Pregnancy Sweet Cravings Satisfied Without The Guilt
Let’s be real—pregnancy cravings don’t play.
With all those hormones swirling through your body during pregnancy, you’re sure to get some pretty intense cravings for sweet treats!
One minute you’re dreaming about a brownie the size of your head, the next you’re Googling “can I eat 6 cupcakes if they’re organic?”
And sure, we all want to eat healthy for the baby (and our own sanity), but let’s not pretend that most “healthy” desserts don’t taste like compressed cardboard with a side of disappointment.
If you’ve ever taken a bite of something labeled “guilt-free” only to immediately feel the guilt of wasting a perfectly good craving—girl, same.
But, what you eat while you’re pregnant matters a lot to your growing baby, and processed sugar is something you want to avoid as much as possible… so what’s a mom-to-be to do?
But good news: you don’t have to choose between feeding your sweet tooth and feeding your bump right.
How about indulging in healthy pregnancy desserts every day to feel satiated, nourished, and satisfied?
I’ve rounded up a bunch of healthy pregnancy desserts that are actually delicious.
Like, hide-it-from-your-partner level delicious.
Think real ingredients, no weird aftertaste, and plenty of feel-good nutrients for you and your little bun in the oven.
Ready to upgrade those cravings without the side of regret? Let’s dig in.
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Why Do We Crave Sugar and Chocolate While Pregnant?
From the moment you conceived your sweet baby, your body began changing and fast!
Your hormone production shifts drastically (and will continue to shift all throughout pregnancy to accommodate your baby’s proper growth).
It’s believed that because of this hormonal shift altering taste and smell, you get a lot of cravings while pregnant.
Pregnancy also requires A LOT of nutrients.
Growing an entire human uses a lot of vitamins and minerals!
It’s really important to take a high-quality prenatal vitamin (I love these gummies because they taste great and they’re chewable) and also eat as nutrient-dense as possible to accommodate for this during your pregnancy.
If you don’t have enough of certain nutrients, it’ll directly affect your baby’s growth, development, and genetic expression.
Your body will also start pulling nutrients straight from you, and then you may become even more deficient.
Vitamin deficiencies cause cravings too. (Like magnesium deficiency… which almost everyone has these days… can cause chocolate cravings.)
Another obvious factor is increased hunger. Sometimes hunger alone can cause cravings!
Have you ever been so hungry, and you know it’s time for an actual meal, but you just really want a huge slice of that cake on the counter? Been there.
It’s a thing.
You get more hungry while pregnant (again… growing an entire human inside you, so no wonder right?) and that alone can cause food cravings.
So of course, you get all kinds of cravings all throughout your entire pregnancy!
(And a lot of them not so healthy.) You’re getting hit from literally all angles that could possibly cause food cravings at the same time!
How do we even stand a chance?
Why is it Important to Avoid Processed Sugar While Pregnant?
Oddly, when you get a positive pregnancy test, your doctor is going to tell you to avoid a lot of potentially dangerous (but highly nutritious) foods.
Things like fish, lunchmeat, and cheeses.
But they aren’t going to tell you to avoid things like processed sugar. These are the real top 5 foods to avoid while pregnant!
Which might very much surprise you.
Your nutritional needs are so high during pregnancy that even if you eat a 100% clean and nutrient-dense diet, you probably can’t get enough of many nutrients.
It’s now known through studies from the past couple of decades on prenatal nutrition, that what you eat while pregnant directly affects your baby’s genetic expression.
What that means is that what you eat while growing that little human inside can “turn on” good genes and “turn off” bad genes in utero… setting your baby up for the best health possible (or not) throughout their entire lives.
Since we know that, it’s really easy to see why what you eat while pregnant matters so much! I learned about this and what to eat in the Perfect Pregnancy Plan (the best pregnany gift I got myself because knowledge is power my friends!)
Your nutritional needs are sky high, but your caloric needs only increase by about 300 calories.
So things like sugar and white flour are best to avoid or minimize for the most part while you’re pregnant.
