Healthy Dessert Recipes

Staff Picks

Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar

No-bake, vegan, gluten-free—this decadent dessert has a lot going for it. Dark chocolate is layered with a crunchy-chewy mixture of walnuts, dates, and peanut butter in a loaf pan, then finished with more nuts and flaky salt.

Vanilla Chia Pudding

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Chia seeds are available at health-food stores and online. They're rich in omega-3s, fiber, and antioxidants.

Roasted Cherries with Tofu "Panna Cotta"

A quick turn in the oven with honey and lemon juice brings out the flavor of fresh sweet cherries. Serve with luscious, custardy steamed tofu -- no molding or chilling required for this healthy dessert!

Blueberry Pops

When the heat rises, cool off with a delicious frozen treat. Loaded with fresh blueberries, these pops are perfect on hot summer days.

Pineapple and Ginger Smoothie

Drink up! The fresh ginger in this tropical pineapple smoothie adds a layer of spice that'll give your morning a kick.

Banana Muffins

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These banana muffins are moist and delicious and take only a half hour to bake in the oven—making them ideal for breakfast.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberries and rhubarb are summer's best friends -- cook them up together in this quintessential dessert.

Spiced Carrot Cake

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Cinnamon is commonly used to spice carrot cake but we recommend using cardamom here.

Roasted Papaya with Brown Sugar

Roasting halved papayaswith brown sugar and gingerdeepens the fruit's naturalsugars; a dash of cayenneand a squeeze of lime furtherenliven the dish.

Peach Crisp

Juicy, ripe peaches star in this easy-to-make dessert, but you can also substitute other stone fruits like nectarines or plums -- or even combine several.

Strawberries with Sweetened Sour Cream

This quick and easy treat is ideal for a warm summer night.

Watermelon Pops

Nothing's better on a hot day than homemade watermelon ice pops.

Inspiration and Ideas

20 Summer Fruit Desserts You Can Make with Five Ingredients (Or Less!)

Let summer berries, melon, peaches, cherries, and more shine with these easy dessert recipes. They all call for zero oven time, minimal prep, and just a handful of ingredients.

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.

Healthy Easter Desserts That Are Full of Flavor

Almond Custard Tart with Strawberries

Frozen Yogurt and Fruit Pops

Strawberry Oat Bars

Blueberry-Cream Cheese Hand Pies

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These little pies with heart-healthy blueberries will please grownups and children alike.

All Healthy Dessert Recipes

Mango Parfait

This sweet summer dessert is healthy, colorful, and easy to make.

Peach Granita

Looking for a cool, healthy treat? This icy dessert is full of fruit and little else.

Banana, Berry, and Buttermilk Popsicles

A healthy and chilly way to satisfy your snack cravings, these berry Popsicles are only 75 calories each.

Tofu Chocolate Mousse

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This smooth, chocolately dessert is made with silken tofu, which is usually sold in vacuum-packed, shelf-stable containers in the Asian-food section of grocery stores.

Honey-Caramelized Figs with Yogurt

Meet your new go-to breakfast. A light dusting of cinnamon adds just the right finish.

Cherry Tomato Crisp

This crisp is a tasty change from a typical tomato salad.

Grilled Stone Fruit

Stone fruits taste delicious hot off the grill. Cooked over an open flame, stone fruits take on a satisfying smoky crust.

Frozen Yogurt Pops

Two ingredients are all you need to whip up these cold treats.

Papaya Sorbet

Scoops of sorbet made with red papaya and a zingy dose of freshly squeezed lime juice pack plenty of antioxidant power in the form of lycopene and vitamin C.

Summer Fruit Salad

Use any seasonal fruit in this salad. Create your own mix based on what you like best.

Honey-Roasted Plums

This is a terrific light dessert. If you leave off the cream-cheese topping, it becomes a lovely accompaniment to roast chicken or pork.

Vegan Apple Pie

This holiday beauty proves just how delicious special-diet desserts can taste. The pate brisee for this pie is made with safflower oil, not butter, so vegans can dig in.

Stewed Apples

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These stewed apples go well with whole-grain waffles, pancakes, oatmeal or other hot breakfast cereals.

Chocolate-Soy Panna Cotta

Creamy and extremely chocolaty, this custard relies on soy milk and tofu, rather than cream and eggs, for a smooth, silken texture with minimal saturated fat.

Watermelon-Strawberry Pops

These kid-friendly frozen treats are the perfect afternoon snack on a hot summer day.

Blueberries with Maple Whipped Cream

This healthy dessert recipe is from Everyday Food reader Daniel Lee Mishkin, of South Portland, Maine.

Light Cherry Cheesecake

This cheesecake boasts a velvety texture with less fat than the original, thanks to lighter versions of cream cheese and sour cream, plus plenty of cottage cheese.

Tea-Scented Melon

To make this refreshing, floral dessert, marinate melon wedges inaromatic jasmine green tea.

Guava Pudding

Individual fruit puddings made with guava juice, another good source of lycopene, are topped with yogurt and heart-beneficial almonds.

Coconut-Mango Ice Pops

Ice pops of pureed mangoand coconut milk have grown-up appeal.

Mixed Berry Terrine

We made our own flavored gelatin by dissolving unflavored gelatin in fruit juice.

Light Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Vegetable oil subs in for butter in this fruit-topped, vanilla-scented cake, reducing the saturated fat; whole-wheat flour boosts the fiber and lends a nutty flavor.

Peach Gels

These fruit gels are as wobbly as store-bought gelatins but loads healthier.

Whole-Wheat Shortbread Cookies

These rustic shortbread wedges are made with whole-wheat pastry flour for a light, crumbly texture. Complete the treat with winter citrus, such as clementines or blood oranges, and dark chocolate.

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