Easy No-Added-Sugar Snacks

Find easy-to-make, nutritious, and yummy no added sugar snacks to share with the kids. These are great to make for babies, one year olds, and older kids—and adults, too!

To help you more easily find the snack recipes on my website that can be most easily made without added sugar, this list of no added sugar snacks is here to help. These work as easy baby snacks, yummy toddler snacks, and just quick bites that rely on other ingredients for sweetness (or are savory).

Some of these healthy snacks to make have the option to sweeten to taste with honey or maple syrup, but you can skip that of course.

Use these as easy preschool snacks, after school snacks, or even as part of a toddler lunch idea. And see each recipe for information on allergy swaps and storage.

Favorite Bliss Balls

I am a huge fan of no-bake snacks, including all manner of Energy Bites and energy balls, and these Bliss Balls are 100% my newest favorite. The intense berry flavor in these is seriously the best—it kind of reminds me of a strawberry milkshake.

Favorite Bliss Balls

These no-bake Bliss Balls have bright berry flavor, are packed with protein and beneficial fats, have only 5 ingredients, and store ridiculously well in the fridge for weeks. They are a satisfying snack to share with the kids.

Favorite Bliss Balls

Fruit and Nut Bars (Copycat Larabar)

Larabars have forever been one of my go-to toddler snacks, but since they stopped making the mini ones that were a perfect size for kids (and because they can be expensive), I started making this recipe.

Fruit and Nut Bars (Copycat Larabar)

With just 5 simple and nutritious ingredients and no baking, these Fruit and Nut Bars taste like store-bought Larabars but for less cost. You can customize the flavors and store them in the fridge or freezer for weeks.

Fruit and Nut Bars (Copycat Larabar)

Favorite Chocolate Balls (No-Bake)

I love an easy recipe that doesn’t require turning on the oven, and this one is seriously satisfying. These easy cookies for kids are so simple to make and basically taste like a brownie bite. 

Favorite Chocolate Balls (No-Bake)

Keep a batch of these SO-yummy Chocolate Balls on hand for when the next chocolate craving strikes—or simply when you want to share a yummy snack or dessert with the kids. They have only 5 ingredients and store ridiculously well in the fridge for weeks.

Favorite Chocolate Balls (No-Bake)

Yogurt Pouches (Yogurt Tubes)

Yogurt pouches and tubes are such an easy kids snack to have on hand. I often save a little money on store-bought pouches and make a batch myself. I love this recipe because it’s so easy to prepare with ingredients I usually have on hand and the resulting yogurt mixture is thick and yummy.

Yogurt Pouches (Yogurt Tubes)

Transform simple, affordable ingredients into Yogurt Pouches for snack or breakfast. This easy yogurt tube recipe can be made in about 5 minutes, then stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Yogurt Pouches (Yogurt Tubes)

Toddler Smoothies

Easy, nutritious, and versatile, you can try one of these easy smoothies in the flavor your kids prefer. The sweetness comes from the fruit!

Favorite Healthy Toddler Smoothie (with Veggies!)

Learn to customize yummy smoothies for your toddler by starting with one simple recipe, then adjusting based on which fruit and veggies you'd like to use.

Favorite Healthy Toddler Smoothie (with Veggies!)

ABC Baby Muffins (Apple, Banana and Carrot!)

Made with a nutrient-packed ingredients list, these tender Baby Muffins are a perfect first muffin. They are easier to chew than a regular muffin, have three kinds of produce, contain no added sugar, and they boast a solid dose of healthy fats—exactly what the littles need!

ABC Baby Muffins (Apple, Banana and Carrot!)

These are deliberately very moist (and moister than regular muffins) to ensure they are easy for baby to chew and swallow, so expect that from the interior. They have three types of produce in the mix and are a yummy breakfast or snack.

ABC Baby Muffins (Apple, Banana and Carrot!)

Sugar-Free Banana Muffins

Mix up a batch of these easy-to-make Sugar-Free Banana Muffins to share with your baby or toddler at breakfast or snack time. You don’t need any special ingredients, and they are super moist and flavorful. (P.S. There’s a vegan option too!)

Sugar-Free Banana Muffins

Be sure to use very ripe bananas (with lots of brown spots!) for the best flavor and natural sweetness. (I updated this recipe December 2020 to ensure the most reliable results. The original version of this recipe is the “Egg-free” option in the Notes if you loved that. In the main recipe, I reduced the oil, added an egg, increased the baking soda a smidge, and reduced the baking time. They’re great!)

Sugar-Free Banana Muffins

Banana Oatmeal Bars

These Banana Oatmeal Bars are a nutritious (and yummy!) make-ahead breakfast or snack—plus the recipe has just five ingredients! (Omit the chocolate as desired.)

Banana Oatmeal Bars

With just five ingredients and a texture and flavor that's similar to a soft oatmeal cookie, these Banana Oatmeal Bars are a nutritious (and yummy!) make-ahead breakfast or snack.

Banana Oatmeal Bars

Favorite Baby Cookies

Bake up a nourishing snack to share with the littles with this super easy recipe. With a few flavor options—and a chance to use up lingering baby food purees including sweet potato, apple, and banana!—these cookies are both nutritious and yummy.

