Sure, Valentine’s Day is all about the splurging, especially when it comes to dessert. But if you don’t have to load up on saturated fat and empty calories, why do it? Think sultry dark chocolate, sparkling jeweled fruits, and luscious—but lighter—versions of classic favorites like chocolate cake and cheesecake. We’re smitten with these decadent healthy dessert recipes.
Pomegranate Cranberry Hearts
Description: No-bake and no-guilt. Cranberries and pomegranates lend a gorgeous natural scarlet hue to these heart-shaped treats from Spabettie—but the real clincher is that sesame cashew crust.
Baked Lavender Rose Donuts
Description: Let’s not neglect breakfast! These fat-free, stevia-sweetened donuts from Healthy Slow Cooking will start Valentine’s Day off right.
Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
Description: Sure, it looks incredibly decadent, but it’s really a creative, sumptuous take on frozen-banana-based ice cream. Just four ingredients go into this vegan, gluten-free ice cream from Beard and Bonnet.
Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mousse
Description: Made with silken tofu, this rich vegan mousse tastes just like its full-fat namesake.
Banana Nutella Cheesecake
Description: If your sweetheart is sweet on Nutella, this low-sugar dessert is where it’s at. From the blog Because I Like Chocolate, this decadent-looking cheesecake is made with low-fat cream cheese and sits on an awesome two-ingredient banana-oat crust.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
Description: You and your loved one might be the perfect pair, but here’s another: Chocolate and peanut butter. From The Roasted Root come these dense, gooey peanut butter brownies.
Dark Chocolate Coconut Pudding
Description: Who needs a heart-shaped box of chocolates when this velvety pudding’s waiting? Coconut milk, cocoa powder, and maple syrup combine to make pure magic in this Paleo-friendly, vegan pudding from An Edible Mosaic.
Beet Chocolate Bundt Cake
Description: Red velvet, schmed schelvet. This rich, naturally-hued beet chocolate bundt cake from Always Order Dessert boasts two cups of the scarlet power veggie.
Orange Chocolate Cardamom Mousse in Orange Cups
Description: Lovers of orange + chocolate, this is the perfect dessert for you. This is another decadent mousse made with silken tofu—but no one will know it’s dairy-free. Presented in orange cups, this one is especially special-occasion worthy.
Chocolate Coconut Flour Cake
Description: Low-cal, low-carb, high-fiber, and high-protein. Yes, we are describing this incredible chocolate cake from Nutrition Stripped. Chocolate lovers, rejoice—you can officially now have your cake and eat it too.
Strawberry Cashew Milk
Description: Innovative, delicious, and naturally pink! These pretty sippers from The Tomato Tart are made with raw, vegan cashew milk. Freeze-dried strawberries give it that rosy hue. What’s not to love?
Sweet Potato Spiked Truffles
Description: Orange zest, Cointreau, and—yep—sweet potato puree fill these creative truffles from Ricki Heller. A creamy chocolate-covered treat filled with one of the healthiest root veggies around?! Love!
Pomegranate Mendiants
Description: Ruby-red pomegranates sparkle atop rich dark chocolate discs in these simple—and simply stunning—French candies from Taste, Love, and Nourish.
Strawberry Tiramisu Cheesecake Cups
Description: Mascarpone cheese, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla form the cheesecake base in these rich (but healthy!) cups from Cupcakes and Kale Chips. Bonus: Individual serving sizes make for built-in portion control.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Description: Fresh strawberries stuffed with raw, vegan cheesecake filling that tastes just like the real thing! Cacao nibs and a dusting of flaxseed and cinnamon complete these glorious—and healthy!—treats.
34 Comments
Anne|Craving Something Healthy
February 4, 2014 at 11:42 amLOVE this roundup! Such delicious and creative ideas 🙂
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:35 pmThanks, Anne!
Devonne
February 8, 2014 at 9:46 pmSo are all these vegan dessert
Kare Troughton
February 9, 2014 at 10:36 amSeveral of these desserts are vegan, yes – but not all.
Alexis @ Hummusapien
February 4, 2014 at 12:13 pmI don’t know how I STILL haven’t made those vegan cheesecake stuffed straws! They totally stole my heart when you first posted them 🙂 Love this list!
