Healthy Easter Candy Recipes

With Easter just around the corner, thoughts are turning towards spring, and well--towards chocolate.

Of course, Easter means much more than treats and chocolate and bunnies, but I have nothing against a few treats and some fun to come alongside the traditional reason for celebrating Easter--Christ's Resurrection.

In our home, Easter treats have gone through quite a transformation themselves over the years.

And since my childhood days, well--things have really changed.  We've gone from sugar laden indulgences to more healthy Easter candies.

When I was a little girl, my mother really overdid it.

Gift-giving was clearly her love language and well--let's just say that I got waaaay too much gifting in the chocolate department at Easter (one of my favorites were the teeny Cadbury eggs, pictured above :-).)

I'd come downstairs in the morning and we'd have a quick little hunt for a not-so-little Easter basket.

Stuffed with all kinds of candies and even a large hollowed out egg with my name written on the side in white chocolate.  (Note:  my family didn't have much money at all so this just shows the kind of importance that was placed on gifting from my mom at holidays.)

Things are different now.

Before my sugar-free days, my idea of healthy candy indulgence was Jelly Bellies and Twizzlers (because they were fat-free and I loved them.)

Now we're sugar-free and well, candy options are a bit more limited.

You can, of course, try those sugar-free options at the grocery store, but their ingredients are pretty suspect and the sugar alcohols that they use have undesirable effects.  (Not that we've had that happen - ahem.)

We don't really do that much in the way of candy festivities in our home these days, but I hope to do something fun with my kiddos this year.

Healthy Easter Recipes

In the interest of having some healthier options for us, and for all of you this Easter, I thought I'd put together a round-up of some great Healthy Easter Candies (and other ideas) from around the blogosphere, and I've included in the mix a few of my own Healthy Easter treats.

Hoping this helps you add a little fun to your Easter celebration this year.

FOR LOW-CARB diets, replace the higher carb sweeteners with a low carb option like xylitol, erythritol, etc.

You're gonna be amazed at some of the genius in these posts.  I am going to have to try some or all of these in the near future!

And there are a lot of other holiday-oriented posts on the blog such as:

Healthy St. Patrick's Day Snacks
Memorial Day Recipes
Super Bowl Recipes

and more

Sugar-free Dark Chocolate Bark

Almond Butter Cups

Just trade the heart shape for an egg shape for Easter!)

Healthy Almond Joy Bars (always a favorite :-)!)

We make these all the time.
Once you see how easy they are to make, you might just keep them on hand year-round!

No-Bake Coconut Delights

These look like cute little sweet bunny tails to me!

Chocolate / Carob Coconut Nests

Fun to make and fun to eat!

Naturally-Colored "Fun" Vegan Fudge

Lots of fun to make using all-natural colors!

Natural Blue Food Coloring (from an unexpected source)

You'll never believe where this natural blue coloring comes from!

Healthy Cadbury Eggs

For low carb, replace the small amount of honey with powdered xylitol or vegetable glycerine.

Healthy Peppermint Patties

For low carb, use a low-carb sweetener.

Keto Mounds Bars

So rich and delicious, and easy to make too!

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Easter Ovoids

(My son can't have cashews, but I'll be trying these with other "safe" nuts.
For a lower carb option use a different nut. The result won't be as creamy but should be good nonetheless.

Sweet Potato Truffles

Ingenius, huh?  My son is begging me to make these.)
For a lower carb option pumpkin might work for the sweet potato.

Vegan Snickers Bars

A great healthier No Bake Easy Sugar-free version of the uber popular candy bar.

Sugar-free Twix Bars

These yummy bars are gluten-free, vegan, and keto with an easy no bake option--so you can have them in your tummy in no time!

Coconut Orange White Fudge

(Money Saving Tip:  Use my Homemade Coconut Butter for this recipe!)

Now, I love candy just as much as the next person, but it's nice to get away from the sweet stuff, healthy or not, at times.  So how about these other ideas for Easter treats….

Candy Alternatives:  Instead of loads of chocolate, how about filling plastic eggs with:

• Toys
• Trinkets
• Dried Fruit
• Coins
• Stickers.  Those "cheapo" catalogs of trinkets are tempting, but I'd rather not get a bunch of junk just to stuff eggs with.  It just makes more environmental waste--or more clutter.  (Something I surely don't need anymore of :-).)

When we were still eating some sugar I would put individually wrapped Life Saver Candies in my kids' eggs, interspersed with mainly trinkets.  We bought super balls, cute erasers, small whistles, small noisemakers.  Anything tiny that would fit in a plastic egg that I thought they'd enjoy.

Do you have a special Easter tradition?

Which of the above treats would you most like to make this year?