Stick to Your Healthy Eating Goals with These Healthy Dessert Recipes (2024)

These nutritious treats are tasty enough to be savored.

By Christopher Michel
Stick to Your Healthy Eating Goals with These Healthy Dessert Recipes (1)

Trying to eat healthier? Don't skip dessert.

Really! Depriving yourself of all pleasure is the best way to ensure that you'll eventually give up—and go right back to unhealthy eating. Instead, moderation is the key. Give yourself small treats and eat them mindfully—so you get the most enjoyment from them. It will help you stick to your new eating habits long enough for them to stick. Below find a big list of our favorite quick and easy healthy desserts. From fruit-forward crisps to sweet chocolate treats, to cakey delights, these are treats that have some nutrition, but still make you feel like you're treating yourself.

1

Sweet-and-Savory Peppermint Popcorn

Stick to Your Healthy Eating Goals with These Healthy Dessert Recipes (3)

On its own, popcorn is more of a healthy snack — but paired with a judicious helping of white chocolate and peppermint candies, it becomes a delectable dessert.

Get the recipe for Sweet-and-Savory Peppermint Popcorn.

2

Watermelon Amaro Pops

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Orange-flavored liquor give these grown-up pops a bold, fruity flavor, while a touch of agave syrup keeps them from being overly sweet.

Get the recipe for Watermelon Amaro Pops.

3

White Chocolate Pomegranate-Pistachio Bark

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Dark or white chocolate work equally well for this easy bark, but the pomegranates are a must: Besides nutrients and fiber, the fresh juicy burst of the seeds provides a perfect counterpoint to the chocolate.

Get the recipe for White Chocolate Pomegranate-Pistachio Bark.

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4

Campfire Pear Crumbles

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Cover it with foil and bake it over coals for a smoky, toasty, fruit-forward treat that can't be matched!

Get the recipe for Campfire Pear Crumbles.

5

Spiced Peach Hand Pies

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One of the benefits of these tasty hand pies is that they come in single-serving portions!

Get the recipe for Spiced Peach Hand Pies.

6

Puff Pastry Star Cookies

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These simple cookies are easy to make in a variety of shapes (though stars for July 4th are classic), and they have just four ingredients. Cut back on the dusted sugar to make them less sweet.

Get the recipe for Puff Pastry Star Cookies.

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7

Spiced Plum Galette

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Another fresh fruit treat, this simple dessert is easier to make than a pie—and (we think) prettier, too!

Get the recipe for Spiced Plum Galette.

8

Roasted Hazelnut & Pistachio Bark

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This decadent dessert is made from just three ingredients: dark chocolate, flaky salt, and toasted nuts. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar is in it!

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9

Brandied Strawberry Shortcakes with Malted Whipped Cream

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You can cut back on the sugar to make this simple dessert even healthier—or skip the whipped cream and use yogurt instead!

Get the recipe for Strawberry Shortcakes.

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10

Any Fruit Crisp

This light, tart dessert has rolled oats, a touch of brown sugar, and whatever fresh fruit your heart desires!

Get the recipe for Any Fruit Crisp.

11

Strawberry-Almond Crumble Pie

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Fresh fruit is always a good way to get a healthy sweet treat. Oat-based crumbles add a bit more fiber than a standard pie crust topping.

Get the recipe for Strawberry-Almond Crumble Pie.

12

Marbled Tahini Shortbread Cookies

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These rich cookies have just 2 teaspoons of sugar per bar, and are flavored primarily with tahini paste!

Get the recipe for Marbled Tahini Shortbread Cookies.

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13

Mixed Berry Pie with Rye Crust

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Rye flour adds fiber and cuts down on the calories in this tangy mixed-berry pie.

Get the recipe for Mixed Berry Pie with Rye Crust.

14

Poached Rhubarb with Yogurt

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Fresh poached rhubarb is surprisingly easy to make, and when paired with good yogurt and homemade granola, it's the perfect sweet way to finish a meal.

Get the recipe for Poached Rhubarb with Yogurt.

15

Lemon-Rosemary Tea Bread

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This cake slices up neatly for a not-too-sweet after-dinner treat. Serve it with dollops of whipped cream, or cut the sugar (and fat) with sour cream, or plain yogurt.

Get the recipe for Lemon-Rosemary Tea Bread.

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16

Carrot-Nut Bread with Sour Cream Glaze

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It's like a sneaky way of getting everyone to eat their vegetables!

Get the recipe for Carrot Nut Bread.

17

Chocolate-Cinnamon Marble Bread

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This quick bread scratches that cake itch without being quite so decadent. And because you're making it yourself, you can decide exactly how much sugar goes in.

Get the recipe for Chocolate-Cinnamon Marble Bread.