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:36 pmThey’ve been on my must-make list for forever, too. 🙂
Kristina
February 4, 2014 at 12:18 pmthis is SO funny, I was up at 6am making those Pomegranate Cranberry Hearts to bring to friends today! this is a delicious collection, honored to be included!
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:35 pmIt’s a Pomegranate Cranberry Heart kind of day! I am so in love with those – especially the heart shape, of course. 🙂
lori @ thehealthminded.com
February 4, 2014 at 12:40 pmWow-Great line-up just when I was looking for some healthy Val Day inspiration. Can I just say how lovely it is to navigate through your blog? So easy and quick. Great work. Will tweet this post to share!
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:32 pmHi Lori, so glad you liked it! 🙂
Meg @ Beard and Bonnet
February 4, 2014 at 12:55 pmI will take one of everything please!! Thanks for including my “ice cream”:)
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:31 pmOf course! It’s the most beautiful (and creative) banana ice cream I’ve seen! I was shocked when I saw it was banana based. Looks just like the real thing. 🙂
Julia
February 4, 2014 at 3:04 pmI love this roundup! Nothing like delicious treats for VDay that are on the healthier end of the spectrum! I’m thinking I need to fashion up a few of these recipes and give them to my friends for VDay. Thanks so much for including my peanut butter brownie bites! They’re certainly delicious!
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:30 pmThere are just so many incredible, creative recipes out there in the blogosphere – such an insanely talented pool of people out there. You included! 🙂 LOVE the looks of those things. My guy – total PB & chocolate fiend – would be all over them.
Grace @ Earthy Feast
February 4, 2014 at 4:37 pmI’m in luuve with all these v-day desserts! Those stuffed strawberries are too cute!
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:27 pmAren’t those great?! So creative.
Kathy Hester
February 4, 2014 at 7:02 pmThank you so much for including my donut recipe!
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:26 pmThose are seriously the most gorgeous donuts I’ve seen! 🙂
Alison
February 4, 2014 at 10:29 pmI LOVE recipe round-ups and as a veggie with a SERIOUS sweet tooth, this guilt-free recipe round-up is WONDERFUL!
I definitely will be making the Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream & the Pomegranate Cranberry Hearts.
Thanks for this!
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:26 pmThose are two of my must-makes, also!
Kira - HealthAble Old Soul
February 4, 2014 at 11:27 pmWhat great recipes (and ideas) for a Healthier indulgence day.
Kare Troughton
February 4, 2014 at 11:37 pmThanks, Kira! I agree – no reason to get crazy when these treats are *plenty* indulgent, really.
Angie (@angiesrecipess)
February 5, 2014 at 4:42 amWhat amazing V-day treats! I want to try every single one. Thanks for sharing, Kare, Kieresten.
Kare Troughton
February 5, 2014 at 8:20 amMe too. I guess if we down 15 desserts it probably negates the whole “healthy” thing, right? 😉 Hee hee.
Cara's Healthy Cravings
February 5, 2014 at 7:33 amThey all look so good!
But I think I would make the dark chocolate coconut pudding…Mmmm!
Kare Troughton
February 5, 2014 at 8:18 amIt just looks so utterly perfect, right?!
Joanne
February 5, 2014 at 8:22 amI’m currently thinking I should celebrate V-Day every day this month by making one of these. Because how can I choose just one?!
Kare Troughton
February 5, 2014 at 9:25 pmYou are brilliant!
Tiff
February 5, 2014 at 2:10 pmYum! So many great choices.
mjskit
February 7, 2014 at 12:24 amI definitely will take one of each! What a great collection!
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness
February 7, 2014 at 7:06 pmI’m drooling over here! I especially want to try the cherry vanilla ice cream and chocolate PB brownie bites. They both sound so delicious!
Kare Troughton
February 9, 2014 at 10:39 amIt was big-time drool over here when I was putting this list together! 🙂
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
February 8, 2014 at 3:01 pmOh, yay! A dessert post. Thank you! 😀
And this is a great roundup. I spent hours this morning looking for something healthier to make for Valentine’s Day and everything was all red, sprinkly, and full of waaay too much sugar. Off to check these out! 🙂
Kare Troughton
February 9, 2014 at 10:39 amYes! As I’ve cut way down on artificial food dyes over the past couple of years, I find that they’re EVE-RY-WHERE. Especially when it comes to V-Day desserts. It’s fun to find more natural ways to incorporate the hue (and when you can cut the sugar, too, all the better!)