7 Low-Calorie Healthy Dessert Recipes to Help You Lose Weight
Updated January 2024
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It can be difficult and confusing to find desserts that are delicious yet also nutritious. However, you should have no fear! There are endless possibilities for healthy and tasty snacks that you can enjoy at the end of the day.
Seven low-calorie healthy desserts that can help you lose weight include oatmeal cookies, dark chocolate-covered fruits, gluten-free ice cream, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter bars, apples and maple syrup, and Greek yogurt.
Keep reading to discover how effortless it is to make these desserts and how some sweet foods can be beneficial for your health goals!
Can a Dessert Actually Be Healthy?
Contrary to popular belief, a dessert can be healthy! You’d be surprised by the magic that can be made when complementary food components are paired together.
If we look closely at the vitamins that can be found in our fruit cocktails, dress up our standard cups of yogurt, or even consider gluten-free ingredients in our cookie recipes, we can maximize the nutritional value of our desserts.
Most of us consider dessert to be the sweet treat we enjoy after we finish a meal; with our knowledge about nutrition, we have the power to make that dessert be anything we want it to be, including being healthy!
What is the Healthiest Dessert to Eat?
As the picture of health looks different to each of us, our definition of “healthiest” or “best” may vary as well. However, for this starting guide, I would direct you towards fruits. Fruit-based treats can be a safe bet, as fruits are naturally sweet yet packed with vitamins and minerals.
Fruits are versatile and can be prepared at least 100 different ways. Finding the best preparation and recipe for your own liking is important, as adherence to healthier eating is made easier by having choices that taste good.
This makes switching to healthier options more inviting.
Fruits are nutrient-dense options that lower the likelihood of loading up on excess calories or even empty calories, which do not provide essential nutrients. Fruits are also a great source of fiber, which can be beneficial for the GI tract and function of the immune system.
Fruits are not only great sources of fiber, but they are also a source of complex carbohydrates. This can be helpful for losing weight and energy balance. Complex carbs are a much better option compared to the simple carbs that are often found in sugary products and junk food.
For further information about complex carbs, as well as the other macronutrients and their sources, you can check out this article, as it may be a helpful read!
Also, remember to keep it fresh and exciting with fruits by trying numerous types of fruits to expand your horizons.
Using different fruits in your recipes can boost the consumption of each vitamin and mineral in adequate amounts. This can be beneficial for weight loss and other health goals.
Vitamins and minerals, such as zinc and vitamin C or magnesium and vitamin E, are necessary to maintain health and bring better balance to our bodies.
What Dessert is Good For Weight Loss?
1. Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup rolled oats
Almond flour
Baking soda
1 tbsp chia seeds (in place of egg)
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil
Dark chocolate chips
2. Dark Chocolate-Covered Fruits
Dark chocolate (to drizzle on top)
Strawberries
Chopped walnuts
3. Gluten-Free Ice Cream
4 egg yolks
½ cup of honey
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
4. Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 ½ cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening (could substitute with coconut oil)
¾ cup sugar (can substitute with maple syrup, dates, or honey)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
5. Peanut Butter Bars
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup naturally salted peanut butter
¼ cup flax
(optional dark chocolate chips)
6. Apples and Maple Syrup
2 apples (sauteed)
2 tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp salt
(optional cinnamon or nutmeg for topping)
7. Greek Yogurt
1 quart nonfat milk
¼ cup nonfat yogurt
¼ cup raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries
Chia seeds to top
Note: heat milk, then cool milk, mix with yogurt and let sit, strain
What is a Healthy Dessert at Night?
A healthy dessert at night could be described as a food that doesn’t spike your blood sugar or leave you craving for more food once you’ve finished. Nutrient-dense food items will be good here. You may notice I’m bringing your attention to fruits again!
By evening time, fruits may curb the desire to overeat. Low-fat yogurt may be beneficial here as well, as this can also increase satiety and lower the chances of overeating.
One suggestion here would be yogurt and fruit for a nighttime dessert. This could be Greek yogurt, as well as low-fat or dairy-free yogurt. Soy, coconut, or almond milk alternatives of yogurt may be explored.
Frozen or dried fruits can make a nice dessert at night. Dried fruits should be consumed in smaller amounts, as the calorie and sugar content increase due to the drying process. Pieces of fruit can be added to a cup of yogurt and topped with chia seeds, almonds, or walnuts.
