Healthy Dessert Recipes

Staff Picks

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.

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.

Stewed Apples

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

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.

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.

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.

Candied Pumpkin Slices

This recipe works best with firm orange-skinned pumpkins, such as 'Cheese' or 'Small Sugar Pie.'

Lightened Rice Pudding

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This gently spiced, vanilla-scented pudding is so velvety you'd never suspect that it's made with skim milk instead of regular. It can also be served warm. This recipe was submitted by Samuel Shaffer of New York City.

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.

Spiced Carrot Cake

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

Blueberry-Cream Cheese Hand Pies

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

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.

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

Strawberries with Sweetened Sour Cream

Mango Parfait

Peanut-Banana Espresso Smoothie

Lemon Cream with Blackberries

Silken tofu makes this dessert smooth, while fresh lemon juice adds a burst of tart flavor.

All Healthy Dessert Recipes

Dried Fruit and Nut Bites

These are good energy treats with plenty of healthy fats to satisfy a snacker.

Guilt-Free Gingerbread

This year, don't reach for powdered ginger. Fresh ginger gives this traditional dessert a more nutritious, flavorful update.

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.

Pistachio-Stuffed Dates with Coconut

Get your snack fix with this healthy bite you can make ahead.

Fig and Walnut Biscotti

Surprise! No butter or oil is used in these cookies that take two trips to the oven for their distinct texture.

Almond Custard Tart with Strawberries

We love how balanced this tart is—the custard filling has a subtle almond flavor, isn't overly sweet, and pairs beautifully with the crunchy oat crust. It makes an excellent healthy Easter dessert and is dairy-free to boot.

Frozen Yogurt and Fruit Pops

If a parfait and an ice cream bar got together, the logical conclusion would be this refreshing frozen treat. Greek yogurt, honey, and puréed fruit (we used strawberry, blueberry, and mango) are swirled together into molds and frozen for an all-ages treat.

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.

Fresh Figs with Mascarpone and Warm Spiced Honey

This healthy dessert utilizes fresh figs -- a nutrient-rich fruit popular in Europe and brought to California in the late 18th Century by Spanish Franciscan missionaries.

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.

Guava Pudding

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

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.

Light Chocolate-Chunk Brownies

The secret to lighter -- but still delicious -- brownies? Replacing butter and much of the chocolate with better-for-you cocoa powder, applesauce, and reduced-fat sour cream.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake

A blend of gluten-free flours including brown-rice flour, almond flour, and quinoa flour yield delicate results. Buttermilk helps to keep the cake super moist, and plenty of cocoa powder makes it taste rich and decadent.

Yogurt Parfait with Granola, Raspberries, and Candied Ginger

Not only is this picture-perfect parfait delicious, it's also a refreshingly light way to start the morning. Try our recipe for Homemade Granola.

Mixed Berry Terrine

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

Almond Date Smoothie

The combination of almond butter and pitted dates creates a smoothie that is as rich and creamy as a milkshake.

Cherry-Date Oat Bars

Stash one of these bars in your purse or backpack for a nutritious, gluten-free snack on-the-go.

Pumpkin Puree for Desserts

Use this pumpkin puree to make a number of desserts, like Pumpkin Ice Cream and Pumpkin Cornmeal Doughnuts.

Broiled Pineapple with Frozen Yogurt

This sweet tropical fruit is an easy choice for a smart, delicious dessert.

Chewy Granola Bars

Give kids their nutrients with a grab-and-go granola bar. Made with oatmeal, wheat germ, seeds, and nuts, ours has the protein, vitamins, and minerals kids need. Raisins and dried apricots lend sweetness and moistness, and chocolate chips make them irresistible.

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.

Oat-and-Spelt Shortbread

Sure, you've had oatmeal in a sweet, but these cookies also contain spelt flour, which has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. A dark-chocolate coating and a sprinkling of flaky salt make the ideal finishing touches.

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