(I mean, if you’ve been craving an ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie from your favorite bakery for days, by all means, have it! It’s just important to really limit choices like these and indulge in lots of healthy treats so you don’t crave so much of the not so healthy ones.)
The Dangers of Too Much Sugar While Pregnant
Not only is processed sugar a great example of empty calories, but it has dangerous risks for your baby too.
Of course, it can contribute to excessive weight gain and gestational diabetes for mom (guilty of this the first time around, the course helped me avoid this the second time), but can also make baby more likely to have metabolic disorders, allergies, asthma, ADHD, and more.
That’s why filling your cravings with healthy desserts is so important!
I learned so many amazing details about pregnancy nutrition and epigenetics in The Perfect Pregnancy Plan.
You can literally learn ALL the most recent data on prenatal nutrition from the study of epigenetics.
(In an easy-to-apply and easy-to-digest way… see what I did there?)
It’ll also break down nutrients you need, exactly why, how much, how to best source them, and TONS of delicious recipes to help you get it!
Oh, and did I mention that program shares my sentiment of the importance of healthy desserts while pregnant?! I’ve always had a sweet tooth, so this was a non-negotiable even while pregnant.
So, of course, I loved that you get a ton of dessert recipes for pregnancy in the Perfect Pregnancy Plan too.
You will have extra cravings while pregnant, you need to focus on nutrients, but you shouldn’t feel deprived!
Learning to make healthier swaps so that you can indulge in desserts every day while pregnant without negative repercussions to your baby is a must.
Let’s dive into some dessert recipes that DO make the cut for crushing your cravings AND keeping you and baby healthy.
These 10 no-added-sugar desserts are perfect for pregnancy snacking every day without guilt or even for when those pesky late-night pregnancy snack cravings hit.
RELATED: Nourishing Meals for Pregnancy (Breakfast through dinner… plus snacks)
Healthy Pregnancy Dessert Recipes to Make at Home
Let’s hop right in and check out some healthy pregnancy dessert ideas to get your through the next 9 months!
A lot of these are delicious make make-ahead desserts that make great on-the-go pregnancy snacks, so save these recipes for your meal prep days.
Another bonus, most of these are also high-protein snacks for pregnancy!
This means you’re snacking in ways that keep you full longer and nourish your body.
1. No Bake Dark Chocolate Chia Energy Bites
With 100% whole food, no gluten, only natural molasses as a sweetener, and loaded with superfoods, I have your new favorite energy bite recipe that tastes like a dream and is good for you, too.
These no bake dark chocolate chia energy bites are just what you need to get that rich chocolate fix absolutely guilt-free.
Plus, if I don’t need to turn my oven on, even better!
I loved these so much, I made them postpartum to increase my milk supply, too.
It’s a versatile recipe you’ll keep coming back to.
2. Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies
Sweet Potato Brownies are deliciously fudgy and sweet, and you don’t need any butter or eggs to make them.
The ingredients are simple and can be mixed in one bowl, and you can add nuts and chocolate chips on top if you’d like.
Make chocolate brownies with sweet potato the next time you want a guilt-free dessert that’s actually good for you!
They’re just as rich and fudgy as regular brownies but way better for you, so why not?
3. Easy Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
When you’re pregnant (or really any time, let’s be honest), a lot of meals don’t feel complete without a sweet treat at the end.
That’s what these recipes are perfect for… these recipes are nutrient-dense but a satisfying dessert at the same time!
Talk about a win-win. Try these healthy pumpkin oatmeal cookies if you LOVE those warm, cozy, fall flavors.
This is a quick, one-bowl recipe which is pretty much the only way I cook these days. Plus, you make it once and you’ve got a healthy, yummy dessert to last you a couple of days at least.
I’m all about the meal-prepping while pregnant because most days I just don’t have the energy to make stuff every single day.
