You want to bake, but if you eat too much sugar or white flour, you won't feel so hot. These healthy recipes are just what you need on a laid-back Sunday afternoon when you feel like turning on your oven. From black bean brownie bites [1] to chocolate cupcakes with avocado frosting [2] to vegan protein banana bread [3], these treats taste amazing but are much healthier for you than recipes that call for four sticks of butter creamed with three cups of sugar. Let's get to baking!
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
Theses baked doughnuts taste amazingly decadent for just 150 calories.
Get the recipe: pumpkin spice doughnuts [5]
Iced Lemon Pound Cake
This cake will satisfy your lemon pound cake cravings and fool anyone who's sceptical that a vegan cake could taste this good.
Get the recipe: iced lemon pound cake [6]
3-Ingredient Brownies
You probably already have everything you need to make these brownies, except maybe the patience to wait for them to cook!
Get the recipe: three-ingredient brownies [7]
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft, chewy, and under 100 calories, these gluten-free cookies are bursting with spiced pumpkin pie flavour.
Get the recipe: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies [8]
Chocolate Cupcakes With "Buttercream" Frosting
Upon your first decadent bite, you just might drop the rest of your cupcake when you realise these are low-calorie and vegan. Plus, the frosting is made with avocados instead of butter!
Get the recipe: chocolate cupcakes with "buttercream" frosting [9]
Banana Bread
Sweet and moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, this banana bread tastes delicious on its own, but it's even more amazing smeared with nut butter and sprinkled with chocolate chips.
Get the recipe: banana bread [10]
Vegan Apple Coconut Crumble Pie
Life is full of too many tough decisions, so if you can't choose between baking apple pie or apple crisp, then don't! This lightened-up recipe marries these two traditional desserts into one glorious, warm and spicy treat.
Get the recipe: apple coconut crumble pie [11]
Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
These chewy peanut butter brownie bites are disguised as fudgy, peanut buttery goodness, but shhh! They also offer a healthy dose of protein.
Get the recipe: chewy brownies [12]
Sweet Potato Banana Protein Bread
Packed with fibre and protein, this bread is naturally sweetened with sweet potato, banana, and applesauce. And it tastes like dessert!
Get the recipe: sweet potato banana protein bread [13]
Vegan Chocolate Frosted Doughnuts
The batter is easy to whip up, and don't fret if you don't have a doughnut pan — just use a muffin tin instead. Decorate as you like, and enjoy right away, since these babies taste best freshly made.
Get the recipe: vegan chocolate frosted doughnuts [14]
Protein-Packed Brownies
A cross between oatmeal cookies and brownies, these chocolaty bars are so insanely delicious that you won't even guess there's protein powder added to the batter.
Get the recipe: protein-packed brownies [15]
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
Bake up a batch of these soft and cake-like bars, and the aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, maple syrup, and pumpkin will waft through your house.
Get the recipe: chocolate chip pumpkin bars [16]
Paleo Pecan Pie Bars
The gooey filling and a moist, crumbly crust will offer all the textures and flavours of the classic you love — without a sugar crash!
Get the recipe: Paleo pecan pie bars [17]
Banana Oatmeal Crumb Muffins With Avocado
While this recipe does contain sugar, each muffin has only 17 grams of the sweet stuff.
Get the recipe: banana oatmeal crumb muffins with avocado [18]
Pumpkin Avocado Muffins
This pumpkin muffin recipe just may convince you to never want to bake with butter again.
Get the recipe: pumpkin avocado muffins [19]
Sugar-Free Cookies
These cookies are not only free of white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or any other sweeteners, but they're also flour-free, gluten-free, and vegan, so if you're trying to eat cleaner, you can feel good biting into these chewy cookies.
Get the recipe: date-sweetened cookies [20]
Lemon Raspberry Muffins
These are so light and summery, with bursts of juicy raspberries — perfect to grab with your morning smoothie or to bake up for a weekend brunch.
Get the recipe: low-sugar, high-protein lemon raspberry muffins [21]
Chocolate (Cauliflower) Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting
Soft, sweet, and everything you want in a chocolate cake, the cauliflower adds a moistness that's unforgettable. I know it sounds totally weird. But if you love using cauliflower for other recipes, like pizza crust [22] and in place of oatmeal [23], and you LOVE cake and all things chocolate, then this recipe is a must-try!
