Whether your sweet tooth runs to chocolate cookies or chocolate ice cream, it's OK to indulge those post-prandial chocolate cravings—but having a healthy dessert in your arsenal can help make sure you get a little nutritional value with your sweet treat. Our Test Kitchen is here to help you with healthy chocolate desserts to make at home.
Black Tie Cake
This strawberry-studded healthy chocolate cake is elegant enough for a romantic dinner, yet easy enough to make on a weeknight. Use light cream cheese and fat-free milk to help make its fluffy white chocolate frosting, then add a drizzle of leftover dark chocolate for a sophisticated finish.
Maple-Bourbon Chocolate Tiramisu with Pecans
Bet you didn't think you'd find this Italian treat on a healthy chocolate dessert roundup. Treat your taste buds to our lightened-up version of tiramisu featuring espresso, bourbon, and chocolate. The calorie count is lower here (around 150 calories per serving), thanks to reduced-fat cream cheese, fat-free milk, and light whipped topping.
Sweet Potato Brownies
Mashed sweet potatoes make this healthy brownie recipe moist while also providing a boost of vitamins, potassium, and fiber. Don't worry, there's no strong sweet potato flavor here. Almond butter and dark chocolate provide even more nutrition and antioxidants.
Buy It: Williams Sonoma Cleartouch Nonstick Square Cake Pan ($20, Williams Sonoma)
Bourbon-Brownie Petit Fours
Create these healthy, small, 160-calorie chocolate treats. Add a splash of bourbon to the batter for a heartwarming touch, then dress them in our homemade glaze. A squeeze of frosting adds adorable bakery appeal.
Test Kitchen Tip: Glaze these desserts using a wire cooling rack set over wax paper. The petit fours are can be completely coated without the chocolate pooling, and the wax paper allows for easy cleanup.
Chocolate Hazelnut Air-Fryer Turnovers
Leave it to your air fryer to make a delicious, healthy chocolate dessert in a flash. In just 30 minutes, you can have a dozen mini turnovers stuffed with creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread mixed with crunchy hazelnuts. Since these are "fried" without a deep-fryer bath, eating one of these crispy treats sets you back only 144 calories.
Creamy Chocolate Pudding
This healthy chocolate pudding recipe has a stealth ingredient: avocado. That's right, the heart-healthy green fruit that stars on your favorite toast makes creamy, dreamy desserts as well. The chocolate pudding is packed with healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins. Oh, and it also happens to be vegan and gluten-free.
Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Great news—healthy chocolate chip cookies exist and this whole grain recipe is as delicious as it looks. Instead of all-purpose flour, our Test Kitchen created these healthy cookies with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, barley flour, oat bran, and wheat bran. To keep the sugar count down, you can also try using chocolate chips with no added sugar.
Buy It: Lily's Milk Style Chocolate Chips ($7, Target)
Choco-Zucchini Cupcakes
Shredded zucchini is an easy way to sneak some extra nutrients into sweet treats, such as zucchini bread, and these healthy chocolate cupcakes. The cocoa powder is the powerhouse ingredient here, so zucchini simply provides moisture without changing the flavor. You'll also want to bookmark this recipe to use the homemade peanut butter frosting on more than just these cupcakes.
Buy It: Natural Cocoa Powder ($7, The Spice House)
Mocha Custards
If you like to finish your meal with a cup of coffee, you're going to love this delicious healthy chocolate dessert. You can easily whip these up a day in advance. Just pop them in the fridge, then serve. Give them a flourish by adding a dollop of whipped topping and a coffee bean.
Dark Chocolate Mint Bites
Mint and chocolate are a dream combination and these healthy chocolate bars prove it. The creamy peppermint filling will melt in your mouth and refresh the palate. The soft mint topping finishes off a crunchy chocolate crust, made healthier when you use your food processor to create a quick oat flour.
Buy It: Cuisinart Elemental Collection 8-Cup Food Processor ($130, Kohl's)
Chocolate Sherbet
Impress the whole family with some delicious homemade chocolate ice cream. A batch of this healthy dessert is a cool way to end a meal. And with just 151 calories per serving, it proves that you don't have to give up chocolate on a heart-healthy diet.
Chocolate Bark and Dipped Fruit
Rather than reaching for a candy bar, go for this healthy chocolate snack recipe. The 3-ingredient dessert recipe allows you to get creative with any combination of fruits and nuts you can dream up. Our bonus recipe for homemade apple chips also makes an equally delicious healthy snack on their own.