Secretly Healthy Recipes With Hidden Veggies and More

Hannah Scott:  My love for this cookie pie goes wayyy back, and everyone who eats it asks for the recipe — even before finding out the secret main ingredient is chickpeas! Yes, I said chickpeas. I take dessert very seriously and can honestly say that this recipe tastes every bit as decadent as its unhealthy counterparts.

Hannah Scott:  Anyone else stuck in a chicken nugget rut? In a quest to find a healthier alternative, I discovered these delicious gluten free veggie nuggets, which my toddler happily ate when dipped in ketchup. Tip: A bag of frozen diced cauliflower will save you lots of time, and will also come in handy for many other recipes with hidden veggies!

Hannah Scott:  Confession: I put this soup in front of my super-picky husband (who is a self-proclaimed soup hater) and he ate every last bite, raving the entire time. When asked what the main ingredient was, he said Parmesan cheese. Nope! This is 100% plant-based, but it looks and tastes like it’s full of decadent dairy! This is one I’ll be adding to the weekly rotation for sure.

Hannah Scott:  Frozen bananas become a magical soft serve when blended — who knew?? Add some peanut butter to the blender and you’ll get this tasty treat that your kids will go nuts over! We make this daily in warm weather and top with colorful sprinkles to add to the fun factor.

Hannah Scott:  My toddler won’t go near most vegetables, but he’ll suck down green smoothies faster than you can say “More spinach, please!” The banana and nut butter mask the taste of the mild greens, so you can add literal handfuls without compromising on taste. And when you name it after the Incredible Hulk? Total win.

Hannah Scott:  I’d pick brownies over cake, pie, or cookies any day — the richer the better! Black beans are blended into a purée and hidden in these brownies to create a dense batter, perfect for chewy brownie deliciousness! Make these for a crowd and have fun asking them to guess the secret ingredient.

The cornerstone of the dish is pizza sauce blended with a ton of cooked veggies for a power-packed meal the whole family will gobble up. They’ll never guess they’re getting so many nutrients in the process!

Vanessa M.:  Traditional Alfredo sauce is made with loads of butter and heavy cream; while delicious, it isn't always a healthy choice. This recipe for Creamy Cauliflower Sauce will fool you (and your kids) because it tastes so much like the real deal while being a much healthier version! Vegetable broth and pureed cauliflower lighten up this amazing sauce.

These DIY yogurt tubes start with plain Greek yogurt which is sweetened with honey and then mixed with a variety of fruits and veggies. Fun and healthy flavors such as Apricot with Hidden Carrots and Banana-Lime with Hidden Spinach will be the highlight of your kids' lunchbox.

Cooked cauliflower has a mild enough taste and soft enough texture that it can easily be added to mac and cheese. While the pasta and cheese remains and we can’t exactly call this health food, you can rest assured that this kid-favorite meal has at least some nutritional value tucked inside!

Hannah Scott:  Pizza is a staple in most kids’ diets, and this sweet potato crust takes the nutrition up a notch! I’ve tried several sweet potato crust recipes and found this one to be the easiest and best tasting of them all.

Sue Krawitz Tandoc:  My oldest son loves banana berry "ice cream." It is such an easy dessert recipe to make because it is simply frozen bananas and berries! I put it in my Ninja blender and let it run for a couple of minutes. If it's dry, I add a very small amount of milk.

Tip: More bananas will produce a creamier texture and more berries will produce a sorbet texture.

Marinara recipes with hidden veggies are a great way to sneak some extra nutrition into pasta, pizza, or any other meal that calls for jarred tomato sauce. This recipe uses 6 different kinds of veggies for a wonderful variety of nutrition in one smooth sauce! Make a big batch and portion it out for easy freezer meals.

Kelly R:  I served these little pancakes often when my kids were picky toddlers and preschoolers, and love that it's one of those recipes for hidden veggies that can use up pretty much whatever you have on hand. A mixture of shredded veggies is cooked until crispy so it is reminiscent of a classic potato pancake, but with some bonus nutrition mixed in. My kids like theirs dipped in applesauce!

Soups make great hidden veggie recipes because everything blends in and cooks down together, and this Paleo-compliant and kid-friendly Whole30 recipe packs in sweet potato, bell pepper, cauliflower and pumpkin for a warm and satisfying Instant Pot meal.