She Strengthens

Craving Fast Food? Satisfy Your Urges with These 23 Healthy Copycat Recipes

Appetizers, Snacks, and Sides

When fast food cravings strike, it’s essential to have some healthier alternatives up your sleeve. These copycat recipes will satisfy your cravings without compromising your healthy-eating goals.

Papa John’s Inspired Garlic Knots

Using packaged pizza dough, these garlic knots are a better choice than the originals, with only two tablespoons of butter in the whole recipe.

Cheesecake Factory Style Baked Avocado Egg Rolls

A much healthier baking method makes these avocado egg rolls a guilt-free alternative to the original 960-calorie version.

KFC Inspired Oven-Baked Fried Chicken Tenders

Marinated in a copycat spice mix, dredged in buttermilk and breadcrumbs, these chicken tenders taste like they’ve come straight from Colonel Sanders’ kitchen – minus the frying.

Panera Bread’s Power Kale Caesar Salad Recreated

Celebrate clean eating with this homemade version of Panera Bread’s popular Power Kale Caesar salad, complete with grilled chicken, tangy dressing, and cheesy baked Parmesan crisps.

P.F Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps at Home

Get the crunchy, meaty, sweet, and salty filling down to a T with this quick and easy recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes.

Wendy’s Chili, Reinvented

Make your own chili at home, packed with lean beef, pinto beans, and classic chili spices, and control the sodium content to boot.

Arby’s Oven-Baked Curly Fries

Use a peeler or spiralizer to turn potatoes into curly fries, then coat them in flour and egg for a crispy, oil-free snack.

Chick-Fil-A’s Chicken Noodle Soup, Made Fresh

Recreate the fast-food version at home with this comforting recipe, using prepared rotisserie chicken, carrots, and plenty of egg noodles.

Mains

In-N-Out Burger with Lighter Secret Spread

This recipe recreates the California chain’s trademark sautéed onion topping and homemade secret sauce, making it a crowd-pleaser for burger lovers.

Pizza Hut’s Best Ever No-Knead Pan Pizza

Make your own pie at home with this simple, no-knead recipe that’s ready in less time than it takes for Pizza Hut to deliver.

Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken, Minus the Mall

This recipe uses simple spices to give a distinctive kick, transporting your taste buds back to the food court.

Chipotle’s Chicken Burrito Brown Rice Bowl, Safely

Stay on the safe side by making your own burrito bowl at home, with cilantro brown rice and guacamole, using only eight main ingredients.

Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza, Reinvented

Stack lean turkey and beans inside two tortillas, then sprinkle with cheese and your favorite toppings for a real food twist on the Mexican chain’s specialty menu item.

White Castle Burgers, Minus the Questionable Meat

Play it safe and get the same flavors with this recipe, using organic cheese, fresh ground beef, and some peanut butter for the secret ingredient.

McDonald’s Sausage McMuffins, Cleaned Up

Get all of that McMuffin-y flavor with none of the creepy ingredients with this much cleaner rendition, using a whole-wheat English muffin, lean beef, and a real slice of cheese.

Taco Bell’s Beef Meximelt, Simplified

This mouthwatering Meximelt is one of the easiest meals to make at home, with no cooking involved other than browning the meat.

Desserts

Krispy Kreme (Gluten-Free) Doughnuts, Baked Not Fried

Just because you crave a doughnut doesn’t mean you should deal with the grease that comes with it. These Krispy Kreme copycats are soft, glazed, and gluten-free.

Wendy’s (Paleo) Frosty, Revamped

Get the same taste with nutritional benefits to boot with this version, using bananas, cacao powder, and nondairy milk to perfect that soft-serve/milkshake hybrid.

Cinnabon’s 30-Minute (Whole-Wheat) Mini Cinnamon Buns

These spiced rolls are bite-size, made with whole-wheat pastry flour, and a fraction of the sweetness, making them a win-win.

McDonald’s (Paleo) Shamrock Shake, Reinvented

No artificial coloring or flavors in here! Fresh mint leaves and avocado team up for that cool green color, while coconut milk helps thicken things up, and honey sweetens the deal.

Dairy Queen’s Oreo Blizzard, Healthified

Cut down on sugar without compromising the sweetness with this homemade, frozen, banana-based Blizzard instead.

McDonald’s Apple Hand Pies, Baked Not Fried

Egg roll wrappers instead of fried pastry dough form the envelopes for these McDonald’s-inspired apple pies, baked until crispy and gooey.

Subway’s White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Paleo Friendly

Soft, chewy, nutty… these macadamia nut cookies are hard to pass up. But if you’re looking for a healthier version, this recipe comes super close to the original.