, and half a glass of water.
Place everything but the bananas and berries in a blender and blend until you turn everything into fine pieces, not powder. Then, turn off the blender and add the bananas, berries, and water. Blend again until you get a smooth, soft, and pudding-like consistency.
Place the mixture into a bowl and leave it in the fridge to settle for a minimum of half an hour. You can also have it right after blending, but it is more refreshing when cold.
You can replace the water with a non-dairy in the same amount if you want. Moreover, if you use protein powder, you can add it to the rest of the ingredients. If you like, you can also add maca, ashwagandha, or another superfood to the mix.
This pudding is a nutrient super-bomb. It will give you vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. It is super healthy, refreshing, and nutritious.
Almond Flour Fudge
This is another super healthy and satiating dessert you can snack on any time of the day. You need a cup of almond flour and two tablespoons of peanut butter; you can use another one if you prefer, such as almond or hazelnut butter, and three tablespoons of cocoa powder.
You can add half a bar of melted dark 70% cocoa chocolate, but you don’t have to. You will also need a handful of raisins.
Put the ingredients in a bowl. First, add the almond flour, cocoa powder, and raisins. Then add the peanut butter and the melted chocolate, should you decide to use them.
Mix everything with a spatula until the ingredients homogenize. Spread the mixture on a foil-covered tray and cut it into squares. Cover them with plastic foil and pop them in the fridge to settle.
I recommend this dessert/snack as a pre-workout warm-up. It contains fats from the peanut butter, sugar from the raisins, and possibly dark chocolate, which will fuel you nicely during your training.
Tweaked Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is delicious, but it isn’t the healthiest choice. You can quickly tweak the recipe and turn it into a healthy dessert you can enjoy while minding your weight.
This recipe calls for two and a half cups of almond flour, two cups of almond, and half a cup of coconut flour. You will also need one cup of coconut flakes, one teaspoon baking soda, and a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
The rest of the ingredients include three eggs or an egg substitute in the same quantity, half a cup of melted and cooled coconut oil, a cup of honey, half a cup of tahini, a quarter of a cup of almond milk, vanilla extract and three cups of shredded carrots.
Mix the dry ingredients, i.e., almond flour (and possibly the coconut flour), coconut flakes, soda, spices, and salt, in a large bowl.
In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients. First, beat the eggs or egg substitutes. Add the honey and tahini, the milk, and the coconut oil. Lastly, add the carrots.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until they homogenize. Transfer the batter from the bowl to a pan and pop it into a preheated oven at 375 °F, i.e., 190 °C. Bake for 30 minutes.
This is a very nutritious dessert and a highly satiating one too. Have a piece before and after a workout to energize and replenish your body.
Peanut Butter, Dried Fruits, and Nut Power Bars
Last on this idea list, but certainly not least, this healthy dessert is an excellent pre-workout snack to bring you to full speed and maximum potential. Simplicity is embodied; this is probably the easiest one on this list.
You have two handfuls of crushed, mixed nuts, two handfuls of dried fruits, if they are chunky, chop them, and two or three tbsps. of peanut butter. Mix the ingredients in a bowl and transfer them to a tray once you make a dough-like mixture.
Flatten the mixture and roll it over with a rolling pin to even out the surface. It should be flat and one inch thick. Pop the tray in the fridge and let the mixture solidify. After an hour or so, take it out and cut it into rectangles.
One or two bars before a workout for a successful session.
Coconut Flour Pancakes
Coconut flour pancakes are an excellent healthy dessert or a breakfast idea. The ingredients are similar to regular pancakes, minus the milk.
So, you will need ¼ cup of coconut flour and two tbsps. of olive oil, three eggs or egg substitutes (in the same amount), 2 tbsps. сugar-free syrup or honey, 1 tsp. baking powder, a little vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Mix the ingredients in a bowl and adjust the consistency by adding sparkly water. You may not need to thin it, but if it seems too thick, feel free to add half a cup of sparkling water.
Cook the pancakes on a non-stick pan until they are well-baked, as regular pancakes do. Top them with fresh fruit and maybe a scoop of sour cream or crème Fraiche, and you are all done.
Either before or after a workout, these pancakes work great to help you replenish and energize your body.
