7 Healthy Dessert Menu Ideas for Your Bakery
Amanda Byk / Foodservice Tips / May 10

Even health nuts need something sweet to enjoy. Sometimes the hankering for chocolate takes over, but you don’t have to feel like you’re cheating on a diet. There are quite a few healthy dessert recipes available on the web, so explore your options for the desserts you want to bring to light and make sure you cover all the bases in your bakery.
When you’re ready to make some healthy changes to your dessert menu, you want to include the different fan-favorite flavors like chocolate, vanilla and fruity fillings. Adding healthy desserts like banana breads and chocolate cupcakes made with healthier ingredients will attract nutrition-conscious customers.
What are Healthy Substitutes for Butter, Sugar, Flour & Eggs?
Using a natural sugar source like honey or maple syrup is a great start to a healthier comfort food like your favorite desserts. Coconut sugar is another great sugar substitute. Some alternatives to white flour include almond flour, coconut flour, chickpea flour and more. Using these types of flour will give you the results you need while helping you stick to the nutritious outcome you want.
Try replacing butter in a recipe with applesauce, avocado or greek yogurt. These options offer the same great taste with less of the fats that butter provides. Changing up your recipes to replace eggs can also be a good choice. Instead, use flaxseed, banana, applesauce or even silken tofu. So what are some healthy desserts that will look and taste great even with substituted ingredients?
1. Zucchini Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Not only are these cookies packed with the same chocolatey, savory flavors customers crave but they’re also made with more nutritious ingredients. The main ingredient? Zucchini! All you need is whole wheat flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, honey or coconut sugar and chocolate.
2. Almond-Poppy Seed Cake
Looking for a fragrant and hearty cake to serve? This healthy dessert option will have your bakery hopping. From the moist cake and refreshing lemon flavors to the sweet glaze, everyone will love this vegan dessert.
3. Apple-Maple Cinnamon Rolls
This healthy dessert offers the comfort of a warm goodie on a brisk Autumn day. Some of the ingredients that make this morsel a healthier option include whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, unsweetened almond milk and arrowroot. This option is also vegan! Check out more of the recipe from Forks Over Knives.
4. Banana & Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Everyone loves brownies. Using ingredients like bananas, rolled oats and even sodium-free baking powder can turn a great recipe for banana and chocolate peanut butter brownies into a treat you can keep snacking on without guilt. The recipe can also be altered to include nut allergy alternatives to make it safe for everyone to enjoy.
5. Strawberry Hand Pies
Though simple, these fresh and fruity hand pies will quickly become a favorite for pie-lovers on the go. Changing up the pie crust to a whole wheat option and using fresh fruit can really add to the flavor you want while keeping this a healthy dessert to choose.
6. Coconut Flour Cake
Finding a good-quality coconut flour, as well as non-dairy alternatives like coconut milk and honey, is essential to making this tasty morsel. This cake is a great option for those who enjoy a zesty yet sweet cake for their next dessert. It can also be altered to be vegan-friendly.
7. Snickerdoodle Bread
No one likes healthy recipes that taste healthy. Well Plated has a great recipe for snickerdoodle bread for a nutritious and scrumptious snickerdoodle bread. It’s a simple recipe with a thrilling taste. Change out the types of sugars you use to something more natural and you’re one step closer to a healthy dessert recipe that doesn’t taste like it’s good for you.