4. Chocolate Protein Banana Bread
This Single Serve Chocolate Protein Banana Bread is a flourless chocolate banana bread recipe that is simple to make, healthy, low calorie, and packs a protein punch with almost 20g of protein per serving!
It’s made with oat flour, almond flour,r and chocolate protein powder and tastes like a chocolate banana cake!
This recipe is free of refined sugars, which is great for you and baby.
The end result, soft, moist, decadent chocolate banana bread that feels like a cake.
What more could a girl ask for?
5. Easy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat Bombs
These chocolate peanut butter fat bombs are so easy, and they take less than 5 minutes to whip up with only 3 or 4 ingredients needed (most of which you probably have in your pantry already)!
This recipe is low carb and Keto, which means even if you have gestational diabetes (or are simply trying to avoid it), this is a great recipe to indulge in during pregnancy.
It feels like a cheat day treat, but it’s actually good for you!
6. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Fat Bombs
Fat bombs really are the secret to staying added-sugar-free while not having a lick of FOMO.
Really, they’re so indulgent you’ll actually begin to realize how much more satiating it is to have healthy fats and sweeteners for dessert instead of processed stuff.
Try these chocolate covered starberry fat bombs today because chocolate + strawberries are obviously a dessert match made in heaven.
You’ll thank me later.
7. Peanut Butter Protein Power Bars
Are you on the lookout for a guilt-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth?
Look no further than these delicious peanut butter protein powder bars recipe!
These treats taste incredible, but also pack a powerful protein punch.
And they don’t have that chalky protein powder taste! Talk about a win-win!
Making these yourself is way cheaper, plus quality control. You can make sure you’re using the best ingredients so it doesn’t taste weird.
This delicious treat comes together with just 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes.
It doesn’t get easier than that.
8. Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs (low carb)
Keto fat bombs with cream cheese are some of the most satisfying desserts to keep with a HFLC diet.
These Chocolate Cheesecake fat bombs will keep you eating healthy and sugar-free while still indulging.
These Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake fat bombs will quickly become your new best friend.
In case you aren’t familiar with fat bombs, these treats are low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats.
9. Gluten Free Sugar Free Cheesecake
This is the most delicious guilt-free cheesecake I’ve ever tried!
This Gluten Free Sugar Free Cheesecake recipe is low carb, rich, indulgent, and absolutely indistinguishable from the real thing (just check out the hundreds of 5-star reviews if you don’t believe me) .
You’d never know it’s a “healthy dessert” when you taste it.
10. No-Bake Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Jars
These no-bake vanilla bean cheesecake jars by LovelyDelites have been my latest obsession!
They aren’t just insanely delicious, they’re high protein too, with about 30g of protein per jar!
This recipe is light, creamy, decadent, and comes together in minutes with just a few ingredients.
Plus, it can be adapted and changed to make so many different flavors.
I make a batch on the weekend, and the whole family gobbles them up by the middle of the week.
This one has become a family staple well beyond pregnancy, so definitely give it a try.
Wrapping Up Healthy Desserts For Pregnant Women
So there you have it, mama—proof that you can totally crush those wild pregnancy cravings without selling your soul to processed sugar or pretending to enjoy a dessert that tastes like sadness and sacrifice.
Keeping your diet nourishing and clean is so important while pregnant, but so is calming those cravings, enjoying the journey, and keeping things low stress.
Healthy pregnancy desserts don’t have to be bland, boring, or bite-sized lies. With a few smart swaps and a sprinkle of creativity, you can treat yourself and your growing babe to something sweet, satisfying, and sneakily nutritious.
Remember, taking care of yourself is part of taking care of your little one—and yes, that includes dessert.
Check out my list of nourishing pregnancy meals to cover all the other meals of the day, and also The Perfect Pregnancy Plan for more recipes and everything you could ever want to know about prenatal nutrition, because it’s true what they say, knowledge is power!
Now go ahead, pin your faves, stock that pantry, and maybe whip up a double batch (because let’s be honest, leftovers are a myth during pregnancy). 💁♀️
Happy snacking, mama!