We must be cautious with nuts because they are healthy fats and great sources of fiber, but they can also be packed with calories. A few unsalted almonds or walnuts can be eaten as a light snack, but no more than a handful should be eaten, as this can increase our calorie count.
Final Thoughts
The healthy foods that most of us think of as “boring” can be reimagined and made into healthy desserts. Just tweaking a recipe and dressing foods up to have better visual appeal can make a difference.
Natural flavors can be enhanced with spices like cinnamon, saffron, and nutmeg. For example, this can be added to yogurt or dairy-free yogurts and can reduce the need to add sugar to the recipes.
Additionally, don’t be afraid of dark chocolate! We can think of this differently than we usually think of chocolate. Most chocolates and candies are filled with sugar, cocoa, and milk; however, dark chocolate has higher cacao content and contains less sugar compared to milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate also has a higher flavonoid content, which are antioxidants that provide many health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and improving the flow of blood.
Overall, we can look at our pantry and find many fruits, spices, and oats that can be used to make a delicious and healthy dessert. We can redefine the nutritional value and meaning of desserts and what they look like while maintaining the good feelings associated with them and what they taste like.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best dessert for weight loss?
The best dessert for weight loss may be a treat that contains fiber and protein. These can include dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, and oat-based products like oatmeal cookies or oat-based waffles.
High-protein foods can be beneficial for losing fat, gaining muscle, and sustaining satiety. Additionally, high-fiber foods can help you feel full after your meal, even though you’ve had fewer calories. All of this can help with controlling your weight.
Again, these foods would include apples, seeds, nuts, and berries, to name a few. Hummus and quinoa can be paired with food items as well.
What can you eat instead of dessert?
Instead of traditional desserts, you can enjoy substitutions that also taste great and are good for you. One substitution could be smoothies or protein shakes. These can be made with various berries, chia seeds, and nuts, like almonds.
Frozen fruits or assorted fruit bowls may be a nice change as well. You can even make a dessert from homemade oats, small amounts of granola, trail mixes, or assorted nuts. Snacks like popcorn or avocado toast could also do the trick.
Are homemade desserts healthier?
Some store-bought desserts can be healthy options; however, homemade desserts may be a better choice. As you play around with different recipes, you will find you have better control over the ingredients that are used.
For example, when making desserts at home, you could choose to use coconut oil instead of canola oil. Chia seeds may be used instead of eggs, and various nut butters can be utilized, such as safflower butter or almond butter.
Another advantage of homemade desserts is the ability to control portion size. You can make the perfect amount based on your needs. This could mean doubling your recipes or dividing them in half.
So whether you want to eat all the treats in one sitting, you want to store some away for later, or you want to have a small amount to avoid overeating, you can manipulate the recipe and the quantity to your own liking.
Is it OK to have something sweet every day?
This million-dollar question can be answered in many ways; however, I would start by reminding you that eating sweets is not a crime, and it’s not something to feel guilty about. A helpful practice will be to have moderation!
We don’t have to implement restrictions, and we certainly don’t want over-indulgence. Moderation provides a nice balance and a healthy middle ground.
Admittedly, I enjoy treats, like cookies, for example, several times a week. However, I also strive hard to eat nutritionally balanced meals during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Balance and moderation are key here (especially if you’re prone to serial snacking like I am).
We must also remember that we’re only human. In times of high stress or high excitement, we like to turn to our comfort foods, many of which are sweet delights! Remember that “stressed” spelled backward is “desserts!”
It’s okay to turn to these treats every now and then. Just know that we have the power to be independent and in control and not be totally reliant on these feel-good foods.
If you bake a pan of peanut butter bars, it can be okay to have a few throughout the week. A cup of yogurt each day won’t be terrible, either. Our most significant task at hand should be to watch out for added sugars.
We’ve discussed how fruits have their own natural sugar, so we don’t need any additions, as nature has already given us the best! This is where an understanding of nutrition labels would come in handy.
We should generally try to avoid added sugars and artificial sugars, but as discussed, fruit juices can be okay if there is no sugar added. We must be aware of these tricky friends that make their way into our lives each day, as they can be found in fruit juices, cereals, or packaged foods.
Overall, a bar of dark chocolate, a cup of grapes, or a cookie every other day won’t hurt. Instead, we can be more mindful of all the others we’re eating throughout the day.
Staying on top of things like vegetable intake and protein sources can optimize the nutritional value of the meals we eat, and then dessert won’t seem like such a huge ordeal. With healthier ingredients and the right balance, it seems we’ll be able to have our cake and eat it too!
