Life’s too short to never eat dessert, and it’s much easier to stick to a healthy eating plan if you’re not feeling deprived.
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That doesn’t mean, however, that we should just chow down on chocolate cake every day with wild abandon. For when you want to have a treat without totally derailing your clean-eating lifestyle, here are 10 delicious, diet-friendly desserts that will keep you on track and satisfy your sweet tooth.
1. Mini Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
These light and airy cookies look so pretty; you’ll feel like a pastry chef when you whip them up.
Ingredients:
- 4 large egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Get the full recipe here.
2. Watermelon And Peach Fresh Fruit Cake
Fresh fruit for dessert is a tried-and-true low-calorie option. Elevate your regular old bowl of fruit salad by making it into a spectacular “cake.”
Ingredients:
- 1 small watermelon (for a 6 to 8-inch cake)
- 2-3 peaches, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Get the full recipe at NotWithoutSalt.com
3. No-Bake Chocolate Tart With Almond Crust
There’s very little added sugar in this decadent dessert, which is also vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free, if you can believe it.
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups raw almonds, plus eight more almonds for garnish
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened chipped coconut
Get the full recipe at SiftandWhisk.com
4. Fresh Strawberry Granita
No ice cream maker? No problem! Try homemade granita instead. This is also a good make-ahead dessert for entertaining. Garnish it with fresh fruit and a sprig of mint for a elegant end to any meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup hot water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups sliced hulled strawberries (1 pound whole berries) plus additional berries for garnish
Get the full recipe at Epicurious.com
5. Greek Yogurt With Oranges And Mint
A flavourful dessert that uses traditional Greek ingredients: yogurt and honey. Perfect after a light dinner of fish and salad for a Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 large orange, peeled, quartered and sliced crosswise
- 4 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
See the full recipe at FitnessMagazine.com
6. Frozen Grapes
We can get behind a one-ingredient treat that takes absolutely no effort to make. Rinse grapes and pat them dry, then lay them out on one layer on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet. Freeze. If you’re a late-night snacker, these are perfect to have on hand.
The best part? No recipe required!
7. Frozen Yogurt Drops
Another one-ingredient idea? Sign us up! Spoon your favourite flavour of yogurt into a sandwich bag, snip the end and create little drops on a wax-lined baking sheet. Freeze and later, you’ll have creamy and cool morsels that offer plenty of healthy protein and calcium too.
See the full how-to at Shutterbean.com
8. Bananarama Wafer Pudding
There’s something delightfully retro about this treat. It reminds us of something they’d serve up on Mad Men.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fat-free milk
- 1 small (4-serving) package sugar-free fat-free instant vanilla pudding mix
- 24 reduced-fat vanilla round wafer cookies (recommended: Reduced Fat Nilla)
- 2 medium bananas, sliced
- Fat-free whipped topping (thawed from frozen), optional
See the full recipe at FoodNetwork.com
9. DIY Mocha Frappuccino
It’s far too easy to drink your calories and not even realize it, so making your own coffee-shop-inspired blended drink is a smart call for your waistline (and for your wallet, too!).
Ingredients:
- 2 cups strong brewed coffee, chilled
- ¼ cup half and half (or almond milk)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 14 drops chocolate stevia
- Pinch sea salt
- Ice
- Whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings (optional)
See the full recipe at TheLemonBowl.com
10. Easy Raw Paleo Fudge
The only bad part about this dessert is you have to wait an hour for it to set in the freezer before you can eat it. Your patience, however, will be well worth it!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw cashew butter (or your nut butter of choice)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
See the full recipe at Detoxinista.com