Favorite Baby Cookies

You can use any puree that you like the flavor of in this recipe—it works best with purees that are the consistency of mashed banana or mashed sweet potato.

Favorite Baby Cookies

Easy Cheese Crackers

With just a handful of ingredients, you can make this homemade cracker recipe to share with the kids. (They have whole grains and protein, too!)

Easy Cheese Crackers Recipe

Mix up this easy-to-work-with cracker dough, then let the kids help roll and cut their way to the yummiest homemade cheese crackers recipe. These crackers have whole grains and a delightfully crisp texture. So good!

Easy Cheese Crackers Recipe

Favorite Applesauce Pouches

Learn the easiest way to make a batch of Homemade Applesauce Pouches for easy snacks and meal components. It takes less than 30 minutes and is a perfect for babies and toddlers—and it stores so well, too!

Favorite Applesauce Pouches

Learn the easiest way to make a batch of Applesauce Pouches, with six flavor options, in less than 30 minutes. This is easy, delicious, and versatile—and a perfect way to batch-prep a snack or meal component.

Favorite Applesauce Pouches

So Easy Sliced Baked Apples

I tend to have an apple or two left at the end of the week, and while my kids don’t always love to eat them fresh, they do love them turned into sliced baked apples! This super simple method transforms apples into sweet slices of goodness without any need for extra sugar or fancy ingredients.

So Easy Sliced Baked Apples

Transform fresh apples into Sliced Baked Apples as a simple snack, side dish, or as baby led weaning apples. The super simple method takes just 5 minutes to prep, and they work as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, and more!

So Easy Sliced Baked Apples

Easy Strawberry Applesauce

Simmer fresh strawberries and apples together for this no added sugar strawberry applesauce. It’s ready in 30 minutes and is a healthy baby food puree toddlers will love too!

Easy Strawberry Applesauce

You can use any type of apple you like in this recipe.

Easy Strawberry Applesauce

Fruit0on-the-Bottom Yogurt

Find easy ways to make fruit yogurt in any flavor you like, and at any sweetness level the kids prefer.

Easy Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt

Learn how to make the best fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt with all kinds of fruit flavors—and with less sugar and for less money than buying it at the store. Scale this up or down according to how many servings you're planning to make. The directions here are for one small toddler-size serving.

Easy Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt

Easy Fruit Cups

My kids love store-bought fruit cups, but it’s tough to buy enough (without breaking my food budget)—enter homemade Fruit Cups. These can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge and you can use them to repurpose leftover fruit. Win!

Easy Fruit Cups

Transform diced fruit into delicious homemade fruit cups that rival store-bought in terms of flavor and cost. You can make more cups or less, according to your preference.

Easy Fruit Cups

Easy Mango Popsicles

My girls are totally obsessed with mango, and I love how naturally creamy it is. Which means that when you blend it up into mango popsicles, it has seriously delicious results—with hardly anything else added to the mix.

Easy Mango Popsicles (2-Ingredients!)

These super easy Mango Popsicles are crazy simple to make—they have just two ingredients—and they are completely refreshing. Plus, the vitamin C, probiotics, and protein make them a nutritious snack for those little bellies!

Easy Mango Popsicles (2-Ingredients!)

Fruit Ice Pops Recipe

We are super fans of all frozen treats over here, and it seemed high time to make one entirely from fruit. This whole fruit Ice Pops recipe is the delicious result. The ice pops take about 10 minutes to prepare and are so versatile that you can make them with almost any fruit you have. Win!

Fruit Ice Pops Recipe

This whole fruit Ice Pops recipe takes about 10 minutes to make and are so versatile that you can make them with almost any fruit you have. Use apple juice or coconut milk (for a little creaminess) if desired. I used the plastic ice pop sleeves and made 3. Smaller popsicle molds may result in more.

Fruit Ice Pops Recipe

2-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

There are so many things we can do with an abundance of ripe bananas (or leftover bananas that the kids have decided not to eat) and while we love Banana Bread, Banana Bread Muffins, Banana Cookies, and Banana Cake, we adore this Banana Ice Cream.

2-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Make a batch of the easiest Banana Ice Cream to share with the kids with just two ingredients and the creamiest texture! It takes about 5 minutes, there are easy ways to customize it for your preferences, and it is just so good.

2-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Best Tips for Success

• See each individual recipe for allergy swaps and storage information.
• Remember that babies under age 1 cannot safely consume honey.
• These recipes are designed to have plenty of flavor from ingredients such as fruit, whole grains, and protein ingredients without the addition of added sugars such as honey, maple syrup, agave, or granulated sugar. Because they are yummy and easy to make this way!
• Keep in mind that the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics that say toddlers under age 2 should avoid added sugar miss a lot of real life context—and that our relationship with food (and anxiety about ingredients) matters a lot, too. So, if you have older kids and want to make a muffin recipe with a little maple syrup that everyone will enjoy, or you love a homemade sauce that has a little sweetener in it, or you realize that a smoothie tastes a lot less bland and is more likely to be enjoyed with a little maple syrup…that is—to me at least—entirely fine. We need to remember that our entire food environment is what matters to the health of our kids, not simply one single ingredient.

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