The holidays are always a great time for loading up on desserts and treats. But just because it tastes good, doesn’t mean that it has to be unhealthy. Luckily, there are some easy, healthy dessert recipes for those of us that like to keep our bodies happy.
1. These cookies are chock full of nuts, grains, and
dried fruit.
Cookies can be fun to make, especially with the right company. And these cookies are full of healthy ingredients and aren’t too sweet. As written in LiveStrong, just a handful of nuts pack a punch of vitamins, minerals, and fats that are good for your heart and brain. And these cookies have their fair share. With 15 minutes for preparation time and 15 minutes for baking, you’ll be ready to enjoy them in 30 minutes total. For 15 cookies, you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of Kosher salt
- 1 cup of quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup of walnuts
- 1/4 cup of golden raisins
- 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons of honey
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons of boiling water
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flours, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the oats and coconut and toss together. Fold in the walnuts, raisins, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. Melt the butter and the honey. Combine the
baking soda and boiling water before adding the butter mixture. Make a well in the center of the oat mixture and then pour in the butter mixture before mixing. Form the mixture into 15 balls and place on the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
2. Angel food cupcakes that are under 60 calories
each!
You read that right. These cupcakes are under 60 calories each. And they’re super easy to make
with only a few ingredients. All you need is:
- 1 box of angel food cake mix
- Water
- Cool Whip Free
- Fresh strawberries cut into quarters
- Cupcake liners
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Angel Food according to the directions on the box. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. This will make about 40 cupcakes. Bake for 8 minutes until the top is slightly colored. Let them cool completely and then add 2 tablespoons of Cool Whip Free to each cupcake and top with 2 pieces of strawberry.
3. These baked apples are stuffed, but not with
sugar.
Yes, these stuffed, baked apples are sugar-free and filled with healthy ingredients, thanks to Veganosity. Not only are they delicious, but they’re easy to make, taking only 20 minutes for
preparation time. You’ll need:
8 apples
- 1 cup of whole oats
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup of dried, unsweetened cranberries or raisins
- 1 cup and 3 tablespoons of purified water
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- A pinch of finely ground sea salt
- 2 tablespoons of chilled, vegan butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the oats, chopped walnuts, cranberries or raisins, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, vegan butter, and 3 tablespoons of water. Wash and core the apples with a paring knife. Scrape the rest of the core out with a spoon. Put the apples in a baking dish and pour one cup of water into the pan with them. Spoon the filling into the apples and cover the pan with foil. Bake for approximately one hour or until piercing the apple with a fork feels
tender.
4. Cereal tarts with yogurt and fresh fruit are good for dessert or even as breakfast.
A dessert that can be enjoyed for breakfast, these cereal tarts with yogurt and fresh fruit are easy to make and packed with sweet, healthy ingredients. This recipe serves 8 and needs:
- 5 cups of cornflakes
- 1 cup of pecans
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons of maple syrup
- 16 ounces of plain yogurt
- 16 ounces of vanilla yogurt
- 2.67 cups of fresh fruit
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place eight 4-inch round tart pans with removable bottoms on a baking sheet. Place the cornflakes and pecans in a food processer and combine. Transfer the cereal mixture to a large bowl and drizzle with the melted butter before tossing to combine. Stir in the maple syrup. Divide the cereal mixture among the tart pans. Bake for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Remove the shells from the molds and transfer to a serving plate. Mix yogurts together and top each tart shell with yogurt and fruit. Serve fresh and enjoy.
5. Another dessert that can be enjoyed for breakfast is the Greek yogurt fruit tart.
Originally made by Sally’s Baking Addiction with a gluten free crust, packed with protein, and topped with fruit, this dessert is healthy and worthy of a breakfast meal. And all you need is:
- 15 Medjool dates soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
- 1-1/2 cups of raw, unsalted cashews
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt
- Sliced, fresh fruit
Spray the bottom of a 9-inch pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. After soaking the Medjool dates, drain and chop them in half. Pulse the dates and cashews together until a thick dough is formed and the cashews are all broken up. Press evenly into the pan and partly up the sides. Spread the yogurt on top of the crust. Top with fresh fruit slices.
6. For a pound cake that’s healthy and can be enjoyed guilt-free, try the Greek yogurt cranberry
orange pound cake.
This recipe is easy, low on calories, and full of ingredients that you can be proud of. Amy’s Healthy Baking decided to create this recipe when traditional pound cakes, named for having a pound of ingredients that were less than healthy, just weren’t cutting it. The cranberries make for a festive flavor and the yogurt give it a tender taste. For ingredients, you’ll need:
- 2-3/4 cups of white whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoons of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 3 tablespoon of freshly grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon of melted unsalted butter
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla crème stevia
- 3/4 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of nonfat milk
- 1-1/2 cups of diced cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5 pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest together. Separately whisk together butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and vanilla crème stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the orange juice and 2 tablespoons of nonfat milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk while stirring. Gently fold in the cranberries. Spread the batter into the pan. Bake for 1 hour or until the top feels firm to the touch and an
inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Only a few ingredients are needed for this yummy,
bite-sized dessert.
Dark chocolate peanut butter banana bites are just that, 3 main ingredients in a bite-sized treat.
All you need is:
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup of baking chocolate
1-1/2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
And all that you need to do is cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread the peanut butter onto banana slices, then cover each slice with another slice, and place into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Next, stir the melted coconut oil with the chocolate and microwave until smooth. Use a fork or spoon to cover each banana bite in the chocolate mix then place back onto the sheet.
Freeze for another hour and then enjoy!
8. Less is more with this basic chocolate cake.
This recipe is easy with only 15 minutes of preparation time and minimal ingredients required.
You’ll need:
- 1-1/2 cup of sifted cake flour
- 1/3 cup of Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of Strong brewed coffee
- 1/3 cup of light olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup of chocolate glaze
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch cake pan with softened butter and dust with all-purpose flour. Whisk the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, and salt together. Stir the coffee, oil, vanilla, and vinegar together then whisk into the flour mixture until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake around 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and then ice with about 1 cup of chocolate glaze.
9. Go frozen and skip the baking for this cake.
With the frozen raspberry layer cake, there’s no baking required, making it an easy to make recipe that’s easy to assemble. And there are only a few, healthy ingredients needed:
- 2 frozen pound cakes
- 3 cups of vanilla ice cream
- 4 cups of raspberry sorbet
- 1 pint of fresh raspberries
- 3 tablespoons of Chambord
Cut out a 9-inch circle from parchment paper and fit it into the bottom of a 9-inch pan. Cut out a 3×27-inch strip of parchment and fit it around the inside of the pan. Secure the parchment paper with tape. Cover the bottom of the pan with a single layer of pound cake slices and spread the ice cream evenly over them. Freeze until it hardens. Spread 2 cups of sorbet over the ice cream followed by another layer of pound cake slices. Freeze until it hardens. Combine the raspberries and the Chambord. Place the berries evenly over the cake and top with the final layer of pound cake and the remaining sorbet. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
10.For a refreshing treat, try Asian-pear sorbet with
thyme.
This dessert only needs a few ingredients, is easy to make, and is refreshing for the taste buds and
the body. You’ll need:
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 4 Asian pears
Bring water, granulated sugar, thyme sprigs, and vanilla bean to boil over high heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let syrup steep for 30 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and let syrup cool completely before transferring to blender, adding pears, and pureeing until smooth. Pour into bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. In an ice-cream maker, process sorbet mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm.
These healthy dessert recipes will be great for staying healthy not only during the holiday season, but also year-round.
Staying healthy is important, but we all deserve to treat ourselves with some delicious desserts. Be happy and healthy this holiday season with well wishes from Ashley Manor. And if you’re looking for some health and wellness tips on senior care, you can always check here.
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