I’m baaack! I finished working my school district’s extended school year program last week, so now I have a lot more time to spend making and photographing new recipes. First up is this Creamy Raspberry-Lemon Sorbet. I have been ALL about frozen desserts lately, but frozen desserts and healthy eating don’t always go hand in hand. This sorbet is ridiculously easy to make and is under 100 calories for a ½ cup serving. That means I can eat dessert AND stay on track at the same time.

To make this sorbet super creamy and satisfying without adding a ton of extra calories, I blended Silk Vanilla Almond Dairy-Free Yogurt with fresh raspberries and a bit of lemon juice. The combination of ingredients is refreshingly tart with just the right amount of sweetness. A little scoop goes a long way and it definitely satisfies my sweet tooth on a summer night!

Creamy Raspberry-Lemon Sorbet is so simple, it seems kind of silly to call it a “recipe”—but this is BUSY Girl Healthy World and it’s absolutely perfect for busy people who don’t have a ton of time to shop for crazy ingredients or churn a frozen dessert in an ice cream maker for hours.

You can also make this recipe using pretty much any type of frozen fruit. Blueberries, pineapple, and peaches also work very well! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a comment! As always, make sure you are following Busy Girl Healthy World on Instagram for daily healthy recipe inspiration!

Active Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2.5 cups frozen raspberries
1, 5.3 ounce container Silk Vanilla Almond Dairy-Free Yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender and process until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately (sorbet will be soft) or transfer to a container and freeze for harder sorbet.

Nutrition Information per serving (1/2 cup):
Calories: 95      Fat: 4g       Carbs: 16g         Protein: 3g     Sodium: 23mg            Sugar: 8g

*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.

I came across this recipe for Healthy Peanut Butter Eggs from Ambitious Kitchen and I just had to share it. If you haven’t checked out Monique’s blog, you absolutely need to. She shares tons of great recipes and wellness tips- I know you will love it!

My favorite peanut butter treats are Reese’s seasonal products. You know the ones I’m talking about—pumpkins for Halloween, trees for Christmas, eggs for Easter… you get the idea. They have SO much more peanut butter than the standard cups and in my opinion, the ratio is much more ideal. The downside is that they definitely are loaded with sugar and preservatives and are definitely not a “healthy” treat by any means.

These Healthy Peanut Butter Eggs are made with just four ingredients that you can feel good about: vegan chocolate, natural peanut butter, coconut flour, and pure maple syrup. They are also completely vegan, dairy free, and gluten free. They also are every bit as delicious as those Reese’s eggs- I would even go as far as to say they’re better. My husband and I devoured them in a matter of days. Next time, I will absolutely be sure to double the batch so that there is enough for sharing.

I do want to note that the amount of coconut flour you use will depend on your brand of peanut butter. If your natural peanut butter is very runny, you may need a few extra tablespoons of coconut flour to reach the desired consistency. Other than that, I did not modify the ingredients or directions at all. I did add some fun pastel sprinkles in order to make them more festive for Spring and Easter! You could also swap out the peanut butter for almond butter or another nut butter of your choosing. The possibilities are endless!

Head over to Ambitious Kitchen to get the recipe for these Healthy Peanut Butter Eggs!

Whenever I think of the perfect Valentine’s Day treat, the combination of chocolate and berries comes to mind. The chocolate is so rich and decadent while the red berries add a festive touch of color. Last year, I shared the recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes. This year I wanted to try my hand at a fully dairy-free recipe. Enter: Double Chocolate Berry Tarts.

I created the chocolate tart crust using just two ingredients: Oreo cookies and coconut oil. Obviously, the Oreo cookies are not the most natural or healthy ingredient, but they are a dairy-free cookie and they definitely taste good. They aren’t something I eat regularly, but they are perfect to use for creating a special treat every once in a while. The filling is made from three completely natural ingredients: full-fat canned coconut milk, cacao powder, and pure maple syrup. Once the filling is completely set, the tarts are topped with fresh, juicy raspberries and sweet strawberries. The end result is a creamy, crunchy, chocolately, fruity, delicious dessert that is perfect for sharing with your Valentine (or your galentine). I actually tested these Double Chocolate Berry Tarts out by making them for the SuperBowl and they were a hit.

I’m going to be honest here, to get the filling to set properly took a little trial and error. It’s going to depend on how cold your freezer is and how far ahead of serving the tarts you prepare them. The magic numbers for me were to put them in the freezer for three hours and then to let sit on the counter for 40 minutes before serving. If they are in the freezer longer than that, you may need to take them out and let them thaw a little longer. I will also say, that they are good no matter what. My sister and I couldn’t wait to dig into these after I made them that we ended up splitting one while it was still frozen. It was hard to cut through the crust with a fork, but the texture of the filling was like ice cream and the flavor was obviously still on point.

SIDE NOTE: My husband and I went out to dinner on Saturday to a new farm-to-fork restaurant in Paoli, PA called EatNic. It’s a BYOB (which I love) and I can’t speak highly enough of the menu and service. They also have a vegan menu and are very accommodating to special diets or any restrictions you may have. If you’re from the Philadelphia area and are looking for a great restaurant to try, I absolutely recommend EatNic Urban Farmhouse Eatery & BYOB.

