11 healthy sweet snacks
Craving a sweet snack but trying to stick to healthier options? Discover our tasty recipes, from energy balls to fruit muffins and oat-packed flapjacks
Looking for healthier options for your next sweet snack? Graze on our nourishing treats, from energy balls to lighter muffins and no-bake vegan flapjacks.
Snacking can be good for you, as long as you're reaching for the healthier options, which are lower in refined sugars. You'll be filling up on more vitamins and minerals, and typically more fibre, too.
Don't have a sweet tooth? Check out our guides for more healthy snack ideas, low-carb snacks and low-calories snacks. For healthy baking inspiration, check out our sugar-free baking recipes. Working from home? Check out our healthy working from home lunch ideas.
Our top healthy sweet snacks
Coconut butter, date and cranberry energy balls
Check out this super-easy recipe for coconut butter, date and cranberry energy balls. They have a great natural sweetness from the fruit and a crunchy texture thanks to the nuts.
Sugar-free cookies
These healthy vegan cookies are full of natural sweetness instead of refined sugar, with ground almonds providing a nutty flavour and raspberries offering a burst of natural sweetness.
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Healthy blondies
Tuck into a slice of these vegan blondies for a healthy and satisfying mid-afternoon snack.
Sugar-free banana bread
Cut a slice of this vegan banana berry traybake for a sweet snack, best served with a dollop of dairy-free yogurt.
No-bake vegan flapjacks
These dairy-free breakfast bars use dates and nut butter to bind everything together. Experiment with different seeds and nuts in your next batch of flapjacks, and use agave syrup for a vegan version.
Fruity toots
Full of natural sweetness, these little bites are made of dates, raisins, nuts and dried apricots, mixed with seeds and apple juice and rolled into individual balls. Serve each bite-sized treat in a mini cupcake case.
Coconut, banana and raspberry muffins
Try our recipe for low-fat coconut, banana and raspberry muffins. They're quick and easy to make, and the oats will give you a brilliant boost of energy – a great mid-morning snack.
Energy balls
These energy balls are great to have before exercise or as an afternoon snack. The simple sugars in the fruits offer an instant pick-me-up, and the nuts and oats will give you a slow release of energy. We’ve made three flavours, but you can experiment with your own combinations.
Apricot, blueberry and almond muffins
Fruity almond muffins are ideal for an energising breakfast or snack. Bananas and yogurt keep them moist, while the butter, ground almonds and oats are filling. No added sugar means you’re getting the day off to a good start, too.
Muesli cookies
Looking for a nutritious sweet treat? Bake a batch of our healthy muesli cookies made with wholemeal flour, rapeseed oil and a touch of honey for sweetness.
Nankhatai (cardamom biscuits)
Bake a batch of these deliciously spiced cardamom biscuits and fill your kitchen with the aroma of freshly baked treats. They're delicious warm from the oven with a cup of tea.
Tracey Raye is the health editor for olive and BBC Good Food. Tracey, MSc, is a registered nutritionist, holding a master’s degree in Personalised Nutrition. She is passionate about harnessing the power of all things health and well-being – in a way that enhances, rather than limits our lives. She covers our nourishing recipes and collections, oversees our health strategy and stays adrift of the latest health and lifestyle trends in order to bring you the tools and inspiration you need to find what health means for you.
Authors
Tracey Raye is the Health Editor for Olive and BBC Good Food. She oversees all health, nutrition and fitness related content across the brands, including the bi-annual Healthy Diet Plan, monthly Health Edit newsletter and health column in the magazine.
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