Dessert Recipes

Lighter zucchini bread made with whole-wheat flour, egg whites, and applesauce instead of oil, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and studded with walnuts. Low-fat, kid-approved, and bakes into two adorable mini loaves.

Moroccan dessert couscous steamed three times until feathery light, finished with olive oil and cinnamon, then garnished with dried fruits and almonds. A traditional North African sweet.

Three-ingredient no-bake butterscotch drops made with melted butterscotch chips, salted peanuts, and crunchy chow mein noodles. Salty, sweet, and crunchy little clusters that take 5 minutes to make.

A no-bake cheesecake with a whole wheat crust, creamy cottage cheese and banana filling, and fresh grapefruit on top. Light, tangy, and set with gelatin for a refreshing lower-calorie dessert.

Banana rum sherbet made with yogurt, dark brown sugar, lime juice, nutmeg, and chopped almonds. A tropical frozen dessert churned in a food processor, no ice cream maker needed.

This is excellent served as a spread over fresh French bread or roasted potatoes.

Buttermilk chocolate hazelnut cake bakes whole wheat pastry flour with cocoa, brown sugar, and a layer of toasted hazelnuts. Lighter, healthier chocolate cake with no butter and no whole eggs.

Fresh figs poached in port and creme de cassis, the wine reduced to a glossy syrup, served over vanilla frozen yogurt. An elegant, low-fat dessert with deep berry and fig flavor from just a few ingredients.

British-style honey lemon cheesecake with curd cheese, sultanas, and a lattice pastry top baked in a shortcrust flan case. A light, European cheesecake with no refined sugar.

Cranberry wine gelatin mold with fresh cranberries simmered in red wine, set with raspberry gelatin, and studded with chopped walnuts. A jewel-toned holiday side or dessert.

Crazy chocolate cake made with no eggs, no butter, and no milk. Vinegar and baking soda create the lift in this one-bowl Depression-era recipe that bakes up surprisingly moist and rich.

No-bake frozen pumpkin pie with a gingersnap cookie crust, pumpkin and whipped topping filling, and crushed peanut brittle on top. A fun, easy freezer dessert with only 4 ingredients.

Layered oatmeal bars with a brown sugar oat crust, chopped peanuts, semisweet chocolate, and caramel ice cream topping drizzled through the middle. Chewy, crunchy, and irresistible.

Rolled oatmeal cookies with whole wheat flour, dried fruit, and buttermilk. Thin, crispy cut-out cookies made with oil instead of butter, no eggs required.

Fruit sparkles are a fizzy sugar-free jello dessert made with sparkling water or club soda and fresh fruit. A light, low-calorie summer treat.

Six-layer vanilla cake with raspberry preserves and raspberry liqueur buttercream frosting. A towering celebration cake with a piped lattice top and bright berry flavor in every layer.