Active Time: 15 minutes          Total Time: 4 hours
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
20 Oreo cookies
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (do not use lite)
1 tablespoon cacao (or cocoa) powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
12-16 raspberries
4 strawberries, sliced

Directions:
Place the Oreo cookies in a food processor and process until cookies are fine crumbs (Alternately, you can crush the cookies a few at a time in a sandwich bag). Add the melted coconut oil and pulse a few more times until combined.
Divide the cookie mixture between the four tart molds and press firmly in the bottom and up the sides of each mold. Clean out the food processor.
Shake the canned coconut milk vigorously, open, and then measure out one cup coconut milk and pour it into the food processor (if your coconut milk has separated, use 1/2 a cup (or slightly more) of the white cream and 1/2 a cup (or slightly less) of the liquid). Then add cacao powder and maple syrup. Process until fully combined and creamy.
Divide the mixture between the four tart molds (you may have a little extra). Place tarts in the freezer for at least 3 hours to set.
Half way through freezing time, top with raspberries and sliced strawberries (I used 3-4 raspberries and one sliced strawberry on each tart). Place back in freezer to continue chilling.
Allow to sit on counter at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving. Store Double Chocolate Berry Tarts in an air-tight container in the freezer.

Nutrition Information per serving (1/2 a mini tart):
Calories: 268  Fat: 18g       Carbs: 27g           Protein: 2g     Sodium: 121mg        Sugar: 16g

*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.

Earlier in the week, I posted some pictures of my meal prep for the Tone It Up Look for Love challenge on my Instagram page. One thing that I posted was my Dark Chocolate Raspberry bites and lots of people commented on it saying that they, like me, have a sweet tooth and it’s difficult to completely cut out sweets. If you have the nutrition plan, you know that Tone It Up can be rather flexible and the plan DOES allow for little treats here and there. Today I am sharing the small bites that I make and store in my refrigerator. When I get a craving for something sweet, I can just grab one of these to satisfy the craving. If I DON’T have healthy treats around, I am MUCH more likely to go overboard and eat something completely off the plan (e.g. a big bowl of froyo). I am also including some of the small bite ideas that my followers shared with me, as well as my favorite sweet treat for M2 (morning snack).

1. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cups: melt dark chocolate and spoon a tiny bit into mini muffin cups (use liners!), mash raspberries and spoon about 1 tsp into each cup, top with another spoonful of chocolate and sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes
2. Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates (with or without a dark chocolate drizzle): cut out the pit of a medjool date and stuff peanut butter (and a peanut or 2) into the date, drizzle with dark chocolate if desired
3. Almond Cherry Cacao Energy Bites
4. Coconut Almond Butter Truffles
5. No-Bake Crispy Quinoa Bars
6. Chocolate-Dipped Clementines

ADDITIONAL IDEAS FROM MY FOLLOWERS:

@jennriley28_tiu: So Delicious vanilla coconut yogurt with chocolate PerfectFit protein powder
@brieannazig611: Greek yogurt bark with fruit and dark chocolate drizzle
@jillianpennington.tiu: chocolate covered strawberries
@revolve_yoga: 3 ingredient chocolate (raw cacao powder, coconut oil, maple syrup) then add quinoa crisps, dried fruit, or coconut flakes

PS: When I’m in the mood for something sweet earlier in the day, I love making apple nachos for my M2! Just slice apples and drizzle with whatever toppings you like! I use peanut butter, dark chocolate chips, and unsweetened flaked coconut. YUM!

I’m going to be completely honest here: these are the best brownies I have ever made. And that is saying a lot because I have also made Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies and Oprah’s favorite “The Baked Brownie.” Both are AMAZING and I wouldn’t ever pass one up if offered to me, but my new go-to brownie is hands down this one. I had numerous taste testers and everyone was really impressed with how absolutely delicious these were. I have seen this recipe all over the blogosphere, as well as multiple versions with slight variations, but I believe the original creator of this recipe is Natalie from Life Made Simple. I made a few tiny changes in order to make these brownies dairy-free and also cut the sugar slightly.

When it comes to brownies, I’m 100% on board with FUDGY, dense, super chocolately ones. I am NOT on board with “cake-like” brownies. If I wanted them to be cakey, I would make chocolate cake. These flourless brownies are rich and fudgy with that perfect crackly brownie crust. The recipe makes sixteen brownies, which at first I thought was a stretch since they are made in an 8×8 inch pan (and I’m into slicing my brownies HUGE)- but it’s really the perfect amount. These brownies are so rich that a smaller square is just the right size.

They use ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right this very second- so what are you waiting for?! These Fudgy Flourless Brownies deserve a spot on your holiday dessert table: I promise they will be a huge hit!

Active Time: 10 minutes        Total Time: 35 minutes (plus additional 30 minutes cooling time)
Serves: 16

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)*
2/3 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
6 ounces non-dairy chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
¼ teaspoon salt

*you can also use regular butter instead of vegan butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment or foil. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Pour in the sugar until stir constantly for one minute. Add the chocolate chips and continue stirring until fully melted and incorporated. Off the heat.

Allow to cool for a minute, then beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla.

To the saucepan, add the cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt and then continue beating for another minute. The batter should be completely smooth and shiny.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes. Do not overbake.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least a half hour before cutting into 16 pieces. Store in an air-tight container for up to five days.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 142  Fat: 8g       Carbs: 17g           Protein: 2g     Sodium: 78mg            Sugar: 13g

*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.

Inspired by: Life Made Simple Rich Fudgy Flourless Brownies