Growing up, my mom used to make these zucchini chocolate chip cookies that my friends couldn't help commenting on. "Zucchini? In a cookie?!" It had turned me off at first too. In my mind, vegetables and sweets did not belong in the same sentence, let alone the same mixing bowl. Then I tried them. You couldn't taste the zucchini at all, and the cookies turned out so light, puffy, and sweet that I couldn't help but grudgingly eat my greens, much as I hated to prove my mother right. ("Just try them! You'll like them!")

Now that I'm all adult and cooking my own food, I find myself in the strange position of actually trying to eat vegetables at every meal [1]. ("Who even are you?" whispers my horrified high school self.) I don't go for a lot of sweets because I have trouble eating just one cookie when the entire rest of the tin is in front of me, but when I do, it's nice if they can follow the same veggie-filled pattern, giving me a little extra bang for my nutritional buck. Especially because, as my high school friends refused to understand, with the right ingredients, your veggie-packed sweets won't taste like spinach, carrot, or zucchini at all. So, at that point, why not put them in? Case in point: here are 12 interesting, tasty, and (obviously) sweet recipes that should get even the most veggie-averse eaters excited.

Vegan Carrot Cake Bars

These carrot cake bars are topped with a creamy vegan frosting made from soaked cashews, maple syrup, and a hint of vanilla.

Get the recipe: vegan carrot cake bars [2]

Chocolate (Cauliflower) Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting

Cauliflower might be having a moment, but it's still not the first thing you'd add to a cake recipe. But this rich, chocolatey recipe might change that: the cauliflower makes it moist and the creamy peanut butter frosting is the cherry on top.

Get the recipe: chocolate (cauliflower) cake with peanut butter frosting [3]

Not-Carrot Cake With Lemon Frosting

The vegetable in this vegan cake isn't actually carrot but butternut squash mixed with mangoes, and topped with a cashew-coconut frosting and tangy lemon zest.

Get the recipe: vegan not-carrot cake [4]

Double Chocolate Zucchini Protein Muffins

Much like my mom's zucchini chocolate chip cookies of old, you can't taste the nutritious veggie at all in these double chocolate vegan muffins. All it does is make each muffin moist and a little bit healthier. Add in protein powder for five grams of protein per muffin, and you've got a winning recipe.

Get the recipe: double chocolate zucchini protein muffins [5]

Sweet Potato Vegan Breakfast Cookies

These cookies are full of nuts, chia seeds, and soft sweet potato. They're crunchy and just sweet enough to be great for breakfast, dessert, or any other time of day.

Get the recipe: sweet potato vegan breakfast cookies [6]

Double Fudge Brownies

Pureed zucchini creates the light, fluffy texture that makes these double fudge brownies so delicious.

Get the recipe: double fudge brownies [7]

Tropical Green Refresh Popsicles

This hydrating popsicle recipe was created by a registered dietitian, who described it as "your favorite green smoothie made into a frozen treat!" With two handfuls of spinach (you can also sub in another mild-flavored green), plus mango and pineapple, each popsicle comes with nice boosts of iron and potassium as well.

Get the recipe: tropical green refresh popsicles [8]

Chocolate Cupcakes With "Buttercream" Frosting

The secrets behind this creamy frosting are two ripe avocados, which, OK, are technically fruits, but we're going to roll with it this time.

Get the recipe: chocolate cupcakes with "buttercream" frosting [9]

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin is such a Fall staple that we often forget it's also pretty healthy [10] with good amounts of Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and protein. But more importantly, it's delicious, especially mixed together with chocolate chips and a spice blend in this tasty cookie recipe.

Get the recipe: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies [11]

Vegan Banana and Spinach Ice Cream

Spinach is so mild that you really can't taste it in this fruit-filled ice cream, which also includes frozen banana, mango, and pineapple for a burst of tropical flavor.

Get the recipe: vegan banana and spinach ice cream [12]

Chocolate Chip Spinach Muffins

Applesauce, spinach, maple syrup, and vanilla blend together to make this sweet, creamy batter. Pop that in the oven and you'll get a batch of light, chocolatey, somewhat green (embrace it!) muffins.

Get the recipe: chocolate chip spinach muffins [13]

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Full of a half-cup of pumpkin puree, these pumpkin pancakes are light, fluffy, and simple to whip up on a cozy fall weekend.

Get the recipe: whole wheat pumpkin pancakes [14]