18

Blackberry Coconut Tart

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Fresh blackberries and coconut make for a delicious, not-too-sweet dessert.

Get the recipe for Blackberry Coconut Tart.

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19

Banana Bread with Salted Peanut Streusel

Stick to Your Healthy Eating Goals with These Healthy Dessert Recipes (21)

Just a small slice of this salty-sweet combo goes a long way. Halve the sugar to make it even healthier.

Get the recipe for Banana Bread with Salted Peanut Streusel.

20

Raspberry Crumb Bars

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These crumb bars are full of rolled oats and fresh raspberries.

Get the recipe for Raspberry Crumb Bars.

Stick to Your Healthy Eating Goals with These Healthy Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest dessert you can eat? ›

Healthier Desserts
  • Oat Apple Crisp. 5/12. ...
  • Fruit and Cheese. 6/12. ...
  • Chocolate-Covered Frozen Bananas. 7/12. ...
  • Nut Bar. 8/12. ...
  • Poached Pears. 9/12. ...
  • Sweetened Popcorn. 10/12. ...
  • Chocolate Milk. 11/12. ...
  • Frozen Yogurt Bars. 12/12. Brands vary, but it's possible to get that creamy, sweet goodness for just 80 calories per bar.
Dec 1, 2022

What makes a dessert healthy? ›

A healthy dessert could include options like fruit salads, yogurt with berries, or dark chocolate with nuts. These choices provide sweetness with nutrients and lower levels of added sugars and unhealthy fats.

What is used in preparing dessert that has natural sugar and makes healthier to eat? ›

By adding fruit you add more nutrients to the dessert which makes it healthier and since fruit has natural sugar in it, it has a sweet taste just like dessert normally does.

How could you make a dessert healthier and very convenient to one's diet? ›

Tips for Making Healthy Desserts Your Family Will Love
  1. Instead of pure milk chocolate, go for dark. ...
  2. Instead of heavy cream or butter, go for Greek yogurt. ...
  3. Instead of butter, go for nut butter or unsweetened applesauce. ...
  4. Instead of white sugar, go for natural sweeteners.

What is a healthy dessert for weight loss? ›

Fruit helps to fill you up because they're high in fiber and water, both essential for shedding weight. Eat fruit as is, or take things up a notch with fruit-based recipes like peach sorbet or healthy banana splits.

Is it healthy to eat dessert every day? ›

A small dessert consumed daily can be part of a healthy diet. The key is to control portion sizes.

Can you eat dessert and still be healthy? ›

There are many other indicators of health, including your quality of sleep, your stress levels and how hydrated you are. But if weight loss is your goal, you can (and should) have dessert if you want to. In fact, allowing yourself to enjoy dessert can actually make weight loss easier.

What is a healthy dessert after dinner? ›

Lightly sweetened Greek yogurt gets studded with fresh strawberries and chocolate chips and then frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark (but healthier!). This colorful snack or healthy dessert is perfect for kids and adults alike. Use full-fat yogurt to ensure the creamiest bark possible.

What sugar is best for desserts? ›

Dark and light muscovado sugar

Both are unrefined sugars with a pronounced caramel flavour and can be used whenever dark or light brown sugar is called for. They are also great for rich desserts, bringing natural toffee flavour to sticky toffee puddings and dark gingerbread.

What foods are naturally sweet? ›

Here are a few examples of naturally sweet foods: Fruit: apple, apricot, banana, berries, kiwi, mango, melons, papaya, pear, plum, or peach. Vegetables: sweet potatoes, yams, beets, carrots, winter squash. Nuts: cashew, coconut, macadamia, pistachio, and pecan.

What makes natural sugar better? ›

Natural sugars are preferred because they have a high nutritional value and a high concentration of healthy compounds, which offset the negative effects of refined sugar.

What is the healthiest bakery item? ›

Wholegrain & Wholemeal Breads

Since wholemeal bread is baked with whole or nearly whole wheat grains, it contains much more flavour and nutrition. Wholemeal is also a great source of carbohydrates, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, as well as being low in fat.

What is a healthy dessert besides fruit? ›

  • You know you want to take care of your teeth but you just can't help it — you have a sweet tooth! So you're asking, "What should I eat when I crave sweets?" ...
  • Fruit. Fruit is nature's candy, after all! ...
  • Greek Yogurt. ...
  • Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream. ...
  • Chia Pudding. ...
  • Low-sugar Popsicles. ...
  • Nut Butter. ...
  • Baked Pears or Apples.
Jan 9, 2023

Can desserts be healthy? ›

Choosing desserts with nuts and seeds helps add healthy fats and protein, which can be beneficial for brain health. Adding dark chocolate and a variety of spices is also health-promoting due to their anti-inflammatory properties." Furthermore, milk-based hot chocolate or yogurt parfaits are rich in calcium.

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