Trying to eat healthier but don’t want to skip dessert? These healthy vegan desserts taste so delicious you won’t believe they’re made with wholesome ingredients.
Healthy certainly doesn’t mean bland and boring when it comes to these vegan desserts! Using a range of wholesome and nutritious ingredients, you can create deliciously indulgent sweet treats that are as good for you as they are tasty.
What’s not to love?!
Healthier vegan baking alternatives
While major supermarkets now stock vegan versions of animal-based baking ingredients such as butter, eggs and cream, they aren’t the healthiest things to use in your recipes.
Instead, you can harness the power of plants and use natural sweeteners, alternative flours, coconut oil and nuts for your vegan baking.
Healthy vegan sweeteners
Healthier vegan sweeteners include maple syrup, coconut nectar, agave syrup, dates and bananas. While vegan egg alternatives or ‘binders’ consist of nut butter, applesauce, aquafaba, silken tofu and chia seeds are all packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals for a nutritious spin.
Flour alternatives
In terms of flour, while standard flours are accidentally vegan they aren’t exactly healthy, especially refined white flour.
Therefore, our recipes use flour alternatives such as spelt, oats, cornmeal and nut-based flours as they provide added nutrition and are more gut-friendly than white flour.
Keep scrolling to see our favourite healthy vegan desserts you can make at home, and click through to the recipes!
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1. Chocolate Orange Ganache Pots
These healthier chocolate ganache pots are made rich with coconut cream and sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar.
Chocolate orange is a classic Christmas flavour combination, so whip up a batch of decadent ganache and wow your festive guests this holiday season.
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2. Nutty Vegan Chocolate Fudge
This vegan chocolate fudge topped with nuts couldn’t be simpler to make and uses just 3 main ingredients: chocolate, nuts and nut butter.
Moreover, you can experiment with the recipe to use a variety of different nuts or nut butter, and even try flavoured chocolate such as orange, caramel or raspberry. The world is your oyster!
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3. Pink Bounty Bars
These naturally-sweetened vegan-friendly pink bounty bars contain no food colouring because they get their vibrant colour from pitaya (dragon fruit) powder. This adds a delicious fruity flavour to the tropical coconut chocolate bars.
With just six natural ingredients, these pretty in pink dessert bars make the perfect afternoon treat – no occasion necessary!
4. Raspberry Ripple Protein Popsicles
These protein-packed vegan raspberry ripple popsicles are made with hemp protein powder, a powerful blend of flaxseed, chia seed, cocoa and beetroot powder, as well as a range of vitamins and minerals.
So when your sceptical family members ask you where you get your protein from, you can tell them you get it from ice cream!
With a coconut and raspberry filling and rich dark chocolate coating, these protein popsicles will definitely hit the spot.
5. Carob and Fig Cake
Carob is a sweet alternative to cocoa powder and chocolate, and when paired with jammy figs it makes a deliciously rich and moreish combination.
This carob and fig cake may not be the most traditional of desserts, but it will soon become a family favourite in any British household. Why not give it a try this weekend?
Want more vegan recipes? Try 3 issues of Vegan Food & Living magazine for just £3!
6. Mint Chocolate Avocado Mousse
This deliciously rich mint chocolate mousse uses nutritional powerhouse avocado instead of butter and oil to provide healthy fats. It also uses bananas, raw cacao, coconut yoghurt, and maple syrup to create a light and refreshingly minty yet healthy vegan dessert.
This makes it the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth after a heavy meal. And if you loved After Eight mints before going vegan, this is the dessert for you!
7. Strawberry and Lime Superfood Cheesecake
This vibrant pink vegan cheesecake is packed full of berries and superfoods to provide you with a wealth of nutritious benefits. But despite its excellent health advantages, it is still a deliciously indulgent dessert perfect for any special occasion.
It takes just 30 minutes to prepare and can then be frozen overnight, making it a fuss-free celebration centrepiece. Your guests won’t believe how healthy it is!
8. Hazelnut Caramel Squares
These decadent squares involve chewy hazelnut caramel on a crunchy biscuit base, all topped off with a thick layer of raw chocolate. It’s pure indulgence!
Using natural ingredients such as nuts, maple syrup and dates, this recipe is almost as healthy as it is delicious. So treat yourself to a square… or three!
9. Peach and Rosemary Crumble
This delicious dessert combines sweet peaches and minty-woody rosemary for a summery flavour explosion. And the best part is, any leftovers can be eaten for breakfast. Just add some almond milk and you have the perfect comforting breakfast.
If you’re wary about pairing herbs with your fruity desserts, this is definitely one to try as the flavours are satisfyingly complimentary.
10. Freezer Tiramisu
Craving the luscious combination of coffee and cream? We know that feeling!
This vegan tiramisu is a fresh spin on the Italian classic, but instead of traditional sponge fingers, you’ll make a crust from oats, walnuts and dates. Trust us on this one!
Simple to make with only two delicious layers, this dessert can be made ahead and sat waiting in the freezer ready to whip out on demand.
11. Triple Chocolate Mousse Tart with Hazelnut Crust
This rich vegan triple chocolate mousse tart with a crisp and buttery hazelnut crust filled with fluffy chocolate mousse is deliciously decadent.
With its creamy silken tofu and dark chocolate filling and toasted hazelnut topping, this surprisingly healthy dessert is packed with minerals and vitamins. And it might just become your new favourite after-dinner treat!
12. Mocha Tart with Vanilla Crème
This mocha tart is an incredibly deep, rich, and indulgent dessert, and the combination of dark, decadent flavours from the mocha and light, mild sweetness of the crème, perfectly balance out each other to create pure food alchemy.
