A Healthy Treat

wibutterflymagic · August 2014

My birthday is Wed and at my work when it's your birthday you bring the treat(don't ask me why, it's against everything I believe. Why should I be bringing them a treat?)

I'd like to bring something healthier. Everyone always brings crap and I don't want to do the same thing.

Does anyone have any recipes for something tasty that they won't immediately think is super healthy?

MinnieInMaine · August 2014

I used to make these great cupcakes based on a WW recipe. You mix a box of cake mix (chocolate, spice cake, even carrot cake) with a can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) and about a 1/2 cup of water. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 24 cupcakes that are around 100 cal each (depending on cake mix used). Brought them in to work a few times and they got gobbled right up. My personal favorite is a dark chocolate cake mix.

If you want to frost them, you can mix a small tub of cool whip with a small box of fat free/sugar free vanilla or cheesecake pudding. Make sure to let it set up a bit before spreading on the cupcakes.

IronLogan300 · August 2014

there's always the trick of baking a cake with a can of your favorite diet soda, cant remember if its the eggs of oil you replace with the soda, just google it! But I find the best one that no one even notices is different is doing that new creamsicle cake mix (next to the funfetti mix) and use a can of diet orange soda! tastes fantastic!

when I was a kid, my mom also used to buy chocolate grahm crackers and light cool whip. you take two crackers and put the cool whip inbetween, freeze them. they are a much healthier ice cream sandwich and still taste awesome!

I also have done a low cal vanilla cake recipe and use cool whip as the frosting. slice up some strawberries and lay them all over the top. strawberry shortcake cake

plumbucket · August 2014

honeyandfigskitchen's skinny bakery style donut holes

xcalygrl · August 2014

A box of cake mix mixed with a 12-ounce can of diet soda made into cupcakes. (White or vanilla cake with Sprite or 7-up. Chocolate with Coca-Cola. Spice cake with Dr. Pepper.)
A fruite platter with cream cheese dip. (You can opt to skip the dip and just enjoy the fruit.)
Banana bread made with whole wheat flour and stevia.
Mini cupcakes. (Regular cupcakes made in the bite-sized trays.)
Dark chocolate dipped strawberries/bananas.
Banana pudding (reduced fat nilla wafers, the low-fat banana pudding, and fat-free cool whip. If you need specifics, let me know.)

BarbieAS · August 2014

A fruite platter with cream cheese dip. (You can opt to skip the dip and just enjoy the fruit.)

This was going to be my suggestion. Cut fresh fruit - whatever's on sale and is relatively sturdy - with a cream cheese based fruit dip. Use neufchatel cheese if you want. I've seen one with just brown sugar and cream cheese, or a slightly lighter (in texture, not necessarily calories) one with 1 each of a package of cream cheese and a tub of Cool whip and then some powdered sugar (don't remember how much...but you could basically do that to taste). Add in a handful of vanilla wafers and/or graham cracker sticks for dipping. It's not SUPER "healthy," but better than many things you could bring in.

donnatavo · August 2014

I mix a box of cake mix with a can La Croix sparkling water since I'm not a fan of diet soda. I prefer either coconut or berry flavored with a devil's food cake mix. So yummy! And I get the whipped frosting. I like the idea of the cool whip frosting too!

bsuew · August 2014

Over the weekend I fixed an angel food box cake. The only thing you do is dump a can of crushed pineapple into the bowl with the mix. Stir it up. Bake it at 350* according to the directions on the box for time. It really was good. Husband and son both liked it as well.

culturedkey · August 2014

I don't have any healthy recommendations as they've all been said already, but I feel your pain on the "you bring the treat" for your birthday. Like, what the heck? We did breakfasts though, so that made it easier to do healthy stuff.

Susieq_1994 · August 2014

Pudding pie!! Nobody will ever guess it's even remotely low-calorie :laugh: Made with one instant sugar-free fat-free chocolate fudge flavored pudding and one vanilla (follow pudding pie directions on the package... I use 700 mL of fat-free milk, which is roughly 2 3/4 cups), a tablespoon of cocoa and a teaspoon of vanilla in a Keebler Shortbread Crumb Crust.. I make it for dessert all the time, it makes me and my husband feel like we're not on a "diet" at all when we don't have the calories to splurge

seltzermint555 · August 2014

I think it's kind of cool that it's for your own birthday so people (I would think) won't gripe as much if it's not the most deliciously caloric sugary treat ever ;-)

As for me though -- I would make something really good that I know I can't stick to just one portion of, so normally wouldn't make it for my husband and me. I love any opportunity to bake butterscotch cookies, chocolate scones, etc...when I can give away 90% of the goods and know I'll just have one.

Happy Birthday!

ETA: since you really do want to bring something healthier, I like the fruit and dip suggestion. I seem to remember a fruit dip my former coworker made with marshmallow crème, Neufchatel cheese and whipped topping. I think she added lemon juice and a tiny bit of powdered sugar. It was really good, and people can have as little or as much of it with the fruit as they like.

Lelah77 · August 2014

A fruite platter with cream cheese dip. (You can opt to skip the dip and just enjoy the fruit.)

^^This was my thought. I have used a container of light whipped yogurt as the dip before, too, and it always goes over well. I don't even think people will scoff at the change in routine. I bet many will thank you and maybe you'll add variety in to the tradition. Happy Birthday!!

xcalygrl · August 2014

Over the weekend I fixed an angel food box cake. The only thing you do is dump a can of crushed pineapple into the bowl with the mix. Stir it up. Bake it at 350* according to the directions on the box for time. It really was good. Husband and son both liked it as well.

I've done this before too! It was delicious. You could put a little fat free cool whip on it for a "pina colada cake."