Sometimes I need a sweet treat, preferably with chocolate, but I don’t want to completely derail my healthy eating.
And by healthy eating, I mostly mean keeping my sugar intake in check. Sugar and my joints are definitely not friends.
If you’re looking for a few easy sweet treats, I may have something for you. Today I’m sharing four chocolatey recipes. Three are no-bake, high in protein, and all of them are gluten-free.
Chocolate-Dipped Powdered Peanut Butter Balls
This no-bake recipe combines two of my favorite dessert flavors: peanut butter and chocolate. Using only three ingredients—all of which I already had in my pantry—it was an easy choice.
I followed the recipe from CleanandDelicious, which I linked, but here are the basics:
- 1 cup powdered peanut butter
- ½ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
The one change I made was using melted Hershey’s chocolate instead of chocolate chips for the coating. I happened to have a bar on hand, and I loved the milk chocolate flavor.
Recommend? Yes! Easy, quick, and freezer-friendly.
Powdered Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Since I already had all the ingredients out, I decided to make a batch of energy balls too.
Here’s what I used:
- 1 cup powdered peanut butter
- ½ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
After mixing everything together, I wet my hands and rolled the mixture into about a dozen small balls before placing them in the freezer.
Recommend? Absolutely. They’re perfect when you want just a little something sweet.
Snickers Cheesecake
First of all, this recipe does not contain Snickers.
Second, it’s not really cheesecake.
But stick with me, because if you like Snickers bars, you may enjoy this protein-packed treat.
I’ve seen this recipe floating around online and finally decided to try it. It’s simple, requires no baking, and uses ingredients you may already have on hand.
- 1 container vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 1 graham cracker sheet
- Melted chocolate for topping
- A few peanuts
Break the graham cracker into pieces and stir it into the yogurt. Drizzle peanut butter over the top, followed by melted chocolate. Once the chocolate hardens, refrigerate for about two hours.
Sprinkle with peanuts before serving.
With all the protein from the yogurt and peanut butter, this one feels surprisingly satisfying.
Recommend? Definitely.
Life-Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
I spotted this recipe on another blog I follow and decided to give it a try.
Unlike the other recipes, this one requires baking and includes tahini—something I don’t normally keep in my pantry.
So yes, I had to:
A. Go to the store.
B. Turn on the oven.
I know. The sacrifices we make.
This recipe from Kale Junkie is absolutely worth the effort. The cookies are rich, chocolatey, and have a wonderful texture. I especially like warming one in the toaster oven for a minute or two before eating. The slight crispness on the outside and melty chocolate on the inside is hard to beat.
The recipe uses almond flour, making it naturally gluten-free.
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the tahini, but these cookies are delicious and will definitely be staying in my dessert rotation.
Recommend? 100%.
Wrap Up
Thank you for following along as I spent a day in the kitchen making a few healthier treats for myself.
The Snickers cheesecake disappeared immediately, but everything else went into the freezer so I can enjoy it over time.
I hope this gives you a little inspiration to make something enjoyable for yourself without going completely hog wild.
Have a wonderful weekend, and God bless.