7,057 light recipes

Milk chocolate chip cheesecake built on nonfat cream cheese and egg whites, studded with milk chocolate chips throughout. A lighter cheesecake recipe that delivers the chocolate-and-cream flavor without the heavy fat content.

This is an Asian twist on a French appetizer. Caul fat can be ordered from your local butcher.

Mongolian hot pot with thinly sliced lamb, spinach, napa cabbage, and bean thread noodles cooked tableside in ginger-scallion broth with a spicy tahini dipping sauce.

This 45-minute stovetop vegetable soup layers sweet potatoes, zucchini, and broccoli in chicken broth with shredded potatoes for natural thickness. Celery seed and cumin add unexpected warmth to the silky cream finish.

Big-batch red lentil soup spiced with cumin, coriander, jalapeño, and oregano, finished with cilantro and a tangy lime cream. Makes enough to eat now and freeze two-thirds for later.

Traditional English plum pudding, a steamed Christmas classic packed with raisins, currants, apples, walnuts, and beef suet. Spiced, dense, and deeply boozy-optional.

A delightful company dessert that can be made in advance. This banana cream cheesecake recipe hits all the right decadent notes.

Baked mac and cheese the custard way: elbow macaroni folded into an egg-rich blend of evaporated milk, half-and-half, and sour cream with four cheeses, then baked until the top browns. No roux, all creamy.

A layered casserole of wild rice, poached chicken, green beans, and mushrooms in a sherry-Parmesan cream sauce topped with sliced almonds. Minnesota hot-dish at its best.

Stir-fried chicken thighs with ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil poured over steaming rice to finish cooking together in one pot. Traditional Chinese clay pot comfort food.

Layered pumpkin walnut pie hides a buttery brown-sugar walnut praline beneath a creamy, cream-cheese-rich pumpkin custard in a shortbread crust, crowned with baked pastry leaves. A Thanksgiving showpiece.

Fudgey German chocolate sandwich cookies pair two chewy chocolate cookies with a buttery coconut-pecan caramel filling. The flavors of classic German chocolate cake reimagined as a portable cookie.

Glossy pear slices baked in corn syrup-lemon glaze, crowned with buttery almond crumble. A showpiece autumn dessert for cozy dinner parties.

Basic peanut-style dipping sauce (no actual peanuts) with cashew butter, tahini, coconut milk, lime, miso, and ginger. A richer, Thai-leaning satay sauce for grilled skewers, coconut shrimp, or crudités.

Chocolate covered marshmallow cookies with a soft vanilla base, a melted marshmallow top, cocoa frosting, and a pecan half. Like homemade Mallomars.

Vegetarian bell pepper quiche with sweet sautéed red and green peppers, onion, garlic, and basil in a flaky homemade crust. A Sunday brunch main that slices into beautiful wedges.