Recipes

49 Healthyish Baked Goods to Satisfy Your Sweet (and Savory) Tooth 

Fire up the oven.
Image may contain Dish Platter Food Meal Pork Dessert and Chocolate
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li

These healthy baking recipes are bound to be classics. From a beet-enriched, just-sweet-enough chocolate cake to breakfast-worthy blondies, each one is full of craveable flavor and texture (plus better-for-you ingredients). Some of these recipes are gluten-free and vegan-approved, others are made from nourishing whole grains like rye and oats. Whether you’re looking for a project recipe (see this frilly and slightly fussy winter vegetable tart) or a recipe to add to your weekly meal-prep rotation (nut butter granola bars, anyone?), we’ve got you covered. Each one of these 49 recipes is a dessert that doesn’t feel like a compromise—because it’s not. 

  • Image may contain Food Bread French Loaf and Bread Loaf
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li
    1/49

    Sweet Potato Tea Cake

    Instead of icing, this spiced loaf from Elizabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s ‘Tartine: A Classic Revisited’ is blanketed in a fluffy vanilla meringue.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable and Produce
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    2/49

    Squash and Caramelized Onion Tart

    For a vegetarian main that can hold its own at the center of the table, this tart makes a very convincing argument.

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  • This image may contain Food Bread and Breakfast
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    3/49

    Sweet Cinnamon Tamal

    Baking a single large-format tamal may not be traditional, but it produces a similarly tender, moist, barely sweet cake with pudding vibes.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable Nut Grain Pecan Seed Produce and Bread
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li
    4/49

    Nut Butter Granola Bars

    This just-sweet-enough, chewy-but-firm bar is bound together by peanut butter and honey.

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  • breakfast blondies
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    7/49

    Breakfast Blondies

    Out of all the healthy baking recipes, these breakfast blondies are one of our favorites.

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  • Olive Oil Galette With Spicy Greens recipe
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Plates by Meilen Ceramics 
    8/49

    Olive Oil Galette With Spicy Greens

    While butter is the usual choice for galette or pie dough, a combination of olive oil and yogurt gives this crust a flaky texture and a golden brown color when baked. If the dough is a little crumbly when rolling it out, don’t worry: Just patch it back up.

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  • This image may contain Food
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    9/49

    Baked Oatmeal with Warm Cranberry-Apple Sauce

    This baked oatmeal is the make-ahead breakfast your holiday plans need.

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  • Image may contain Confectionery Food Sweets Bread Cracker and Dessert
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    10/49

    Digestive Cookies

    Wheat germ, the nutrient-rich heart of wheat kernels, gives these cookies their hearty, nutty crunch while also keeping them tender and crumbly. You can often find wheat germ in the bulk bin aisle of the grocery store, but toasted rolled oats or ground flax can be used in its place for a similar texture. These cookies are ideal for making in advance, as their flavor and texture improve after a few days. The butter and milk can be substituted with plant-based alternatives without sacrifice, so make them vegan if you want.

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  • This image may contain Dish Food Meal Bread and Cornbread
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    11/49

    Blueberry-Miso Crumb Cake

    Miso and 100% whole wheat flour add salty-nutty complexity to this super tender crumb cake.

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  • Image may contain Food Dessert Plant Confectionery Sweets and Cake
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li
    12/49

    Tahini Rice Crispy Treats

    Rice Krispies Treats meet sesame halva in these savory-sweet six-ingredient bars (salt doesn’t count!).

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  • Image may contain Dish Platter Food Meal Pork Dessert and Chocolate
    Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
    13/49

    Gluten-Free Chocolate-Tahini Brownies

    David Lebovitz’s timeless gluten-free brownie recipe inspired our own GF take on classic fudgy brownies with a modern, sweet tahini swirl.

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  • Image may contain Food Bread Cracker Seasoning and Sesame
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li
    14/49

    Salty-Sweet Party Mix

    Whether you prefer the buttery richness of classic party mix, or you’re on the sugarcoated puppy chow team, this recipe has you covered. 

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  • This image may contain Food Creme Dessert Cream and Plant
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
    15/49

    Strawberry-Granola Crisp

    Because this crisp is barely sweetened, leaning into in-season berries instead of added sugar, it's a perfectly acceptable brunch or breakfast.

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  • Trail mix cookies recipe
    Photograph by Laura Murray. Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    16/49

    Trail Mix Cookies

    These cookies are inspired by the most trusted human energy source: trail mix. They’re crammed with toasted nuts, dried fruit, hearty oats, and chocolate.

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  • This image may contain Plant Food Produce Human Person Vegetable Grain and Seed
    Photo by Alex Lau
    17/49

    Black Seed Bread

    Serve this gluten-free bread with lots of dip.

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  • Image may contain Food and Bread
    Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    18/49

    Kaju Katli

    This five-ingredient sweet is Priya Krishna’s all-time favorite, and it’s as good for a Wednesday-afternoon snack (keep some in your freezer!) as it is for a Diwali celebration.

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