It requires no cooking – just a freezer to set, making it deceptively simple to whip up for a weekend treat or special occasion.
13. Gluten-Free Blackberry Coconut Bars
These blackberry coconut bars are satisfyingly sweet and creamy and make an excellent mid-afternoon snack or weeknight dessert.
As well as being delicious, these vegan and gluten-free bars are packed with nutrients including vitamins, minerals and healthy fats due to the berries and nuts. In particular, the hazelnuts are high in vitamin E and have a good amount of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids while the almonds are a good source of vegan calcium.
You can substitute the blackberries for other soft fruit such as raspberries and make different combinations throughout the year. Whichever fruit you choose to use, you’ll be making a heavenly vegan sweet treat that everyone will love!
14. Orange & Ginger Chocolate Truffles
Made with all-natural ingredients, these vegan chocolate truffles are wholesome yet taste totally indulgent! They’re also gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, and dairy-free so great for those with allergies or intolerances.
With a perfect pink centre and melt-in-your-mouth texture, they make the ideal party treat or movie-night snack. And even better, they’re actually good for you! There’s simply no excuse not to make them…
15. Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
When it comes to healthy vegan desserts, ‘nice’ cream is hard to beat. Made with frozen bananas, it is ultra-creamy so it tastes like a cross between sorbet and ice cream.
Made with just five natural ingredients you probably already have at home, it’s super easy to whip up. Plus, it’s healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast as well as dessert.
16. Salted Caramel Bounty Bars
These vegan salted caramel bounty bars are so easy to master, and they taste better homemade than they ever will out of a wrapper. Plus, this recipe is packed with wholesome, healthy and nourishing ingredients that taste oh-so indulgent at the same time, making for the perfect guilt-free sweet treat.
17. Vegan Sesame, Fig and Orange Muffin
Start your day in style with these zesty and wholesome vegan orange muffins with sesame and figs. Loaded with oranges, bananas, and figs, they’re a great source of potassium and calcium to help you kick-start your day.
18. Vegan Pumpkin Spice Parfait
Luscious layers of spiced pumpkin pudding, sweet coconut cream, and a sprinkling of crunchy toasted oats make this mouth-watering parfait utterly irresistible.
Plus, with healthy pumpkin purée and a gluten-free oat and nut topping, it’s packed with goodness too.
19. Vegan Spiced Plum Quinoa Crumble
Quinoa is the not-so secret ingredient that gives this crumble both a crunchy topping and a nutritious boost. This wholesome grain is a great source of plant protein and fibre and is also naturally gluten-free.
We’ve used plums to make this autumnal crumble to give you a much-needed boost of calcium and magnesium to boost your immune system in the cold weather.
20. Peach Cobbler
This peach cobbler gets it sweetness from coconut sugar which has a lower GI than cane sugar, lowering your chances of a blood sugar spike. As well as being a wholesome alternative to the traditional dessert, it’s also an affordable option as it makes use of store cupboard staples like tinned peaches so you can enjoy it all year round.
21. Healthy Vegan Snickers Crisp Rice Slice
Crisp, crunchy and perfectly sweet, this healthier take on a rice crispy cake or Snickers bar is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. Puffed brown rice gives them a nice, crisp texture while plump Medjool dates give them a natural sweetness and a boost of gut-healthy goodness.
22. Matcha Green Tea Chia Pudding
This vibrant matcha chia pudding is filled with green tea goodness to help boost your metabolism, reduce your risk of heart disease, and help your body fight against diseases.
The benefits don’t end their because chia seeds are also nutritional powerhouses that have numerous benefits, from lowering blood pressure, to improve blood sugar control. They’re also high in fiber and omega-3 to support brain and gut health. You’ll feel amazing after eating this deliciously healthy vegan dessert!
23. Vegan Sweet Potato Protein Brownies
Craving a guilt-free post-gym treat? These sweet potato protein brownies will help replenish your energy levels and build your muscles after your workout as they are packed with hemp protein and slow-releasing carbs.
24. Vegan Salted Chocolate Peanut Tart
This rich tart is one for those who like their chocolate dark and bitter. This antioxidant-rich dessert features a ganache-like dark chocolate filling atop a crunchy, peanut base, with fresh fruits to give it a natural sweetness and reduce oxidative stress.
You can even make it refined sugar-free is you skip the maple syrup and use high-quality dark chocolate.
25. Vegan Chocolate and Peanut Butter Tofu Mousse
This rich and creamy mousse gets its silky texture from tofu which is a source of complete protein and protective plant compounds. It’s a great alternative to heavy, dairy-laden desserts that are high in cholesterol and saturated fats.
Combined with the health benefits of peanut butter and dark chocolate, it’s a great way to enjoy a host of beneficial nutrients in dessert form.
26. Banana Cream Pie
This wholesome vegan take on a banoffee pie is perfect for those looking for a refined sugar-free dessert that doesn’t scrimp on flavour.
27. Triple-Layer Coconut Brownies
These delicious triple-layer coconut brownies are vegan and gluten-free and made with natural plant-based ingredients.
The added flavour and texture of the coconut along with this richness of the chocolate in these vegan brownies makes it a truly tropical indulgent treat.
28. Vegan Chocolate Fudge Doughnuts
We can’t get enough of these heavenly vegan chocolate fudge doughnuts, especially as they’re made with a whole host of lovely, healthy ingredients like buckwheat flour and coconut water.
We hope you loved this round-up of healthy vegan desserts and we proved that healthy doesn’t equal bland and boring!
For more healthy vegan recipes, see our favourite vegan Buddha bowls.
