Easy Paleo-Friendly Desserts in 5 Ingredients or Less

Going Paleo is all about eating like your ancestors. You take it back to nature. You keep it simple. You approach life like a hunter-gatherer on the eternal quest for balanced nutrients. But you also sometimes crave sugar with the single-minded obsession of a brain-seeking zombie. What do you do when a hard day or a sudden midnight desire leaves you craving ice cream, brownies, or worse?

The good news is that dessert isn’t completely off the table on a Paleo diet. As part of the 85/15 principle, you can afford to occasionally satisfy those cravings with something that is Paleo-friendly, but not 100% Paleo.

When you’re having an unbeatable craving for an old favorite, there are a few Paleo-friendly desserts you can turn to. And what’s better is that they’re so simple they require only a few ingredients—while still being deliciously dessert-like.

Banana Ice Cream

Ice cream is a tedious thing to make at home, and Paleo cuts out dairy anyway. Believe it or not, Paleo ice cream is much easier to make than normal ice cream, with none of the fat or dairy.

Tools

• Freezer-Safe Storage Container
• Parchment Paper
• Blender

Main Ingredient

• Ripe Bananas

Optional Bonus Ingredients

• Coconut/Almond Milk
• Other Frozen Fruits
• Cocoa Powder
• Dark Chocolate Chips (at least 70% cacao)
• Chopped Nuts

Instructions

1. Use bananas that have ripened just past your preferred ripeness. Slice into chunks and layer in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container, using parchment paper to separate layers and prevent clumping.
2. Freeze for at least 4 hours.
3. Toss as many banana chunks as you want into a blender and blend until creamy (add nut milk, other fruits, or cocoa powder to blender as well, if using).
4. Serve immediately (topped with chocolate chips or chopped nuts, if using).

Take It Up a Notch: Almond-Coconut Ice Cream

Homemade Sorbet

This uses the same approach as the banana ice cream above, except that juicy fruits have a different texture when you freeze and blend them. Berries in particular make excellent sorbet, but any other fruit you love is worth a spin.

Tools

• Freezer-Safe Storage Container
• Parchment Paper
• Blender

Main Ingredient

• Fruit

Optional Ingredients

• Ice Cubes
• Coconut/Almond Milk
• Bananas
• Vanilla

Instructions

1. Freeze berries or chop bite-sized fruit pieces into a freezer-safe container, layering with parchment paper to prevent clumping.
2. Once frozen, blend until smooth (add ice cubes, nut milk, or bananas to achieve your ideal texture. Add vanilla for flavor).
3. Serve immediately.

Take It Up a Notch: Minty Lemon Sorbet

Chocolate-Covered Nut-Butter Banana Bites

This four-ingredient treat is amazing and can even be cut down to two ingredients to be friendly to nut allergies (see simplified recipe linked below). When choosing your nut or seed butter, remember to avoid peanut butter as peanuts are legumes and therefore not Paleo.

Tools

• Cookie Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Main Ingredients

• Ripe Bananas
• Almond or Cashew Butter
• Dark Chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
• Coconut Oil

Instructions

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slice bananas into approximately ¼-inch pieces and place half in a single layer on the cookie sheet.
2. Microwave nut butter to soften. Neatly dollop onto first half of banana slices without overflowing. Top each piece with second half of banana slices.
3. Freeze banana bites for at least 4 hours.
4. Melt dark chocolate and coconut oil in short increments in the microwave, stirring between bursts until smooth. Dip banana bites into chocolate to coat and return to cookie sheet.
5. Freeze and enjoy cold.

Take It Down a Notch: Chocolate Covered Banana Bites

Paleo Fudge/Fudge Icing

Fudge, icing, and brownies things that are usually left behind in a Paleo lifestyle. But there is a healthy alternative that’s close enough to satiate those old cravings. Paleo allows for dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) so you can use simple ingredients to reinvent fudge, icing, and brownies. It’s so natural it seems like magic and it’s a surprisingly delicious alternative to chocolatey treats full of refined flour and sugar.

Tools

• Muffin Pan

Main Ingredients

• Dark Chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
• Coconut Milk
• Coconut Oil

Optional Ingredients:

• Mashed Banana
• Almond Meal
• Almond or Cashew Butter
• Vanilla

Instructions

1. To make Paleo fudge, melt chocolate with coconut milk and coconut oil until you reach a soft fudgy texture (stir in optional ingredients if desired). Use more liquid to make icing or use less oil and more firming ingredients (banana, almond meal, nut butter) to make brownies.
2. Pour mixture into a lined muffin pan.
3. Cool in fridge and enjoy chilled.

Take It Up a Notch: Homemade Brownie Bars

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Paleo cooking doesn’t have to be a complex process of substitutions. In fact, the best recipes are in the true spirit of Paleo living: with a few simple ingredients. These recipes keep it natural, easy, and surprisingly sating for your new-world sugar cravings. For more healthy and Paleo-friendly desserts, see our recipe library.