Healthy Desserts that do not Sacrifice on Flavor (With Recipes)

Of all the different types of meals that can break a diet, dessert is surely the most likely. Unfortunately, it is also widely regarded as the tastiest. When following a diet or weight loss journey it is easy to believe that you will have to cut out dessert, which for some may be near impossible.

Thankfully, this is not the case. When following a diet moderation, serving size, and total calories are key! These diet desserts are low in calories when compared to your average dessert, and they are all able to be portioned out into smaller servings. Even better, the lower calorie count does not equate to lower flavor. All of these low calorie desserts are just as tasty as a typical dessert, they simply utilize healthier ingredients and are portioned out into smaller servings.

It is important to note, that depending on where you are in your weight loss journey these desserts may or may not be applicable. Be sure to consult your nutritionist/doctor before consuming. Within this list of decadent desserts, we have:

• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bites
• Lemonade Cupcakes
• Raspberry Ricotta Cake
• Chocolate Mousse Dip
• No-Flour, Low-Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bites

Protein is a hard nutrient to find within foods, especially in desserts. This low calorie dessert will help you fill out your protein requirements while giving you that peanut butter-chocolate flavor you crave. You can even freeze the protein bites if you prefer your diet desserts to be frozen!

Prep Time - 10 mins | Total Time - 70 mins | Yield - 20 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup pitted dates
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 scoops of preferred chocolate protein powder
• ¼ low-fat peanut butter
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp cacao powder
• ¼ cup organic dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Get a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. In a food processing bowl, combine the dates, black beans, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, sea salt, and cacao powder. Process the mixture until it is completely smooth and consistent throughout.

After mixing, roll the mixture into small one inch balls and place them on the baking sheet. The mixture should make approximately 20 balls. For the optional drizzle, melt down the dark chocolate chips and drizzle them over the balls.

Refrigerate the protein balls for at least one hour. Alternatively, you can also freeze them if you would prefer a more frozen treat. Enjoy!

Lemonade Cupcakes

If you’re looking for a healthy dessert to bring to a summer party, look no further! Lemonade cupcakes are a tasty way of combining fresh fruit with dessert. The recipe utilizes a standard box of white low calorie cake mix, and then substitutes the rest of the ingredients with healthy alternatives. This makes it easy to make and even easier to eat!

Prep Time - 15 mins | Total Time - 35 mins | Yield - 24 servings

Ingredients

• 1 box of white cake mix (approximately 1 lb)
• 1 cup water
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar free lemonade mix
• ½ lb tub of light whipped topping

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350F. Grab a muffin or cupcake pan consisting of 24 individual cups and line them with paper liners.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the cake mix, water, applesauce, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp of the lemonade mix. Mix until you reach a consistent texture. Spoon the mixture evenly into the individual cups.

Bake the cupcakes for approximately 17 minutes. You can check if they are thoroughly baked by inserting a toothpick into the center and checking if it comes out clean. If not, continue baking and check again shortly after.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by combining the whipped topping and the leftover lemonade mix.

After the cupcakes have cooled, top them with the frosting and serve. Enjoy!

Raspberry Ricotta Cake

Raspberry ricotta diet cake is a delicious dessert that utilizes fresh raspberries and zero calorie sweetener to give you a cake that pleases both the eye and the taste buds. It is important to note that for this recipe you must use Truvia for the sweetener as other zero calories sweeteners will not allow the cake to rise when baked.

Prep Time - 20 mins | Total Time - 80 mins | Yield - 1 cake

Ingredients

• Non-stick spray
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup Truvia (sweetener)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups ricotta
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ cup low-fat butter, melted
• 1 cup raspberries or blackberries (your choice)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350F. Grab a nine inch cake pan, line it with parchment paper, and spray the paper with the non-stick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, Truvia, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta, and vanilla. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients until blended. Then, carefully fold in the butter and raspberries/blackberries. Be careful to not crush the berries.

Transfer your batter into the cake pan and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes. You will know it is finished baking when the cake reaches a nice golden color and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse Dip

The best part about chocolate mousse dip is the variety it gives you. You could dip with any fruit you like, apples tend to be the most commonly picked. This dip is perfect to make around Valentine’s day as a replacement for all of the boxed chocolates and candies that are certain to break your diet. In this case, use some strawberries to dip and share them with a loved one!

Prep Time - 10 mins | Total Time - 40 mins | Yield - 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 oz fat free cream cheese
• ⅛ cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
• ¾ cup light whipped topping
• ¼ cup natural sweetener
• 12 slices of apple for dipping

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl except for the whipped topping. Mix with a hand mixer until a consistent texture has been reached. Fold in the whipped topping.

Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes. Serve with the apple slices or preferred fruit to dip. Enjoy!

No-Flour, Low-Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter tends to be a weak spot for many people following restrictive diets. With this peanut butter cookie recipe, you can still satisfy that peanut butter craving while sticking your diet. The criss-cross pattern embedded into each cookie gives them a fancy look making them perfect to bring to parties!

Prep Time - 5 mins | Total Time - 20 mins | Yield - 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy low-fat peanut butter
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup brown sugar blend substitute (Splenda makes great sugar substitutes)
• ⅓ cup almond flour

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, egg white, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and brown sugar substitute. Mix until consistent with a hand mixer. Add in the almond flour and re-mix thoroughly.

Roll the dough into ten balls and place them two inches apart on the cookie sheet. Squish down the balls into a cookie shape with a fork, making the nice criss-cross pattern seen in the picture above.

Bake for 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

By now, we hope you’ve realized that switching to a diet does not have to be a painful process. You can still have desserts you love without cheating on your diet. Both your taste buds and your body will thank you!

‍