Healthy Recipes Health Conditions Heart-Healthy Recipes 23 Heart-Healthy Snacks with Five Ingredients or Less By Sadie Schulte Sadie Schulte Sadie Schulte is EatingWell's editorial apprentice. She attends Iowa State University, where she is a senior studying advertising and fashion communications. During her time at college, she has worked as a reporter at the campus newspaper, the Iowa State Daily, where she writes about culture and lifestyle. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on January 25, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Jamie Vespa Savor the goodness of simplicity with these snack recipes that are made with just five ingredients or less. They’re a great option for an easy small bite to hold you over between meals. Plus, each of these recipes are made low in saturated fat and sodium to help support a strong and healthy heart. From savory recipes like our Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers to sweet treats like our Strawberry-Pistachio Greek Yogurt Bark, these snacks make taking care of your heart quick, delicious and satisfying. 01 of 23 Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh A quick spread of pimiento cheese stuffs these mini bell peppers for an easy, three-ingredient appetizer. View Recipe 02 of 23 Passion Fruit Smoothie Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman This 3-ingredient smoothie features frozen passion fruit that packs tons of floral notes and tart flavor. While any type of kiwi will work, we like yellow kiwi, which adds more flavor and natural sweetness and brightens the color. Taste and add a teaspoon or two of honey at the end to balance the flavor. View Recipe 03 of 23 Peanut Butter Stuffed Energy Balls Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Joshua Hoggle Peanuts do double duty in this easy snack recipe: peanut butter makes a creamy center while chopped roasted peanuts add a welcome crunch to the exterior. We prefer to use natural peanut butter, which is a little oilier and looser, to help create the gooey center. Dates add a natural sweetness to this healthy snack. Use any leftover date mixture to patch any holes in the energy balls. Pack these bites in your lunchbox for a tasty morning or afternoon snack. View Recipe 04 of 23 Light & Airy Whipped Cottage Cheese Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst Give this whipped cottage cheese recipe your own spin by making it with your favorite fresh herbs. You can use it as a dip with fresh veggies or as a sandwich spread. View Recipe 05 of 23 Peanut Butter Blueberry Energy Balls Jamie Vespa These healthy energy balls made with peanut butter, chocolate and dehydrated blueberries deliver a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates to help fuel you up whenever you need a little boost. They're no-bake and easy to make with ingredients you probably have on hand, like oats and nut butter. Feel free to experiment with different mix-ins—for example, other dried fruit or chopped nuts—in place of the chocolate chips and blueberries. View Recipe 06 of 23 Strawberry-Pistachio Greek Yogurt Bark Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh Strawberries and pistachios top a thin layer of Greek yogurt for a colorful and tasty frozen treat. A sprinkle of chocolate cookie crumbs finishes this satisfying snack or dessert. View Recipe 07 of 23 Lemon-Parm Popcorn Perk up your popcorn with a bit of lemon pepper and Parmesan cheese. View Recipe 08 of 23 Cottage Cheese Snack Jar Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco This creamy, crunchy snack packs 20 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in one small mason jar. Adding the chickpeas right before serving will keep them crunchy. If you want to store everything in one jar, opt for 1/4 cup rinsed canned chickpeas instead. View Recipe 09 of 23 Savory Date & Pistachio Bites A touch of sweetness from the dates and raisins paired with crunch and nuttiness from the pistachios make these bites perfect for an on-the-go snack or as an accompaniment on a cheese board. View Recipe 10 of 23 Apricot-Stilton Bites Photographer: Rachel Marek, Prop stylist: Holly Dreesman, Food stylist: Gabriel Greco Savory blue cheese and sweet-tart dried apricots combine for an impressive last-minute appetizer for any gathering. Light agave syrup has a sweet, neutral taste, whereas dark agave syrup will add more caramel flavor. If you don’t have agave syrup, you can use honey in its place. View Recipe 11 of 23 Homemade Trail Mix Try this with portable mix with any combination of dried fruits and nuts. View Recipe 12 of 23 Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds Caitlin Bensel Don't throw away your butternut squash seeds; roast them instead! Roasted butternut squash seeds make a great snack or salad topper. Enjoy them plain or jazzed up with one of the variations below. View Recipe 13 of 23 Air-Fryer Plantains Jacob Fox This air-fryer plantain recipe is where the air fryer shines—not sacrificing flavor or texture but saving time compared to cooking them in a deep fryer or on the stovetop. These air-fryer plantains are sweet and salty, with a deliciously crispy crust. View Recipe 14 of 23 Cherry-Pineapple Smoothie EatingWell Cherries contain vitamin E, vitamin C and polyphenols, nutrients that may help reduce inflammation in the body. The tart pomegranate-cherry juice pairs well with crushed pineapple and creamy yogurt. View Recipe 15 of 23 Almond-Stuffed Dates Medjool dates are softer than their semi-dry Deglet Noor cousins and therefore, much easier to stuff with almonds. This healthy snack recipe can also be turned into an addictive appetizer by adding a little blue cheese to the stuffing. View Recipe 16 of 23 Air-Fryer Potato Cakes Adam Albright These potato cakes make a wonderful appetizer, especially for the holidays. Top them with an array of ingredients, from apples and sage to a red pepper aioli. With a crispy exterior and creamy center, these potato cakes will be the star of any gathering. For a colorful twist, try this recipe with purple potatoes. View Recipe 17 of 23 2-Ingredient Pineapple-Bacon Bites Jordan Provost Fresh pineapple wrapped in crispy bacon is the ultimate mash-up of sweet and savory flavors. Here we deliver this winning combo in the form of a two-ingredient appetizer that's easy to pull together for last-minute gatherings. Fresh, ripe pineapple yields the best results. Serve with toothpicks to avoid sticky hands. View Recipe 18 of 23 Prosciutto-Wrapped Mini Peppers Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh Wrapping prosciutto around mini bell peppers is an easy way to upgrade the vegetable into an impressive, tasty appetizer. View Recipe 19 of 23 Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Chickpeas Roasting canned chickpeas until crispy makes a simple and healthy snack. In this riff on candied nuts, chickpeas are coated with cinnamon sugar to make them irresistible! This snack is best enjoyed the day it is made. View Recipe 20 of 23 Peanut Butter & Hemp Banana Johnny Autry Hemp hearts add texture and nuttiness to this easy three-ingredient snack. Either creamy or crunchy peanut butter works well here. View Recipe 21 of 23 Fruit & Granola Pops Adding granola to this fruit pop recipe upgrades it from frozen treat to healthy grab-and-go breakfast. Kefir brings probiotic power, and honey and fruit add a touch of sweetness. View Recipe 22 of 23 Broiled Tomatoes with Cheddar & Jalapeños Johnny Autry Give at-their-peak summer tomatoes a Tex-Mex spin with this simple, melty topping. View Recipe 23 of 23 Khanom Tom (Coconut Balls) Penny De Los Santos This recipe for traditional Thai coconut balls is all about the coconut. First, skip the preshredded stuff (the filling won't hold together with it) and get yourself to the produce department for a fresh one. Look for a coconut with a brown husk (rather than one with a white fibrous exterior, often labeled "young Thai" coconut). Brown-husked coconuts have firmer flesh that's easier to shred. Editor's note: Brooke Siem learned to make these coconut balls from a woman named Ratachanee on the Thai island of Koh Phangan. Learn more about this recipe and other recipes Siem learned to make as part of her Grandmother Project in the article How Cooking Connected One Chef with Grandmothers Across the World. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit