Dessert doesn’t have to be full of ingredients that wreck your healthy eating habits. Check out our favorite healthy dessert recipes below for some delicious and nutritious options.
Cinnamon Baked Apples
6 large Granny Smith a
¼ c. brown sugar or Sucanet
½ c. toasted wheat germ
3 Tlb. currants plumped in hot water & drained
3 Tlb. chopped almonds
1 ½ Tlb. cinnamon
3 Tlb. coconut oil or softened butter
½ c. maple syrup
½ c. water
Heat oven to 350°and spray a glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Place sliced apples in baking dish. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, wheat germ, drained currents, almonds, cinnamon and coconut oil. Mash and mix with a fork until all ingredients are well combined. Spread mixture over apples. Drizzle with maple syrup and water. Bake for 45 min. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Options: substitute currents with raisins or dried cranberries.
Servings: 6
Per serving: 325 calories, 4 gm pro, 61 gm carb, 9 gm fat, 5½ gm fiber
Strawberry Mock Ice Cream
2 cups pure coconut water – fresh or canned (like Zico®)
24 med. strawberries washed sliced & partially frozen (=about 2 pints fresh, and 4 cups sliced)
2 LARGE, RIPE avocados cut in chunks
¼ cup raw honey
1 TSP vanilla extract
Optional ingredients: pinch salt, 1Tlb soaked Flax seed, 32 drops organic chocolate extract.
Place all ingredients in a heavy duty blender, and blend until creamy and smooth. (Follow manufacturers instructions for crushed ice or milkshake). Pour into a bowl and freeze for a few hours. Serve.
Makes approx. 4 cups total or 8 one-half cup servings
Calories 129, Tot Fat 5 gm. Sat Fat 1g, Sodium 19 mg Protein 2 gm
Total Carb 21 gm, Dietary Fiber 4 gm., Sugar 15 gm
Percent of Daily Recommendations for: Vitamin A 1%, Vitamin C 86%, Calcium 2%, Iron 3%
Plum Almond Crisp
Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tlbs. (non-GMO) cornstarch, or arrowroot
½ tsp. cinnamon or Chinese 5 spice
2 ½ – 3 lbs. ripe purple plums – pitted & sliced (about 28)
2 Tlbs. lemon juice
¼ tsp. almond extract
Topping:
¾ cup slivered or sliced almonds, or desired nuts
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup sugar: turbinado or coconut
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 375° (350°convection). In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch & cinnamon or 5 Spice, and mix well. Add plums, lemon juice and extract. Mix well to combine and coat plums. Pour this mixture into a 10-11” baking pan, sprayed with non-stick spray.
In a food processor, combine almonds, flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse until almonds are finely chopped, and mixture resembles coarse meal. Add beaten egg while pulsing. Pulse until entire mixture is well combined. Spread almond topping evenly over plum mixture. Bake 50-60 minutes, until top is a golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven & let cool to room temperature, then serve.
Makes: 8-10 servings
Per serving (of 10): 280 calories, 5 gm pro, 54 gm carb, 6 gm fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 73 mg sodium, and 4 gm fiber.
Options: cut back on some of the sugar and top finished crisp with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt for a delicious and satisfying breakfast or hearty snack. You can vary the nuts and type of flour for the crisp topping, if you have any allergies or intolerances.
Blueberry Oat Crisp
Fruit Filling:
6 cups fresh blueberries washed
Zest and 2 Tlb. juice of lemon
½ c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cardamom or cinnamon 2 Tlb cornstarch, or arrowroot
Topping:
½ cup flour (whole wheat)
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
4 Tlb. unsalted chilled butter or acceptable fat
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13”x 9” baking pan. In a large bowl combine blueberries, lemon zest & juice, ½ c. brown sugar, spice and cornstarch. Mix gently until all ingredients are combined and berries are coated. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar salt, and oats. Mix to combine. Add butter and cut in, or rub with fingers until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add nuts and mix again. Sprinkle this mixture over berries. Place in preheated oven & cook 25-30 minutes, or until berries are bubbly and topping is browned. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve warm.
Makes: 12 servings
Per serving: 200 calories, 3 gm. pro, 6 gm. fat, 36 gm carb., 60 mg sodium, 10 mg cholesterol, 4 gm fiber
Cookie Jumbles
Preheat oven tp 375 degrees
Choose from the following choices and add the corresponding amounts for each category:
Flour – 1 cup
- Wheat
- Millet
- Corn Flour
- Brown Rice
Leavening – 1 tsp
- Baking Powder
- Baking Powder substitute
Rolled Grain – 1 cup
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Spelt
- Kamut
Crushed Nuts or Seeds – 1/2 cup
- Walnut
- Pecan
- Sunflower
- Hemp
- Pistachio
- Macadamia
- Cashew
- Peanut
Shredded Vegetables – 1 cup
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Sweet Potato
Sticky Sweet – 1/2 cup
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Corn Syrup
- Agave
Oil or Butter – 1/2 cup
- Rice Bran
- Corn
- Safflower
- Olive
- Walnut
- Peanut
Spices – 1/4 tsp each
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Cardamom
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Blend together all wet ingredients in another bowl. Add wet mixture to dry mixture until well-mixed.
Oil cookie sheet or use parchment, use small scoop and drop onto sheet and bake until light brown. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let rest one minute, then put onto a wire rack to cool…. If you can wait that long!
Nutritional information will vary.
Strawberries with Chocolate Sauce
3 Pints Fresh ripe strawberries – washed, hulled & sliced & sprinkled with
2 tsp superfine sugar
Milk Chocolate Sauce
½ cup skim or 1% milk
2 Tlb. sugar
2Tlb. unsweetened cocoa powder (Use a high quality like Scharffen Berger)
1 tsp. arrowroot or cornstarch
¼ tsp. real vanilla extract
Bittersweet Choc Sauce
½ cup filtered water
2 Tlb. sugar
3 Tlb. unsweetened cocoa powder powder (Use a high quality like Scharffen Berger)
1 tsp. arrowroot or cornstarch
¼ tsp. real vanilla extract
Combine first 4 ingredients in small saucepan, using whisk to blend. Bring to a low boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cover and chill. When cooled to room temperature, serve.
Makes about 9 Tablespoons = slightly more than ½ cup= 6 servings.
Each 1 ½ tablespoon serving equals 30 calories, 0-1 gm protein, 5 gm carbohydrate, 0 fat, 0-11 mg sodium.
Portion out ½-3/4 cup of strawberries into a beautiful glass dessert dish and top with 1½ Tlb. choc sauce. Garnish with sprig of mint for a delicious, healthy, elegant, low calorie, high nutrient dessert.
Makes 6 servings
Per serving = 65 calories, 1 gm protein, 15 gm carbohydrate, 0 fat, 3 gm fiber
Peanutty Energy Bars
1/2 cup raw peanuts, toasted
½ cup other raw nuts/seeds toasted, (sunflower or pumpkin seeds work well)
½ cup gold raisins or other dried fruit
2 cups uncooked, old-fashion oatmeal
2 cups toasted rice cereal (like Rice Chex™, Rice Krispies™ or Organic Brown Rice Crisps Cereal)
½ cup pure peanut butter (no added sugar or oil), plain or crunchy
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup organic light corn syrup, or brown rice syrup, or honey, or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional: ¼ cup flax meal or toasted wheat germ
Grease a 9 x 12 baking pan. Mix first 5 ingredients in a medium size bowl. In a pint glass measuring cup combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, & syrup. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour this mixture over cereal mixture and stir well to coat all ingredients.
Pour this mixture into prepared pan. With greased hands, flatten mixture into pan, and let cool 25-50 minutes. Cut into bars 2” x 3” (18 total) and serve. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 18 2” x 3” bars
Serving Size: 1/18 of recipe 50g (50g)
Amount Per Serving:Calories 213, Calories from Fat 79, Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol,0mg, Sodium 12mg, Total Carbohydrate 30g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 12g, Protein 5g