Julia Child once said, “Fat gives things flavor.” That is especially true for desserts, where high-fat ingredients are used (often liberally) to impart a richness and a delicate texture. The trick, then, is to find lower-fat, higher-nutrient substitutes that can stand in for high-fat items without sacrificing any of the decadent deliciousness we all long for in dessert.
The dessert ingredient superstars include some familiar foods elsewhere in this book: Greek yogurt, tofu, nuts, and whole grains put a healthy spin on cakes, pies, cookies, and creamy desserts. They all clock in under 400 calories, too, which means you can indulge (and in some cases enjoy seconds) without overdoing it or blowing a healthy eating regime.
WITH HONEY-CRANBERRY TOPPING
This naturally sweetened tart offers a tasty alternative to holiday pies and desserts and shows how thickened yogurt can be used as a dessert filling.
YIELD: SERVES 10
¼ cup plus 1 tsp. melted coconut oil, divided
1¼ cups rolled oats
1¼ cups unsweetened coconut
¼ cup oat flour, sifted
¼ cup brown rice flour
¼ tsp. sea salt
5 Tbs. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
8 Tbs. honey, divided
1½ cups labneh
1 vanilla bean
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush 9-inch springform pan with 1 tsp. oil. Set aside.
2. Blend oats, coconut, oat flour, rice flour, and salt in food processor until coarsely ground, and transfer to bowl. Stir in remaining ¼ cup oil, syrup, and vanilla.
3. Press crust into bottom of prepared pan. (Do not press up sides.) Bake 25 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
4. Meanwhile, bring cranberries and 6 Tbs. honey to a simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 3 minutes, or until cranberries burst, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl, and set aside.
5. Place labneh in bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean, then whisk in remaining 2 Tbs. honey. Spread labneh mixture over baked crust, and drizzle with cranberry mixture. Serve warm or chilled.
GLUTEN-FREE
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 355
Protein: 5 g
Total Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 15 g
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Cholesterol: 24 mg
Sodium: 54 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 22 g
Deep-red cherries bubbling under a sweet, fragrant, pistachio-flecked topping make individual crisps especially festive. Serve warm topped with ice cream, whipped cream, or Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.
YIELD: SERVES 8
2 10-oz. bags frozen sweet cherries
3 Tbs. maple syrup, divided
2 tsp. arrowroot powder
1 tsp. grated orange zest
3 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp. almond extract
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
⅓ cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
⅓ cup almond meal
¼ cup coconut sugar
¼ cup gluten-free oat flour, sifted
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup raw pistachios, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange 8 ½-cup ramekins on a baking sheet.
2. Toss together cherries, 2 Tbs. maple syrup, arrowroot powder, orange zest, 2 tsp. vanilla, cinnamon, and almond extract in medium bowl. Fill each ramekin with generous ⅓ cup cherry mixture, and set aside.
3. Toss together oats, coconut, almond meal, coconut sugar, oat flour, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in oil, remaining 1 Tbs. maple syrup, and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla. Add pistachios, and stir until combined. Top each ramekin with ¼ cup pistachio mixture.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until crisps bubble around edges and tops are golden. Garnish with more pistachios, if desired.
VEGAN
GLUTEN-FREE
30 MINUTES OR LESS
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 300
Protein: 5 g
Total Fat: 15 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 67 mg
Fiber: 5 g
Sugar: 23 g
A cup of grated zucchini keeps lightly sweet muffins moist and tender. You can swap other seasonal fruits for the cherries throughout the year—the muffins are especially good with diced pears in fall.
YIELD: MAKES 12 MUFFINS
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1¼ cups light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup low-fat sour cream
1 Tbs. instant espresso granules, dissolved in 1 Tbs. hot water
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 cups fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries, halved
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
3. Beat eggs and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 1 minute, or until smooth. Add vanilla, oil, sour cream, and espresso; beat 1 minute more. With mixer running on very low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Add zucchini and quinoa, and mix until just combined. Fold in cherries. Spoon batter into muffin cups (they will be very full).
