Healthy Desserts: 65+ Recipes

Introducing healthy sweet treats for a healthy diet: from low-calorie cheesecakes and brownies to mouth-watering fruit desserts.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies

This delicate treat contains natural peanut butter and Greek yogurt, plus a chocolate cookie crust. It requires no baking and sets in the refrigerator.

Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Brownies

Marbled banana bread

Use ripe bananas for this chocolate cake. Melted chocolate is added to the batter, infusing each bite with sweetness.

Recipe: Marbled banana bread

Frozen yogurt granules

It's amazing that such a tiny dessert can pack such a punch. Fresh fruit and Greek yogurt give this frozen treat a sweet, tart flavor. A 10-piece serving contains only 50 calories and 3 grams of sugar.

Recipe: Frozen yogurt granules

Reduced Fat Cheesecake

The secret to a lighter cheesecake that retains the same rich, creamy flavor? A combination of Neufchâtel cheese (a low-fat French cheese), light sour cream, and low-fat cream cheese.

Recipe: Reduced Fat Cheesecake

Crunchy peanut butter crackers

This compact, crunchy treat is a great alternative to regular peanut butter cookies. Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids; if you can't find them in your regular grocery store, look for them in health food stores.

Recipe: Crunchy peanut butter crackers

Healthy Brownies

These brownies get their deep flavor from a combination of semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee.

Recipe: Healthy Brownies

Mini ice cream and cookie sandwiches

When you need a quick dessert, pair vanilla wafer cookies with whatever frozen yogurt you have in the freezer.

Recipe: Mini ice cream and cookie sandwiches

Angel Food Cake with Egg Whites

Alton makes a citrusy twist on the classic low-calorie dessert by adding orange extract to a light sponge cake.

Recipe: Angel Food Cake with Egg Whites

No-Bake Lemon Bars

Ellie Krieger makes a classic iced dessert using low-fat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk—the same creamy texture without the extra calories.

Recipe: No-Bake Lemon Bars

Curd cupcakes with strawberry glaze

Mascarpone cheese adds a creamy texture to the finished light sponge cake mix. Giada De Laurentiis's quick cupcakes are topped with a simple strawberry glaze.

Recipe: Curd cupcakes with strawberry glaze

Grilled Banana Split

Serve an elevated, healthier version of the classic ice cream dessert by topping caramelized toasted banana with berries, toasted almonds, chocolate, and frozen yogurt.

Recipe: Grilled Banana Split

Pumpkin cheesecake with crème brulee

Jarred pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice provide the flavorful foundation of this cheesecake. Low-fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt provide the creamy texture of a traditional dessert without the added fat.

Recipe: Pumpkin cheesecake with crème brulee

Peanut butter mousse

This dairy-free dessert gets its creamy texture from an unexpected ingredient: silken tofu.

Recipe: Peanut butter mousse

Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Porridge

Rice contains starch, which allows you to make a tender and surprisingly light pudding with the addition of coconut milk. Coconut water imparts a sweet, floral aroma. Serve toppings of dried fruit, toasted nuts, coconut flakes, and seeds separately, allowing guests to add their own twists to the pudding.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Porridge

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Lemon Raspberry Cake with Citrus Glaze

The chefs created this recipe based on a subscriber's idea. This citrus cake features a fresh raspberry filling and a light meringue frosting.

Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake with Citrus Glaze

Bread pudding with wild rice, blueberries and orange-caramel sauce

The flavor and texture of this pudding come from rice and sweet Hawaiian bread (with blueberries, orange zest, and juice), while condensed milk adds richness without the added fat. It's hard to believe it's less than 300 calories per serving!

Recipe: Bread pudding with wild rice, blueberries and orange-caramel sauce

Jam and Oatmeal Squares

These fruit bars are easy to make with just 7 ingredients.

Recipe: Jam and Oatmeal Squares

Chocolate Malt Pudding Pie

Dutch cocoa powder offers the rich flavor of unsweetened cocoa without the bitterness—perfect for a chocolate malt cake with a sweet sauce.

Recipe: Chocolate Malt Pudding Pie

Soft oatmeal cookies with raisins

Apple paste adds a moist texture, sweetness, and flavor to these soft cookies.

Recipe: Soft oatmeal cookies with raisins

Light brownie with cheesecake

These low-calorie marbled brownies combine two delicious desserts. The cheesecake layer contains low-fat cream cheese, while low-fat buttermilk makes the brownie base moist and rich.

