15 Sneaky Ways to Eat Your Veggies for Dessert
With all of the delicious food choices out there, sometimes it can be difficult to fill your plate with the recommended amount of produce. Fortunately, now you can have your cake and eat it too — yes, even literally — with these 15 veggie-boosted recipes. Beyond providing an additional helping of produce, the extra vegetal action lends these goodies everything from magnificent moisture, tempting texture, stunning color sans bottled dye and more. Now that’s what we call nutritional multi-tasking!
1. Whole Wheat Roasted Beet Birthday Cake: Roasted beets are responsible for giving the frosting slicked between these layers of almond-scented cake a gorgeous magenta hue, along with a subtly sweet, earthy flavor. (via With the Grains)
2. Zucchini Brownies With Ricotta: Between the cream cheese frosting and blueberry syrup gracing the top, the addition of zucchini to the moist, chocolatey brownie batter is sure to go unnoticed. (via The Story of a Cake)
3. 100-Calorie Chocolate Cupcakes: These cupcakes may be low in calories, but they certainly aren’t low in flavor. The duo of chocolate cake and frosting allow carrots to sneak into the mix quite well. (via Top With Cinnamon)
4. Nanaimo Bars: You’ll get a healthy dose of iron and protein with every one of these nutty, spinach-enhanced bars. (via Sofia von Porat)
5. Carrot Cake (Paleo): Visually, carrots may not be all that stealthy here, but the frosting, caramel and pecans make this cake taste practically sinful and veggie-free. (via Primal Palate)
6. Orange Chocolate Cake With Beets, Honey, Chia and Spelt: Beets take on an almost fruit-like quality in this unique chocolate bundt. But it doesn’t stop there; chia seeds give a fun, sprinkle-like pop to every bite. (via Cooking Melangery)
7. Zucchini Chocolate Cake With Raspberry Mousse: We’re loving the ratio of cake to sweet-tangy mascarpone mousse in this gorgeous fruit and veggie creation. (via My Zucchini Recipes)
8. Spinach Banana Protein Pancakes: These green flapjacks would be perfect for St. Paddy’s Day, but they’re just as welcome at brunch all year long. (via Runnin Srilankan)
9. Sweet Potato Cupcakes With Brown Sugar Marshmallow Frosting: Reimagine a classic holiday casserole as dessert with these delicious marshmallow and sweet potato cupcakes. (via Lauren’s Latest)
10. Super Moist Banana Zucchini Bread: Can’t decide between banana or zucchini bread? Get the best of both worlds with this outstanding loaf. (via Foodess)
11. Spiced Butternut Squash Muffins With Margarita Sour Cream: A drizzle of tequila- and triple-sec-infused glaze spooned over top keeps these healthy muffins from feeling too wholesome. (via My Custard Pie)
12. Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Dairy-Free): You won’t find any food coloring here — each scoop comes by its green hue naturally via a handful of frozen spinach. (via The Balanced Berry)
13. Chocolate Salted Caramel Birthday Cake: Salted caramel drips and a thick coating of dark chocolate ganache make this zucchini-laced cake an indulgent affair. (via The Brick Kitchen)
14. Paleo Brownies: There’s no baking required to mix up a batch of these date, almond, coconut and kale brownies. Trust that they’re just as chewy and chocolatey as your favorite squares — all with an added protein bonus. (via Food Fanatic)
15. Chocolate Mint Pudding With Greens (Vegan): Avocado and coconut milk make these pudding cups fabulously creamy all without the use of dairy. (via Melbelles)
How do you trick yourself into eating more produce? Share your strategies with us in the comments!