4. Bake 26 to 28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature or in freezer.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 274
Protein: 5 g
Total Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 47 g
Cholesterol: 32 mg
Sodium: 197 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 27 g
WITH TOASTED NUT CRUST
A crumbly homemade nut crust sets this tart apart from other berry pies. It can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
YIELD: SERVES 8
CRUST
¼ cup each almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbs. chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg yolk
FILLING
½ cup light sour cream
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. grated orange zest
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 Tbs. orange juice
1. To make Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray. Spread nuts on baking sheet, and toast in oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.
2. Pulse nuts, flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until nuts are ground to powder. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk, and pulse until moist clumps form. Press dough into bottom and sides of prepared pan, about ¼-inch thick, and pierce with fork. Freeze 30 minutes.
3. Adjust oven temperature to 400°F. Bake Crust 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden. Cool.
4. To make Filling: Whisk together sour cream, yogurt, brown sugar, vanilla, and orange zest in small bowl. Toss berries with orange juice in separate bowl.
5. Spread sour cream mixture in Crust with spatula. Spoon berries over top a little at a time, until sour cream mixture is evenly covered. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 288
Protein: 6 g
Total Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 26 g
Cholesterol: 58 mg
Sodium: 87 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 13 g
We’ve given this dessert its French name to highlight how decadent it is—a chocolate pudding for grown-ups as well as kids! It also makes an incredible pie filling. Be sure to get the melted chocolate very hot (without burning) so it will blend smoothly into the tofu. If it does separate from the tofu base, simply warm the mixture in the microwave 1 minute and whisk until smooth.
YIELD: SERVES 8
4 oz. dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 Tbs. Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
1 14-oz. pkg. silken tofu, drained
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1¼ tsp. vanilla extract
⅛ tsp. salt
1. Melt chocolate in microwave on medium power or in double boiler. Stir in buttery spread until no lumps remain.
2. Blend tofu, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in blender or food processor 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
3. Add chocolate to tofu mixture, and blend 30 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate 2 hours, or until set.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 146
Protein: 3 g
Total Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 56 mg
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 12 g
Puréed sweet potato, cocoa, almond flour, and eggs yield a dense, fudgy cake perfect for chocolate lovers.
YIELD: SERVES 12
1 cup packed cooked, mashed orange-fleshed sweet potato
1½ cups sugar, divided
1 cup almond flour
½ cup unsweetened dark-chocolate cocoa powder
⅛ tsp. salt
4 large eggs
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbs. nonfat milk or vegetable milk
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
2. Blend sweet potato, 1 cup sugar, almond flour, cocoa, and salt in food processor 30 seconds, or until smooth, scraping bowl as necessary.
3. Separate 3 eggs, placing whites in bowl of electric mixer. Add 3 yolks and remaining whole egg to sweet potato mixture; pulse to combine. Transfer sweet potato mixture to large bowl.
4. Beat egg whites with electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Add remaining ½ cup sugar; beat 2 minutes more, or until stiff, glossy peaks form.
5. Fold one-third egg white mixture into sweet potato mixture with spatula. Gently fold in remaining whites. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove springform sides; cool completely.
6. Melt chocolate in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in milk. Spread chocolate mixture over top of cake. Let stand until chocolate sets.
GLUTEN-FREE
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 227
Protein: 6 g
Total Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Cholesterol: 71 mg
Sodium: 61 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 29 g
Avocado replaces the eggs and most of the oil in a rich, chocolatey batter that turns out supermoist baked goodies.
YIELD: MAKES 12 CUPCAKES
CUPCAKES
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 cup pure maple syrup
¾ cup plain soymilk
⅓ cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
GLAZE
¼ block soft silken tofu (from 14-oz. container), drained and patted dry
3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
½ tsp. vanilla extract
⅛ tsp. salt
4 oz. semisweet vegan chocolate, melted
1. To make Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Purée avocado in food processor until smooth. Add maple syrup, soymilk, oil, and vanilla, and blend until creamy. Whisk avocado mixture into flour mixture.
2. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake cups. Bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached. Cool.
