Healthy Dessert Recipes That You Need To Try This Festive Season!

The festive season has already begun and as always delicious and tempting boxes of sweets would have started piling up in your house! It is given that you need to keep a fork with you at all times just in case the cake happens! but what if you are on a diet or sticking to your new year’s resolution of transforming yourself? And we are all aware of the fact that sticking to a small sweet snack can be tricky. Let’s be honest: Anything that seriously satisfies our sweet tooth isn’t going to be the epitome of a healthy meal. But we’ve got you covered. Nonetheless, there are many healthy dessert recipes to crave your hunger for something sweet.

Even though many of these desserts contain sugar, we were able to find lower- and no-sugar options that have some good-for-you element, whether it be a superfood (like strawberries and grapes) or nutrients like protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Here 9 healthy dessert recipes for this festive season!

1. Ragi Malpua Healthy Dessert Recipes:

An Indian version of a pancake dessert with a healthy twist. If you want to satisfy those cravings but also want to be health-conscious, then try this Ragi Malpua recipe for health-conscious people. Malpuas are sweet which will indeed satisfy your sweet tooth. This Ragi Malpua recipe is a perfect recipe for health-conscious people!

Ingredients Of Ragi Malpua
For the malpua:
4 Tbsp Ragi atta
2 Tbsp whole wheat atta
1 Tbsp Oats (ground)
To taste Freshly ground sugar
A few tablespoons of milk
Rice bran oil per malpua
Pomegranates, to garnish

For the filling:
2 Tbsp Coconut, grated
2 tsp Melon seeds
2 tsp green cardamom powder
2 tsp organic honey

How to Make Ragi MalpuaFor the filling:

1. Dry roast melon seeds with grated coconut for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. Add cardamom powder and honey. Mix well.

For the malpua:

1. Mix all the flours and add milk to form a runny paste. Then add the ground sugar. Whisk again.
2. Now take rice bran oil in a flat pan. Take a ladleful of the malpua batter and pour it in the centre. Let it brown, and wait till the edges come away a bit. Then flip it and brown the other side.
3. Take it off the pan before it gets too crisp, or it won’t fold.
4. Fill in the coconut mixture.
5. Garnish with fresh pomegranates.
6. Serve.

 

2. Classic Bran Muffins Healthy Dessert Recipes:

One of the most delicious healthy dessert recipes are Honey sweetened, 100% whole grain bran muffins! They are light, fluffy and delicious! You can add blueberries or any other fruit you’d like as per your taste and enjoy this healthy dessert without regret. 

Ingredients for bran muffins 

1. 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 1 tablespoon baking powder
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 2 cups Kellogg’s® All-Bran® Original cereal
6. 1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
7. 1 egg
8. 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine KELLOGG’S ALL-BRAN cereal and milk. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin pan cups coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° F about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Note

VARIATION: For muffins with reduced calories, fat and cholesterol, use 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons oil and substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg.

VARIATION: For muffins with reduced fat and cholesterol, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg and 1/4 cup sweetened applesauce (or 2 oz. jar bananas baby food) for 1/4 cup vegetable oil. (Muffin texture may vary slightly from The Original All-Bran Muffins recipe.

3. Chocolate Dipped Bananas Healthy Dessert Recipes:

Chocolate is a rich source of metabolism-boosting MUFAs, and bananas are the richest source of Resistant Starch there is, thereby making this dessert a clear weight-loss winner.

Ingredients

1. 5 bananas
2. 8 popsicle sticks
3. 3 cups good quality chocolate bar
4. 3 tablespoons butter, cut up

Toppings:

1. Chopped nuts
2. Toasted coconut
3. Cookie crumbles
4. Coloured sprinkles or chocolate jimmies
5. Mini chocolate candies or mini semi-sweet chips, for chocoholics
6. Granola

Preparation:

1. Peel and cut the bananas in half crosswise, so that you have 8 pieces.
2. Place peeled bananas on sticks. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
3. Place bananas on the cookie sheet in the freezer, keep them in there as long as possible, at least 10 minutes.
4. Heat chocolate bits with butter in a double boiler over low heat until the chocolate melts and butter is incorporated.
5. Dip the chilled bananas in chocolate and roll with your favourite topping.
6. Chill or freeze until ready to serve.

4. Apple Crumble Healthy Dessert Recipes:

Apple crumble is yet another healthy dessert recipes loaded with cinnamon apples. This healthy apple crisp has whole ingredients like oats, almond flour, nuts, cinnamon, coconut oil, and pure maple syrup (or honey)!

