chocolate covered coconut bars + how to make healthy desserts that actually taste good.

While I was away last month we had a little family reunion of sorts. My whole dad’s side of the family came over for a day of fishing/hanging out at the shore house.

As usual, we had a huge spread of delicious food – meatballs, lasagna, salads, appetizers, and of course desserts. I always try to contribute a dessert or two, but I tend to stick to more crowd pleasing ones…AKA those including butter, sugar, and all that good stuff.

This time around, though, I wanted to experiment with a bit of a healthier dessert and see how my family liked it.

…I found a winner.

Original recipe can be found here

Seriously – my entire family was obsessing over these coconut bars! Even my dad – who (very lovingly) can be my toughest critic

The bars are easy to make (no baking involved), include just a few ingredients, and most importantly – are ridiculously good.

This recipe also covered all the bases for what I think is key when it comes to making healthy desserts that people will actually WANT to eat.

1) Use real, natural sweeteners – not artificial ones!
Let’s be real – artificial sweetener in baked goods tastes like chemical crap. I’d much rather use local organic honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup. YES I know those are still sugar, but I personally think it’s a better choice than artificial (both taste and health wise).

2) Keep it simple.
If a recipe seems like it has a lot of wacky ingredients, it’s probably a red flag. I like sticking to recipes that have as little ingredients as possible, and ones that are recognizable/would make sense to be in a dessert. For example, I just can’t do protein powder in desserts. Things like dark chocolate, whole oats, and bananas? Those I can do.

3) Consider your audience.
On that same note, I knew I wasn’t going to win anyone over with protein flaxseed quinoa black bean brownies. I chose a recipe that was simple, had ingredients most people love, and looked/tasted like a “normal” dessert.

4) Go nutty.
Nut butters and coconut are your best friend when it comes to healthier desserts. They’re delicious and full of natural healthy fats and protein.

5) Take others’ word for it.
Last but not least, the best way to find a healthy dessert that tastes good is through word of mouth. I got the recipe for the Chocolate Covered Coconut Bars from my friend Jenn who swore by them. I also love the recipes on PaleOMG and Oh She Glows, as well as just browsing Pinterest.

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But then of course, there are the times that you’ve just gotta make the real deal (which, to me is most of the time when it comes to dessert!). In those cases, Cake Batter Blondies are always a good idea…

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Do you have a go-to healthy dessert recipe?