The Best Healthy(ish) Treats That Deliver Right to Your Door

Perhaps you use your oven for storage or maybe you have baker’s burnout from all the banana bread you made last year.  I get it.  Sometimes it’s worth paying someone to save you time and effort, but if you’re like me, most commercially available baked goods don’t leave you feeling so hot.  There are plenty of companies who offer healthier alternatives, but without being able to sample them in person, it’s a bit like rolling the (expensive) dice.  In the name of research (the struggle was real), I did a taste test of all the specialty bakers and makers across the country to bring you the best of the best.    

The criteria was they have to make relatively healthy treats free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar.  In order to appease the widest audience, I wanted them to be completely vegan using only high-quality ingredients.  Plus, they have to ship nationwide.  Finally, but most importantly, they have to be utterly delicious. Without further ado, here are my top picks for the best healthier treats available to order online.

The Best Chocolate: Vesta Chocolate

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say I KNOW good chocolate.  My love for chocolate started young, and when all my friends were into the fruit-flavored candies, I was only into the chocolate ones.  My palette has evolved since then (thankfully).  I’ve had the opportunity to taste hand-crafted chocolate from all around the world, all claiming to be “the best”.  Let me tell you something.  Vesta is the best.  I don’t know how they do it, but I can’t believe my luck to have their shop in my town.  Luckily for you, they also ship nationwide.  I like my chocolate dark, so my favorite is the 84% followed by the 78%.

The Best Candy: Daydream Dessert

A friend of mine introduced me to this brand with a sampler box, but I never got to try it because my kids ate them all before I could.  Since this generous friend is a nutritionist with a sweet tooth like me, I decided to order some samples for myself.  I’m obsessed with their cookie bars (hello, it’s cookies + chocolate, two of my favorite things ever), especially the peanut butter caramel bar and the almond coconut joy bar.

The Best Bread: Coco Bakes

I’ve been a long time fan of Coco Bakes, and I’m so glad to see she’s becoming more and more popular.  I don’t like bread; I LOVE bread.  Of all the carb forms out there, bread is the one I couldn’t live my life without.  Sorry, but this girl isn’t putting mashed avocado on sweet potatoes and calling it toast.  Coco Bakes’ sourdough isn’t just amazing for an alternative bread; it’s amazing, period.  I love how it comes already sliced, and I utilize the subscription option for a discount.  While you’re at it, order the burger buns, which are completely grain-free.

The Best Bagels: Knead Love Bakery

People are surprised by how infrequently I ate bagels when I lived in New York City, home of the best bagels on the planet.  I had one maybe once a year.  While I find them to be delicious, I never feel great afterwards and sort of wrote them off.  I’ve tried some of the alternatives, but they were always sort of meh to me.  That is, until I tried Knead Love Bakery’s gluten-free everything sourdough bagel.  Knead Love is local to New York, so they know a good bagel, and it shows.  They also offer bagels and bread in “rainbow” colors, which are naturally dyed with plants and extra fun if you have rainbow-loving kids like I do.

The Best Brownies: Coco Luv Cookies

I recognize they have the word “cookies” in their name, but they make the best brownie of any I’ve tried.  The variety of baked goods Coco Luv has to offer is mind-blowing, but all the better for you to know that ordering the gluten-free fudge brownie is a surefire way to gooey chocolatey bliss.  I’ve eaten these straight from the freezer, and they’re still delicious.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies: Nowhere Bakery

I’m quite discerning when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.  Normally, I like a cookie so fluffy and doughy it borders on a scone.  A ton of people have raved over Nowhere Bakery’s chocolate chip cookies, so despite seeing that they were on the flat side, I had to try them for myself.  The reviews are warranted: they’re amazing.  The blondies and the ABC (almond butter caramel) are also worth ordering.

Now tell me, which of these healthy treats will you try?

Post image courtesy of Nowhere Bakery.