This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at ASU chapter.
Want to indulge during the holiday season without packing on the pounds? This year, offer to bring a dessert tray to your parties and prepare one of these six delicious, yet healthier recipes!
1. Strawberry Shortcakes Recipe
(113 calories per serving)
Recipe & Photo by: www.health.com
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon calorie-free sweetener
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (about 1 pint)
- 6 spongecake dessert shells (5-ounce package)
Steps:
- Combine sweetener and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in orange juice. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in extract. Cool completely.
- Combine orange juice mixture and strawberries in a bowl; stir gently. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
- To serve, spoon sauce over dessert shells.
- Tip: This yummy sauce is also delicious spooned over no-sugar-added ice cream, angel food cake, or fat-free pound cake.
2. Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
(93 Calories per serving (3 cucpakes))
Recipe & Photo by: www.womenshealthmag.com
Ingredients:
- Half an 18.25-oz box red velvet cake mix (divide by weight)
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp applesauce (unsweetened)
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg white
- 1 cup Marshmallow Fluff
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine cake mix, water, applesauce, egg, and egg white and beat until smooth.
- Spoon batter into wrapper-lined mini-muffin tins and bake 15 to 17 minutes.
- Cool 1 minute in the tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Pipe on Marshmallow Fluff using a plastic bag with a corner snipped off.
- Makes 4 Dozen Mini Cupcakes.
3. Chocolate Mousse
(140 calories per serving)
Recipe & Photo by: www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com
Ingredients:
- 1/2 package Mori-Nu silken-firm tofu (or 6 oz silken tofu)
- 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
- 3/4 c chocolate chips, or 1 and 1/4 chocolate bars in the flavor of your choice (3-oz bars) (or you can use my sugar-free chocolate chip recipe)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk of choice (I used almond milk)
- 1/16 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp agave or other sweetener (I omitted)
Steps:
- Melt the chocolate, either on the stove or in the microwave.
- Then throw everything into a Magic Bullet or food processor and blend until super-smooth.
4. Fudge Brownies
(240 calories per brownie)
Recipe & Photo by: www.fitnessmagazine.com
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white
- 3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 ounces high-quality unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
- 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup buckwheat or presifted whole wheat flour
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8-inch-square nonstick baking pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, yogurt, and vanilla extract; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, oil, salt, and 3 tablespoons water, stirring constantly for 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa and chocolate until chocolate melts, then add egg mixture. Add all flour, stirring until batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into baking pan. Bake 25 minutes, or until top is firm. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into squares.
5. Banana-Otameal-Chocolate Chip Cookies
(138 calories per serving)
Recipe & Photo by: www.health.com
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oat flour
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup plain soy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 ripe banana, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or other favorite nut
- 1/3 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips (such as Tropical Source)
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 6 ingredients (through sugar) in a bowl. Whisk together oil, soy milk, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; stir to combine. Fold in banana, walnuts, and chocolate chips.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough onto pan with a small ice-cream scoop. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown, turning baking sheet halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.
6. No-Bake, Nutella Cookie Dough Balls
(25 calories per serving)
Recipe & Photo by: www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup rolled oats, gluten-free if desired (28g)
- 1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread or Homemade Healthy Nutella
- 1 tbsp oat bran, gluten-free if desired (8g)
- pinch stevia, OR 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- handful mini chocolate chips or chia seeds, optional
Steps:
- Stir all dry ingredients together in a cereal bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir, then slowly add up to 1 tbsp water or coconut oil until a thick dough forms.
- Break off pieces of dough and roll into balls.
- Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer for freshness. Makes a small batch (10 if made the size of the ones in the photos), so feel free to double the recipe if desired.