Getting kids to eat healthy can be a real challenge. But I’ve found one of the very best ways to spark their interest is to get them in the kitchen. And you can start with dessert! I’ve rounded up 10 clean and easy desserts for kids to make plus a story from one little boy who is very special to me…

Autism Has Not Stopped Benji Gans

If you follow me on Facebook then you may recall the truly inspiring story I have shared of Benji Gans in the past. I met Benji through his mother, my dear friend Debby Gans (who did all of the photos for this blog post, by the way!) almost 10 years ago. Benji’s incredible journey has been both in spite of and because of autism spectrum disorder. His Ted Talk below describes his journey far better than I could.

Benji Gans’ Ted Talk

Benji Bakes!

Like almost all other kids, Benji loves dessert. But along with a number of other lifestyle modifications he has made due to his condition, eliminating gluten has been one of them. Gluten-free desserts can be a bit tricky to make clean because so many are made with empty calorie refined flours (such as tapioca flour or rice flour) and / or lots of sugar. As my former neurologist, Dr. David Perlmutter explains in his NY Times bestselling book, Brain Maker, both refined flour and refined sugar are not optimal for any neurological condition, including autism. I’ve been working hard with Benji and his sister Karly (in the photo above on the left) to come up with some cleaner alternatives to some of Benji’s favorite desserts. So far the Gluten Free Brownie recipe has been his absolute favorite. I’ll let Benji tell you about it himself…

Benji’s Favorite Gluten Free Brownies

“My family thinks these brownies are so tasty, even though they are super healthy. Before I met Ivy, I only craved desserts that were loaded with sugar. One day, Ivy gave me cookies that were made with avocadoes and surprisingly enough, they made my stomach growl with happiness. The next time I saw her, she offered me a taste of her newest edible innovation. She told me they were brownies, but I thought she was only joking. They did not taste like the brownie mix that I enjoyed making at home. They were moist and delicious, but not as overloaded with sugar as mine and as oddly as it sounds, my mom kept on smiling as I ate more and more, not the usual frown that she would throw from my over-consumption of junk food. We make this delicious treat every week in my house, here’s the recipe below.” —Benji Gans

***Learn more about Benji and keep up with his latest happenings at BenjiTalks.com ***

10 Clean & Easy Desserts for Kids to Make (Including Benji’s Favorite Brownies!)

2 Simple Tips for How to Get Kids to Eat Healthy

It’s fun to make desserts with kids, but of course it takes more than a cleaned up dessert recipe to really optimize a child’s health. Click HERE for 2 simple tips to get kids to eat healthy!

A Great BIG Thank You to Benji

Thank you SO much Benji for helping to put this blog post together. And of course to your mom, the amazing photographer Debby Gans Photography. I owe you a boat ride Benji 😉

P.S. If YOU have any recipes for clean and easy desserts for kids to make please be sure to tell me all about it in the comments below!