Recipe: Light brownie with cheesecake

Exquisite chocolate cake

Low-fat Greek yogurt is the secret ingredient that gives the muffin its moistness.

Recipe: Exquisite chocolate cake

Date truffles

Dried dates add natural sweetness to these dense cookies. For a quick and delicious treat, stir in some cocoa, low-fat peanut butter, and crushed whole-grain graham crackers.

Recipe: Date truffles

Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Ellie's carrot cupcakes have a moist texture thanks to the applesauce in the batter.

Recipe: Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ellie reduces the amount of butter in her cookies by using almond paste, which adds a subtle nutty flavor.

Recipe: Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Chocolate Brownie with Whole Wheat Flour

Ellie makes truly chocolatey brownies with cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. Low-fat yogurt adds richness to the brownies.

Recipe: Chocolate Brownie with Whole Wheat Flour

No-Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Try a fun new twist on pumpkin pie: it's made with vanilla frozen yogurt and then frozen like an ice cream cake.

Recipe: No-Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Country pie-galette with apples and dried cherries

Guests will love this apple pie with its interestingly shaped crust and topped with sweet and tart cherries.

Recipe: Country pie-galette with apples and dried cherries

Simple berry dessert

This light and fresh dessert with Greek yogurt and juicy berries is the perfect sweet end to a weeknight dinner.

Recipe: Simple berry dessert

Thyme Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze

Extra virgin olive oil in the batter gives the cupcakes a rich flavor that's refreshed by the tart lemon glaze.

Recipe: Thyme Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze

Pumpkin Rice Pudding

Ellie's comforting rice pudding is made with 2% milk and sweetened with honey: a delicious treat without the extra calories.

Recipe: Pumpkin Rice Pudding

Brown Betty Apple and Blackberry Casserole

This dessert is loaded with fruit, and crumbled waffle cones create a sweet, crunchy crust.

Recipe: Brown Betty Apple and Blackberry Casserole

Blackberry and Grape Sunday

Instead of store-bought sundae toppings, make your own quick and easy fruit topping. All you need are blackberries, grapes, and a little sugar.

Recipe: Blackberry and Grape Sunday

Homemade yogurt with apple compote

Melissa's thick and tart homemade yogurt pairs perfectly with a simple apple compote.

Recipe: Homemade yogurt with apple compote

Whole grain chocolate chip cookies

These crispy, soft whole-grain cookies contain only 110 calories per cookie, and some of the fat is replaced by applesauce. Challenge your friends and family to guess the secret ingredient!

Recipe: Whole grain chocolate chip cookies

Cold Relief Cookies

These cookies contain lots of spices, dried fruits and other healthy ingredients – a wealth of vitamins in every bite.

Recipe: Cold Relief Cookies

Lemon Thyme Bars

Thyme adds a sophisticated flavor to Giada's light and tart lemon dessert.

Recipe: Lemon Thyme Bars

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze

The swirls decorating Ellie's chocolate cupcakes look like they're store-bought. However, they're preservative-free and made with whole-grain flour, so you can enjoy cupcakes just like you did as a kid.

Recipe: Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze

Banana pudding

The almond milk in the pudding provides a subtle, nutty sweet flavor, while the almond slices add an interesting texture.

Recipe: Banana pudding

Individual orange-chocolate cheesecakes

Grated orange zest adds a vibrant flavor to these individually-portioned cheesecakes.

Recipe: Individual orange-chocolate cheesecakes

Strawberry parfait

Crushed gingersnaps add an unexpected spicy kick and crunchy texture to a simple parfait.

Recipe: Strawberry parfait

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Here, butter is replaced with canola oil, which makes the cupcakes less greasy and the crust moist. The frosting is made with sweetened low-fat cream cheese: simple, yet delicious.

Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberries in balsamic sauce with ricotta cream

Reduce balsamic vinegar with a little sugar to enhance the sweet-tart flavor, which pairs perfectly with strawberries and creamy ricotta.

Recipe: Strawberries in balsamic sauce with ricotta cream

Mini carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt make this dessert flavorful and moist, filling it with fiber and protein. Each cupcake requires 1 teaspoon of sweet cream cheese frosting; it's much lower in calories than regular cupcakes covered in a thick layer of frosting.

Recipe: Mini carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Yogurt ice cream

Whole milk yogurt and low-fat Greek yogurt combine for a light, airy, and tart frozen treat.

Recipe: Yogurt ice cream

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Thanks to the use of healthy ingredients, Ellie's Berry Nut Muffin contains only 210 calories per serving.