Ingredients :
1. 4 large Golden Delicious apples (about 3 pounds)
2. 1/4 cup sugar1 lemon, juiced
3. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch fine salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional

Preparation:

1. Position an oven rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to
   350 degrees F.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch slices. Place apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon. Pour into a lightly greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish, and spread out into an even layer. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, mix together the nuts, flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, gently work in the cold butter until pea-sized lumps are formed.
4. Top apples evenly with mixture and bake until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

 

5. Fruit Parfait Healthy Dessert Recipes:

If you’re a health freak and want some change in your recipes then this dessert is a way to go!  Either way, no matter where you are in your health journey – these yoghurt parfaits will be able to help you satisfy your cravings for desserts!

Ingredients

1. 3 cups vanilla nonfat yoghurt
2. 1 cup fresh or defrosted frozen strawberries in juice
3. 1 pint fresh blackberries, raspberries or blueberries
4. 1 cup good quality granola

Directions
Layer 1/3 cup vanilla yoghurt into the bottom each of 4 tall glasses. Combine defrosted strawberries and juice with fresh berries. Alternate layers of fruit and granola with yoghurt until glasses are filled to the top. Serve parfaits immediately to keep granola crunchy.

6. Fig and Cardamom Delight Healthy Dessert Recipes:

This is one of the easiest healthy dessert recipes to make! This sweet dish can be made in advance and refrigerated. The figs that have been used are low in calories as compared to other dried fruits and are rich in fibre. To control the calorie count further, use low-fat milk and restrict the sugar to minimal.

Ingredients
1. 8 dried figs (Anjeer)
2. 1/4th tsp cardamom powder (Elaichi)
3. 1/2th cups chopped agar-agar (China grass)
4. 2 1/2 cups low fat milk, 99.7% fat-free milk
5. 1 tbsp sugar

For garnish
a few saffron strands (Kesar)

Preparation

1. Soak the dried figs in 1/2 cup water in a bowl for an hour.
2. Blend the dried figs in a mixer (along with the water) to a smooth puree. keep aside.
3. Combine 3/4 cup water and agar-agar in a deep non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a slow flame for 2minutes or till the agar-agar melts, while stirring occasionally
4. Add the milk, sugar, cardamom powder and fig puree, mix well and cook on a slow for 2 to 3 minutes or till the sugar dissolves. completely. Keep aside to cool slightly.
5. Pour into 6 individual glasses/bowls and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours or till it sets.
6. Serve chilled garnished with a few saffron strands. 

7. Coconut Chocolate Balls Healthy Dessert Recipes:

These chocolate packed protein balls are sensational. This gluten-free snack that has low carb and is vegan and nut-free. Making this no-bake recipe is quick and easy! You’ll crave this healthy chocolate coconut protein snack often! This recipe is one of the tastiest as well as the easiest healthy dessert recipes!

Ingredients

1. 1 cup toasted chopped Macadamia nuts
2. 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
4. 8 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
5. One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate morsels, melted
6. 1 tablespoon shortening

Directions

1. In a bowl mix together the nuts, condensed milk, almond extract and coconut.
2. Using your fingers, press the mixture into balls about a 3/4-inch round.
3. Place onto sheet trays and let rest at room temperature for 4 hours or in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. After the balls have set up, melt the chocolate and shortening until smooth.
5. Dip into the chocolate to coat evenly and lightly. Place onto a parchment or foil-lined sheet pan to dry.

8. Oats Ladoo Healthy Dessert Recipes:

You are utterly in for a treat with these Oats and Mixed Nuts Ladoo! These consists of a nutritious combination of oats, jaggery and nuts. When you feel like cooking one of the healthy dessert recipes for your family or kids then, Oats and Mixed Nuts Ladoo is a perfect choice.

Ingredients
1. Quick-cooking Oats – 1 cup
2. Powdered jaggery -1/3 to 1/2 cup
3. Ghee/clarified butter as needed
4. Cashew nuts -10
5. Raisins -18-20
6. Almonds – 5
7. Cardamom powder – a pinch

Preparation

1. Dry roast oats until it is hot to touch. Cool and powder it.
2. Powder jaggery and keep it ready. You will get good quality organic jaggery powder in health stores.
3. Dry roast cashew nuts and almonds separately. Chop it finely or powder it coarsely.

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together, oats, jaggery, cardamom powder and nuts.
2. Heat a tsp of ghee, saute the raisins until they puff up and add to the oats mixture.
3. Melt needed ghee and add to the mixture little at a time. Mix well and make balls. Make sure that the ghee is warm.

Let us know which one of these healthy dessert recipes have you tried and which you loved the most!

Also read,

Best Indian Dishes To Serve At Every Indian Wedding!