A plate of homemade peanut butter cups

16 healthier sweet snacks

Emma Hartfield
, Tracey Raye

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Craving a sweet snack but trying to stick to healthier options? Discover our tasty recipes, from energy balls to fruit muffins and chocolate and peanut treats

If you've got a sweet tooth, these recipes will all provide a sugar fix while still offering some wellbeing benefits. Whether they're packed with fruit, healthy fats or additional plant foods, those virtues ensure they're a healthier option than grabbing a packet of biscuits or chocolate bar.

"The recipes below are typically lower in refined sugars, use wholegrain over white flour and have added nuts and dried fruits, meaning they'll provide more fibre, fewer calories and additional vitamins and minerals to a processed snack." Emma Hartfield, health editor

Don't have a sweet tooth? Check out our guides for more healthy snack ideas, low-carb snacks and low-calorie snacks. For healthy baking inspiration, check out our sugar-free baking recipes.

Our top healthier sweet snacks

Gluten-free oat cookies

Using buckwheat flour, oats, fruit and walnuts, these crunchy cookies are a nourishing option.

Oat cookies cooling on a wire rack

Chocolate, peanut date bars

Blitz together a few ingredients then dunk into melted chocolate for a sticky, nutty pick-me-up. Try them frozen with flaky salt – it’s a total game-changer.

Plate of chocolate coated date and nut bars

Healthy blondies

Tuck into a slice of these vegan blondies for a healthy and satisfying mid-afternoon snack.

Peanut butter cups

Inspired by the classic Reese’s, these treats have a more refined flavour. Peanut butter, packed with protein, healthy fats and essential vitamins and minerals, makes for a nutritious snack. They’ll keep for five days in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer – perfect for whenever the craving strikes.

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.

Chickpea cookie dough

These protein-packed bites come together in minutes and can be kept in the fridge for midweek snacking.

Flourless protein brownies

Easy to make ahead, and perfect for when you want an afternoon pick-me-up. The secret ingredient is sweet potato – it keeps these brownies moist and delicious.

Sugar-free banana bread

Cut a slice of this banana berry traybake for a sweet snack, best served with a dollop of yogurt (keep it dairy free for a vegan treat).

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.

Pile of no-bake breakfast bars

Fruit balls

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.

Banana Muffins Recipe With Coconut And Raspberry

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

With wholemeal flour, no added sugar and low in calories, these muffins make a delicious breakfast as well as a healthier option for a sweet treat.

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.

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.

Authors

Emma HartfieldHealth editor

Tracey RayeRegistered Nutritionist

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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