23 Heart-Healthy Snacks with Five Ingredients or Less

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Published on January 25, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Energy Balls — 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.

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Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers

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.

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Passion Fruit Smoothie

a recipe photo of the 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.

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Peanut Butter Stuffed Energy Balls

a recipe photo of the 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.

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Light & Airy Whipped Cottage Cheese

a recipe photo of the 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.

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Peanut Butter Blueberry Energy Balls

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.

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Strawberry-Pistachio Greek Yogurt Bark

strawberry chocolate pistachio 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.

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Lemon-Parm Popcorn

Perk up your popcorn with a bit of lemon pepper and Parmesan cheese.

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Cottage Cheese Snack Jar

a recipe photo of the Cottage Cheese, Cucumber, and Chickpea Jars — 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.

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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.

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Apricot-Stilton Bites

a recipe photo of the 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.

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Homemade Trail Mix

Try this with portable mix with any combination of dried fruits and nuts.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds

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.

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Air-Fryer Plantains

air fryer plaintains — 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.

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Cherry-Pineapple Smoothie

a recipe photo of the Cherry, Pomegranate & Pinapple 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.

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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.

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Air-Fryer Potato Cakes

a recipe photo of the 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.

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2-Ingredient Pineapple-Bacon Bites

a recipe photo of the 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.

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Mini Peppers

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.

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Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Chickpeas

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.

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Peanut Butter & Hemp Banana

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.

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Fruit & Granola Pops

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.

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Broiled Tomatoes with Cheddar & Jalapeños

Cheddar-JalapeÃ±o Tomatoes — Johnny Autry

Give at-their-peak summer tomatoes a Tex-Mex spin with this simple, melty topping.

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Khanom Tom (Coconut Balls)

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.

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