3. To make Glaze: Blend tofu, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in food processor until smooth. Add chocolate to tofu mixture and blend until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Dip tops of Cupcakes into Glaze, pulling straight up from Glaze to form peaks.
VEGAN
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 287
Protein: 5 g
Total Fat: 12.5 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 44 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 304 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 24 g
Avocados give this luscious dessert its rich, creamy texture. The key is to use avocados that are neither underripe nor overripe, both of which have superstrong avocado flavor.
YIELD: SERVES 4
3 Hass avocados (2 cups mashed)
¼ cup plus 3 Tbs. raw agave nectar
¼ cup plus 2 Tbs. raw cocoa powder
3 Tbs. raw almond butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. flavored extract such as mint, cherry, orange, almond, hazelnut, or coffee, optional
Purée all ingredients in food processor 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer to bowls, and serve immediately.
VEGAN
GLUTEN-FREE
30 MINUTES OR LESS
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 370
Protein: 5 g
Total Fat: 24 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 44 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 11 mg
Fiber: 10 g
Sugar: 29 g
Good luck eating just one of these tender, chewy chocolate chip cookies.
YIELD: MAKES 24 COOKIES
1½ cups crunchy peanut butter
2¼ cups spelt or all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups vegan chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Spoon peanut butter into microwave-safe bowl, and heat on high power 30 to 45 seconds, or until melted, stirring once or twice.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Stir in peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Drop 2 Tbs. dough for each cookie onto prepared baking sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
VEGAN
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 237
Protein: 6 g
Total Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 31 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 238 mg
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 19 g
Dress up this quick dessert as shown with cashew pieces and caramelized banana slices. To prepare bananas, sprinkle with maple sugar and sauté 2 to 3 minutes over medium-high heat, or until browned and glistening.
YIELD: SERVES 4
2 bananas, cut into chunks
1½ cups Cashew Cream
3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. orange juice
1 pinch salt
Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.
VEGAN
GLUTEN-FREE
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 246
Protein: 6 g
Total Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 42 mg
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 19 g
For raw and vegan baking recipes, cashew cream can be used as a substitute for cream cheese, cream, and sour cream. Here’s how to make a 3-cup batch, which will keep in the fridge for up to one week.
YIELD: MAKES 3 CUPS
2 cups raw cashews
8 cups boiling water
Cover cashews with boiling water in large bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel, and let stand 6 to 8 hours. Drain cashews, then blend in blender with ⅓ to ½ cup cold water 5 minutes, or until smooth and thick, like sour cream.
VEGAN
GLUTEN-FREE
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 53
Protein: 2 g
Total Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: <1 g
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 2 mg
Fiber: <1 g
Sugar: <1 g
This dairy-free, no-bake dessert is made with a cashew “cream cheese” that is sweetened with agave nectar, then chilled atop a macadamia nut crust.
YIELD: SERVES 12
2 cups macadamia nuts
1½ cups cashews
½ cup pitted Medjool dates
¼ cup dried coconut
6 Tbs. coconut oil, melted (gently warmed)
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup raw agave nectar
½ sun-dried vanilla bean
3 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries and raspberries, optional
1. Place macadamia nuts in large bowl, and cover with cold water. Place cashews in separate bowl, and cover with cold water. Soak nuts 4 hours, then rinse, drain, and set aside.
2. Pulse macadamia nuts and dates in food processor to a sticky crumb-like consistency. Sprinkle dried coconut on bottom of 8-inch pie pan. Press macadamia nut mixture onto coconut to make crust.
3. Place cashews, coconut oil, lime juice, agave nectar, and 6 Tbs. water in bowl of food processor. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into food processor bowl, and purée until smooth. Pour mixture onto crust, and freeze 1 to 2 hours, or until firm. Remove from freezer, slice while frozen, and transfer to serving platter. Defrost in fridge 1 hour, or on countertop 30 minutes; top with berries, if desired; and serve.
VEGAN
GLUTEN-FREE
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 359
Protein: 5 g
Total Fat: 28.5 g
Saturated Fat: 9.5 g
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 7 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 14 g