Get the recipe: chocolate (cauliflower) cake with peanut butter frosting [24]
Banana Oat Cookies
If you're trying to eat less sugar and less processed junk, this cookie recipe is perfect.
Get the recipe: banana oat cookies [25]
Vegan Cider Doughnuts
Soft and full of warming spices, these baked doughnuts are just 86 calories.
Get the recipe: vegan cider doughnuts [26]
Iced Sugar Cookies
The best vegan desserts are the ones no one would even guess are made without dairy and eggs, and these sugar cookies fit the bill!
Get the recipe: iced sugar cookies [27]
Black Bean Brownie Bites
Delicious brownies in bite form, these are just 150 calories each.
Get the recipe: black bean brownie bites [28]
Gluten-Free Banana Bread
This banana bread is just begging to be smeared with peanut butter for tomorrow's breakfast.
Get the recipe: gluten-free banana bread [29]
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These cupcakes don't taste vegan in the slightest — they're moist, sweet, and just plain delicious.
Get the recipe: carrot cake cupcakes [30]
Double Fudge Brownies
These melt-in-your-mouth moist, rich, and fudgy brownies taste so good, you'll be amazed that they're vegan and barely over 150 calories.
Get the recipe: double fudge brownies [31]
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Made with homemade dairy-free chocolate kisses for an extraspecial flair, these vegan cookies will not disappoint.
Get the recipe: peanut butter kiss cookies [32]
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
These 87-calorie peanut butter cookies are made with gluten-free oats and a handful of other ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. As an added bonus, they cook up golden brown in less than 10 minutes.
Get the recipe: peanut butter cookies [33]
Chocolate Cranberry Courgette Bread
Try this decadent chocolate twist on the classic courgette bread recipe.
Get the recipe: chocolate cranberry courgette bread [34]
Vegan Banana Apple Chunk Bread
As soon as you bite into the soft and juicy chunks of cooked apples, you'll want to purposely let a bunch of bananas get overripe just so you can bake a loaf of this warm and comforting banana bread.
Get the recipe: banana apple chunk bread [35]
Lemon Blueberry Protein Muffins
With fewer than nine grams of sugar per muffin, these light and moist muffins deliciously sweetened with lemon juice and blueberries are sure to satisfy your dessert cravings.
Get the recipe: lemon blueberry protein muffins [36]
Banana Smoothie Muffins
This recipe for banana smoothie muffins is filled with a healthy secret ingredient you won't even taste — spinach!
Get the recipe: banana smoothie muffins [37]
Chocolate Chip Protein-Packed Pumpkin Bread
When you want your house to feel as cosy as slipping on a sweater in the Fall, turn on your oven and bake this pumpkin bread.
Get the recipe: chocolate chip protein-packed pumpkin bread [38]
Pumpkin Pie Muffins
These light and fluffy pumpkin pie muffins can serve as a tasty breakfast to fuel your day, but they're sweet enough to feel like a treat.
Get the recipe: pumpkin pie muffins [39]
Oatmeal Energy Bars
Save money by baking up a batch of these energy bars to start off your morning. If banana isn't your thing, then try one of these other healthy energy bar recipes [40].
Get the recipe: low-sugar oatmeal banana bites [41]
Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
For a gluten-free and Paleo-friendly banana bread that will satisfy nostalgic cravings, bake up a batch of these breakfast muffins.
Get the recipe: gluten-free banana muffins [42]
Peanut Butter Protein Granola Bars
You love sitting down to a bowl of oatmeal, but when you're in a rush, who's got time to sit with a spoon? Here's a quick breakfast to satisfy your oatmeal cravings on the go.
Get the recipe: peanut butter protein granola bars [43]
Vegan Thin Mints
Wow yourself and your friends with how authentic this homemade and vegan version of Thin Mints tastes.
Get the recipe: vegan Thin Mints [44]
Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
These cute pecan-filled thumbprint cookies are a far healthier alternative to sugar- and fat-laden pecan pie.
Get the recipe: thumbprint cookies [45]
Vegan Samoas
If you grew up loving this chewy Girl Scout favourite, you can whip up your own vegan version that's just 114 calories per delectable cookie.
Get the recipe: vegan Samoas [46]