Healthy Fruit Dessert Recipes That Still Feel Indulgent

We love serving fruit every which way for dessert. Depending on the season and your mood, it's delicious grilled, chilled in an icy shake, or baked in a warm pastry shell, just to name a few. Here are our favorite fruit-filled dessert recipes.
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Blueberry-Ricotta Tart

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We love serving fruit every which way for dessert. Depending on the season and your mood, it's delicious grilled, chilled in an icy shake, or baked in a warm pastry shell, just to name a few. Here are our favorite fruit-filled desserts.

Blueberry-Ricotta Tart

Ground almonds in this tart's crust add heart-healthy omega-3s while honey and brown sugar sweeten the filling.

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The Best Way to Grill Fruit

Check Out the Best Way to Grill Fruit

A quick turn on the grill does wonders for all kinds of fruit, from peaches and plums to melon and pineapple. It brings out natural flavors without the addition of any sugar. Don't miss our tips for flawlessly flame-kissed fruit!

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Strawberry Crush

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We love this cool, slightly boozy dessert that combines fresh and frozen strawberries with ice, almonds, sugar, milk, and a splash of amaretto. Try it with raspberries, blackberries, or peaches next!

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Dark Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

Raymond Hom
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Dessert couldn't be simpler: Take a small bowl of cherries and coat each one with a bit of luscious, melted dark chocolate.

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Cinnamon-Apple-Cranberry Crunch

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This dish goes great with a dollop of yogurt or ice cream.

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Strawberry-Banana Tofu Shake

Sang An
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This drink makes a nutritious dessert for milkshake lovers -- especially once you swirl in fresh fruit.

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Baked Cherry Crisp

Raymond Hom
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Sweet cherries dot light, flaky phyllo dough dusted with sugar and cinnamon in this virtuous dessert.

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Blackberry Macaroon Tart

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Want a macaroon or a piece of tart? Shredded coconut paired with a sweet filling in this dish deliver the best aspects of both.

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Berry "Pizza"

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Blackberries mix with raspberries and strawberries in this dessert. Ricotta holds them in place and provides a wonderfully creamy texture.

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Lemon Cream with Blackberries

Sang An
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Since you can make the lemon cream in advance, this is a great dessert for entertaining. Blackberries and lemon juice provide most of the flavor while the silken tofu makes the dish silky smooth.

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Broiled Brown Sugar-Vanilla Bananas Atop Ricotta

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The humble, healthful banana is elevated to elegant heights when sugared and fanned out atop lightly spiced ricotta.

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Watermelon Granita

Raymon Hom
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Watermelon is aptly named: About 92 percent of the cool fruit is water. But the melon packs a nutritional punch; it contains L-citrulline, which the body converts into an amino acid essential to vascular health.

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Apple, Date, and Ginger Crisp

Dana Gallagher
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A little ginger -- a powerful anti-inflammatory and digestion aid -- goes a long way in this dessert. Combining dates and apples makes for a sweet dose of fiber.

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Blueberry Shortcake

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Don't let strawberries have all the fun: A blueberry shortcake makes the perfect dessert.

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Strawberry Granita

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The mellowed acidity of aged balsamic vinegar pairs perfectly with the sugary sweetness of strawberries. For a special presentation, garnish with wild strawberries.

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Individual Peach Pastries

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If peaches are in season, pair them with this crust of light flaky dough, but if not, try it with any fruit you wish. The pastries are a perfect end to any summer meal.

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Cherry Fruit Salad

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This quick and easy salad can be served as a side dish at a barbecue or dessert at a luncheon.

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Roasted Apricots with Dulce de Leche

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This recipe calls for apricots, but peaches, plums, and nectarines roast beautifully, too. Traditional dulce de leche is full of fat, but this slimmed-down version is a great alternative to heavy cream.

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Lemon Layer Cake with Curd and Blueberries

Elizabeth Watt
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Layered and light, the tiers of this cake call for cholesterol-free egg whites and skim milk.

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Whipped Sorbet

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A sorbet of frozen fruit can be supremely satisfying when cravings strike.

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Strawberries and Vanilla Syrup

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As delicious as a bowl of just-picked strawberries are for dessert, tossing them in a simple vanilla syrup sweetened with fruit juice and a little sugar is a wonderful, quick way to make them special.

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Cornmeal Crepes with Fresh Buttermilk Cheese and Blackberries

Yunhee Kim
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Paper-thin crepes are improved upon healthwise with blackberries; this fruit is among the most fiber-rich you'll find and is a good source of vitamin C.

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Caramelized Plantains

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Plantains aren't meant for eating right out of the peel, but they are transformed into a gently sweet dessert when caramelized.

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Guava Pudding

Yunhee Kim
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Individual fruit puddings made with guava juice, a good source of lycopene, are topped with yogurt and heart-healthy almonds.

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Warm Stone Fruit Salad

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Vitamins A and C found in peaches and apricots take the cake in this sweet after-dinner treat.

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Rose Gelatin with Blackberries

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This gelatin recipe is almost as easy to make as the from-the-box variety but is more sophisticated and nutritious.

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Poached Nectarines in Chamomile Glace

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Juicy nectarines imbue the glace with the most unbelievable color. Find the very ripest nectarines for this gorgeous dessert.

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Frozen Lemonade

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Take a classic summer drink and make it a perfect ending to a late summer meal.

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Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Tarragon Syrup

Elizabeth Watt
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Instead of ice cream, serve bowls of beta-carotene-rich chilled cantaloupe soup with tarragon syrup.

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Seared Apples

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Halved and pressed into a fragrant mix of candied ginger and toasted nuts, seared apples are a sophisticated (and far healthier) version of those sticky, sweet candied apples from childhood.

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Dried Fruit with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

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Try to find a variety of dried fruits for this dessert. Dried plums work especially well.

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Papaya-Berry Yogurt Parfait

Kate Sears
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For the most visually rewarding presentation, layer the parfaits in clear glasses.

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Pomegranate Gelee