Desserts You Can Actually Eat for Breakfast
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Carrot Cake Waffle Breakfast Sandwich
Carrot cake for breakfast? Why not! This innovative healthy waffle breakfast-sandwich recipe uses whole-grain frozen waffles instead of bread and has a carrot cake-like filling made with reduced-fat cream cheese, shredded carrot, raisins and walnuts sweetened with a touch of maple syrup. Even better, it's ready in 5 minutes!
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Creamsicle Breakfast Smoothie
Though it tastes like those iconic vanilla-and-orange popsicles, this creamsicle breakfast smoothie recipe is a balanced breakfast with carbohydrates, protein and, thanks to the addition of coconut water, essential electrolytes. Coconut water serves up more than 10 percent of your daily dose of potassium--an electrolyte you lose through sweat--in every cup, making it a great hydrator for light workouts. Plus, this creamy orange-mango smoothie only contains about 30 mg of sodium per cup, whereas sports drinks usually deliver about 110 mg of sodium per cup.
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Apple “Donuts”
This so-simple 3-ingredient recipe turns apple slices into “donuts.” Topped with nut butter and coconut, they make a satisfying no-added-sugar dessert or healthy snack.
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Strawberry-Banana Smoothie Pops
Turn a strawberry-banana smoothie, or your favorite blended concoction, into freezer pops for a cool treat.
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Virgin Banana Piña Colada Pops
The tropical flavors of a piña colada make for one delicious ice pop. Be sure to reach for ripe bananas to get the perfect sweetness (without any added sugar!) for this clean-eating-friendly frozen treat.
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2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
Whir up frozen bananas into an “ice cream” without the cream! Peanut butter adds a natural swirl of flavor for a sweet and satisfying dessert with no added sugar.
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Chocolate Banana Oatmeal
Have your fruit and a little luxury too with this kid-friendly healthy chocolate and banana oatmeal recipe. Short on time in the morning? Try our overnight oatmeal variation.
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Raspberry Yogurt with Dark Chocolate
Make your own flavored yogurt with fresh fruit and a touch of honey to cut down on added sugars. This healthy snack recipe is flavored with raspberries, but you can use any berries you have on hand.
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Spiralized Apple Crisp
Use a spiralizer to skip the peeling and slicing in this easy apple crisp recipe. Plus the noodly texture of this gluten-free fruit dessert is a fun adaptation of traditional versions.
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Ricotta & Yogurt Parfait
Reminiscent of a lemon cheesecake, this healthy breakfast recipe is easy to throw together in the morning. Or stir together the filling in a jar the night before and top with the fruit, nuts and seeds when you get to work.
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Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes
This healthy whole-grain buttermilk pancake recipe adds mini-chocolate chips and mashed banana to the 100% whole-wheat flour base. If you want to experiment with different types of whole grains, replace up to 1/2 cup of the whole-wheat flour with cornmeal, oats and/or buckwheat flour. Or add extra fiber and healthy omega-3 fats by adding up to 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.
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Carrot Cake Smoothie
Have your cake and eat it too--this smoothie recipe is bursting with flavor, including everything from pineapple to pumpkin pie spice to vanilla. A healthy and delicious treat for any time of day.
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Pineapple Upside-Down Muffins
Glistening like sticky buns, these unusual muffins are packed with wholesome ingredients--vegetables, fruit and whole grains--so you can feel good about serving them to your family. If you prefer to make simple carrot muffins for lunchboxes or breakfasts-on-the-go, omit the topping; sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped nuts over the muffins before baking, if desired.
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Zucchini Bread Breakfast Pancakes
This zucchini pancake recipe marries the warm-spiced flavors of zucchini bread with the ease of quick and healthy whole-grain pancakes. When topped with maple syrup and pecans, these zucchini bread pancakes make an irresistibly delicious breakfast. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and cloves.
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Quick Strawberry "Cheesecake"
Get cheesecake flavor without having to bake with this healthy dessert recipe. To make it gluten-free, look for gluten-free graham crackers.