Satisfy your sweet tooth with these heart-healthy treats (2024)

Many of us have a wicked sweet tooth–and indulging too much can lead to high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Dietitian Kim Galeaz says you can satisfy your cravings without sacrificing taste with some heart-healthy treats that are more than just sugar.

Find her featured recipes below.

Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Cake Bars

• 1 1/3 cups Kroger vegetable oil
• 1 ¾ to 2 cups Kroger white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 ½ teaspoons ground Saigon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Private Selection ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon Kroger ground cloves
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (Kim loves King Arthur brand)
• 3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups loosely packed, peeled and shredded carrots*
• 1 ½ cups Kroger or Simple Truth chopped walnuts, toasted

Cream Cheese Icing

• 2 packages (8 oz.) Kroger cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 ½ to 2 sticks (6 to 8 oz.) Kroger unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 6 to 7 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Optional garnishes:Chopped toasted walnuts and tiny shredded carrots

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10×15-inch rimmed baking pan with at least 1-inch sides. Set aside. In a large bowl with electric mixer and paddle, beat oil, sugar, salt, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda and baking powder. Add flour incrementally, beating lightly until blended. Once flour is incorporated, add shredded carrots and toasted walnuts. Stir JUST until blended. Avoid over-mixing. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean or with just a very few slightly moist crumbs on it. Remove to cooling rack.

While carrot bars cool, make cream cheese icing. Add cream cheese and butter to bowl of electric mixer and beat until thoroughly smooth and combined. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt and vanilla and mix until blended.

Once the bars are cool, ice with as much or little of the cream cheese icing as you’d like. Garnish if desired. Refrigerate leftover icing in a tightly covered container and store Iced Carrot Cake Bars in refrigerator until serving time.

*Kim finds the best shredded carrot texture by putting them in food processor with shredding plate, or using a stand shredder, rather than purchased shredded carrots.

Recipe by culinary registered dietitian nutritionist Kim Galeaz RDN LD

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Kroger unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour (Kim likes King Arthur brand)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups Kroger old-fashioned oats, uncooked
• 3 (4 oz. each) packages Ghirardelli Premium Baking 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Optional garnish: Finely chopped bittersweet chocolate from additional 4 oz. bar of Bittersweet Chocolate

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter cookie sheets liberally or use parchment paper. In a large bowl with electric mixer, beat softened butter on medium-high until creamy, at least 3 minutes. Add both sugars and beat additional 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and thoroughly combined. On medium speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly blended. Beat in vanilla extract.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in oats and chopped bittersweet chocolate.

Using a #40 (1 ½ tablespoon size) scoop, portion out cookie dough and place on prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake about 9 to 10 ½ minutes, until edges are very slightly golden brown and centers still look soft. (They will firm up as they cool, so avoid over-baking. But if you like a completely crispy/harder cookie, then bake additional 1 to 1 ½ minutes.) Immediately place hot cookie sheet on cooling rack and very very quickly sprinkle a few pieces/tiny amount of chopped chocolate over each cookie; it’ll melt slightly as they cool. Immediately remove cookies from cookie sheet to another cooling rack. Once cooled, pack in containers with very tight lids and/or freezer bags. Can be frozen. Makes about 48 to 50 cookies.

Recipe by culinary registered dietitian nutritionist Kim Galeaz RDN LD

Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

• 5 pounds apples (Kim likes combination of Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Envy)
• 1 ¼ cups 100% Simply Apple Juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon 100% orange juice
• ¾ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Wash apples, core and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks; leave peel on for far more nutrients and better texture. Add chunks to a large 5 quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add apple, lemon and orange juices, lemon zest, brown sugar and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until apples are desired tenderness but not mushy, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher or large wooden spoon, leaving lots of chunky pieces. Taste and add more cinnamon if desired. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in a tightly covered container.

Enjoy within 4 – 5 days. Makes roughly 8 – 9 cups chunky applesauce.

Recipe by culinary registered dietitian nutritionist Kim Galeaz RDN LD

Kim’s Chocolate Snack Mix

• 3 cups assorted chocolate whole grain cereals (such as Chocolate Cheerios, Chocolate Life, Chocolate Chex, Chocolate Frosted Mini Wheats)
• 1 – 1 ½ cup dark chocolate covered peanuts and/or almonds
• 1 – 1 ½ cups dark chocolate covered raisins

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in tightly covered container. Portion into ¾ cup servings. Makes 5 – 6 cups snack mix (about 8 to 10 servings).

Recipe by culinary registered dietitian nutritionist Kim Galeaz, RDN LD