7 Guilt-Free Recipes that Actually Taste Good!

ARTICLE / PHOTOS: @NUTSABOUTGREENS

When you hear the phrase “plant based” sometimes it can get a negative connotation if you aren’t familiar with it. People may think plant based recipes are often bland and that people just eat boring salads everyday — well, as most of us know, that's not true at all!

There are hundreds of recipes out there that make plant based foods taste delicious, decadent, and nourishing all at the same time. Plant based doesn’t have to be boring! With the right combination of ingredients and spices, you can make some of the most irresistible and crave worthy foods!

Here are some guilt-free plant based recipes that actually taste good, yet are wholesome and healthy.

1) Healthy Pumpkin Pie Truffles

I cannot stop popping these babies in my mouth! It’s the perfect combo of caramel like dates, nuts, and pumpkin. A fall treat that is healthy enough for breakfast, as a snack, pre/post workout fuel, and as dessert! It’s super easy to make and you just keep them in your freezer for easy, on-the-go fuel.

(Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free, with no sugar added)

2) Healthy Banana Snack Cake

This healthy banana snack cake is so addicting and you’d never know it is made with wholesome ingredients! It’s moist, fluffy, perfectly sweet, and full of flavor. I love to eat it with some vegan coconut yogurt on top as the “frosting” or just plain. Go ahead, eat it for breakfast too because it’s made with the best ingredients!

(Vegan, Gluten-free, Refined sugar free)

3) Favorite Tahini Chocolate Chip Blondies

These are what I crave when I want something sweet. I love anything tahini and chocolate, and when you combine the two, it makes a heavenly dessert! These tahini chocolate chip blondies are the perfect combination of sweet, nutty, and salty. Also, they taste good frozen too! These blondies are chewy, delicious, and addicting!

(Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free, Oil-free)

4) Easy Instant Pot Vegan lasagna Soup (Stove-top friendly)

This is a soup that is a major crowd pleaser. It’s not only so dang good, it’s incredibly easy, nourishing, creamy, cozy. There is limited chopping involved (just onions and garlic) and you can make it in the Instant Pot. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can definitely just make it on the stove-top.

I love how thick and creamy this soup is from the lentils, cooking the noodles in the soup, and the coconut milk. It is WAY easier to make than traditional lasagna (which I love as well), so it makes for the perfect easy dinner. My favorite way to eat this soup is to serve it with my homemade crusty bread. YUM!

5) Best Kale Salad Ever

If you haven’t had a good kale salad before or you aren’t the biggest fan of kale, this is a MUST try before you completely say no to kale! The garlic, lemon, and tahini combo in the dressing is delicious! It really makes this salad from good to amazing! Massaging the dressing into the kale will help soften it and take away any bitterness that you might taste from raw kale. The vegan cashew parm acts as the “cheese” for this salad and it adds a savory nutty flavor to the salad.

Save the leftover vegan parm to sprinkle on pizza, salads, soups, avocado toast…the possibilities are endless! It’s so tasty and is great with anything. This kale salad is truly the best and it does not last long in our house.

(Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free)

6) Healthy Fudgy Flourless Pumpkin Brownies

These brownies are insanely fudgy, chocolatey, and secretly healthy! You wouldn’t even know these brownies can be eaten for breakfast, as a post workout snack, or as a dessert. They are packed with protein, lower in carbs, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, oil-free, and refined sugar free. No flour in these brownies! If I didn’t tell you there was pumpkin in this brownie, you’ll probably never know. The pumpkin is in there mostly for moisture, texture, and is what makes these brownies insanely fudgy without adding any oil.

Place these in the fridge overnight and they will be even fudgier. I’m always on team fudgy over cakey brownies, but that’s just my personal preference. If it’s not fudgy, it’s not a brownie! Also, this only takes ONE bowl to make! Winning!

(Vegan, Gluten-free, Paleo, Oil-free, Refined Sugar Free)

7) Creamiest Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

FIND MORE TASTY GUILT-FREE RECIPES BY VALERIA AT NUTSABOUTGREENS.COM AND @NUTSABOUTGREENS ON INSTAGRAM!