While it’s still early, it is vital to instill in children how important healthy eating is. A good place to start would be in every child’s favorite part of the meal – dessert! Serve more fresh fruits and other healthier substitutes to sweets. Use all-natural herbs and spices in the recipes for added flavor and nutrition.

Here are some easy-to-make dessert recipes using herbs and spices that kids will surely love:

Minty Berry Popsicles

What you need:

• 8 fresh strawberries, chopped
• 4 hard pretzels, chopped
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. strawberry jam
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 mint leaves, minced

Place strawberry jam in a small bowl then add strawberry pieces. Toss to coat. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, honey, vanilla and mint leaves. At the bottom of a popsicle mold, layer about 1 tbsp. yogurt mixture, followed by 1 tbsp. strawberry mixture then top with a few pieces of chopped pretzels. Repeat the layers until mold is full, ending with the yogurt mixture. Add in the popsicle sticks and refrigerate until solid.

Basil and Mango Delight

What you need:

• 1 mango, sliced into chunks
• A handful of basil leaves, finely shredded
• 2 cups natural yogurt
• 1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries and blackberries)
• Juice of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp. icing sugar

Combine basil leaves, orange juice and icing sugar in a medium bowl. Mix until well-blended. Add mixed berries and toss to coat. Cover and macerate for 1-2 hours. When ready, puree mango chunks in a blender until smooth. Divide equally among 4 regular-sized glasses. Add a layer of yogurt then top with berries. If you have time, you can do more than 1 layer of the ingredients to achieve a stripe effect.

Cardamom Chocolate Pots

What you need:

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• Pinch of salt

Process chocolate chips, eggs, vanilla and cardamom in a blender until thoroughly combined. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture slowly by removing the funnel cap while the blender is still running. Mix until smooth. Fill 4 small cups with the mixture then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.

Honey and Peppermint Brownies

What you need:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 1/2 tbsp. or more raw honey
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil

Combine cocoa powder, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Stir well until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Slowly pour honey over the mixture (add more to achieve desired sweetness). Add peppermint oil and mix well. Pour mixture onto a bread-sized pan, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until mixture is set. Slice into squares and serve.

Rid your pantry of junk food and start serving delicious snacks and desserts to your kids. They will definitely love these herbs and spices dessert recipes!