Recipe: Blueberry Coffee Cake

Chocolate cupcakes with meringue frosting

Puréed prunes provide a moist texture, but their flavor won't be noticeable in these chocolate frosted cupcakes.

Recipe: Chocolate cupcakes with meringue frosting

Low-carb vanilla pudding dessert

These tartlets can also be garnished with blueberries, strawberry or banana slices.

Recipe: Low-carb vanilla pudding dessert

Orange sorbet

This dessert requires only simple ingredients: milk, orange, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt. Freshly squeezed orange juice and plenty of zest provide the sorbet's refreshing flavor.

Recipe: Orange sorbet

Oatmeal and flaxseed cookies with chocolate

Kids might be able to spot the oatmeal in these cookies, but they certainly won't guess that there's another healthy ingredient in there: ground flaxseed.

Recipe: Oatmeal and flaxseed cookies with chocolate

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Cookies

These 5-ingredient cookies couldn't be simpler (or more delicious): the dough is made with chocolate-hazelnut spread, butter, flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Each cookie has just 104 calories.

Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Cookies

No-Bake Banana Cream Pie

Velvety vanilla pudding and sliced ​​banana on a graham cracker crust make this a special dessert with only 215 calories per serving.

Recipe: No-Bake Banana Cream Pie

Low-calorie chocolate fondue

Chocolate fondue is a delicious end to any meal. Ellie's recipe combines cocoa powder and condensed milk into a wonderful dark dipping sauce for fresh fruit.

Recipe: Low-calorie chocolate fondue

Fried bananas with sour cream

For a healthy dessert to go with dinner, Melissa serves sweet caramelized bananas with a tangy sweet sauce—a mixture of sour cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest.

Recipe: Fried bananas with sour cream

Lemon mousse

Whipped egg whites, low-fat Greek yogurt, fresh lemon juice and zest combine to create a light and airy mousse.

Recipe: Lemon mousse

Lavender and Lemon Cookies

Honey and lavender give these eggless cookies a vibrant floral aroma. Arrowroot (a type of starch) replaces eggs as the cookie's binding agent.

Recipe: Lavender and Lemon Cookies

Apple muffins

These muffins are made with applesauce instead of butter, making them healthier and moister while intensifying the apple flavor.

Recipe: Apple muffins

Vegan banana bread

This is a banana bread without eggs or dairy, but the difference is barely noticeable. The base is soft and tender, and the flavor gets better with each passing day (though you'll probably eat it quickly).

Recipe: Vegan banana bread

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are just as delicious as the traditional version, with the same sweet and creamy base. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries; fresh berries can add a little more moisture.

Recipe: Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry and Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

Cinnamon pita chips replace the traditional graham cracker crust in this delicious cheesecake (each slice has only 12 grams of fat!). This dessert is so smooth and delicious, you might never want to make a regular-fat cheesecake again.

Recipe: Blueberry and Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

Low-fat apple pancakes

This fiber-rich, low-fat breakfast is perfect for a crowd. This sweet and tender casserole cooks up faster than several individual pancakes. You can dust the dish with powdered sugar or drizzle it with maple syrup.

Recipe: Low-fat apple pancakes

Pumpkin cookies with whole grain flour

Whole-wheat pastry flour is the key ingredient in these sweet, savory, fiber-rich scones. It's made from softer wheat than regular whole-wheat flour, resulting in a tender, light baked good.

Recipe: Pumpkin cookies with whole grain flour

Banana muffins with walnuts and bran

These whole grain muffins are lower in fat, thanks in part to the light sour cream, which also adds a wonderfully creamy texture and flavor.

Recipe: Banana muffins with walnuts and bran

Chocolate pudding with chia seeds

Chia seeds add a lovely rich texture to chocolate pudding.

Recipe: Chocolate pudding with chia seeds

Mini Carrot Apple Cupcakes

These mini cupcakes are topped with cream cheese frosting. Giada uses dark brown sugar: its molasses flavor complements the apples and carrots.

Recipe: Mini Carrot Apple Cupcakes

Baked apples with oatmeal and apple cider syrup

Bobby Flay complements seasonal apples with autumn spices and light brown sugar. Top each serving with steel-cut oats, low-fat Greek yogurt, and an apple cider vinegar dressing.

Recipe: Baked apples with oatmeal and apple cider syrup

Dessert of puffed rice and millet

Puffed millet, crispy brown rice, and a touch of honey provide a nutty flavor and a variety of textures. Add a few marshmallows for a new take on the classic puffed rice dessert.

Recipe: Dessert of puffed rice and millet



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