25 Low Fat Desserts For Any Occasion

Many people think there’s simply no such thing as a healthy dessert; especially when you’re dieting. Thankfully though, with the right food choices overall, you can still enjoy sweet treats or healthy desserts without them ending up on your hips!

The trick is to be choosy about the ingredients and portion size. If you really need a sweet fix after dinner each night, I’d suggest sticking with fresh fruit, and save these yummy low fat desserts for once or twice a week.

If your sweet tooth is the downfall of your dieting efforts, then try these 25 delicious low fat healthy desserts…

Fruit desserts…

#1 Raspberry Mousse
Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• 2 – 10 ounce packages frozen raspberries, thawed and divided
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 – 14 ounce can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 – 8 ounce container frozen “lite” non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

Preparation:

1. In saucepan, combine 1 package undrained raspberries with cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened and clear. Chill.
2. In blender, combine remaining drained raspberries, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice; blend until smooth. Place in bowl and fold in whipped topping.
3. Spoon half the mousse mixture into dessert glasses; top with equal portions of raspberry sauce then remaining mousse mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

#2 Spiced Oranges
Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 medium orange
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 400 g natural yoghurt

Preparation:

1. Remove skins from oranges with a sharp knife, catching any juices on a plate. Slice oranges thickly and place in a shallow dish, with reserved juice.
2. Add the vanilla essence and combine with oranges. Add ground cinnamon and sugar. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for several hours for flavours to develop. Allow oranges to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
3. Serve oranges drizzled with juice and topped with natural yoghurt.

#3 Chilled Berry Compote
Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 500g mixed frozen berries
• 310mls grape juice
• 500g natural yoghurt, to serve
• Mint sprigs, optional

Preparation:

1. Place berries in a food processor. Add the grape juice and process until smooth.
2. Pour the compote into serving glasses, and swirl with a scoop of natural yoghurt.
3. Dress with a sprig of mint.

#4 Caramelised Apples with Roasted Pecans
Prep time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 40g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• Natural yoghurt, to serve

Method:

1. Roast pecans in a medium, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside.
2. Combine sugar, water and nutmeg in frying pan. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and mixture bubbles.
3. Add apples to pan. Stir to coat in sugar mixture. Cook, turning often, for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Sprinkle apples with pecans. Spoon into serving bowls. Serve with natural yoghurt.

#5 Zesty Stewed Rhubarb
Prep time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 12 stalks rhubarb (or 600g any fruit), chopped into 2 cm pieces
• Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp group cinnamon
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• Natural yoghurt, to serve

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients in a deep stainless steel frying pan. Cook over low heat for 8 minutes, or until soft. Allow to cool until just warm.
2. Refrigerate until needed. Serve with natural yoghurt.

Source: The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, by Dr Noakes, and Dr Clifton.

#6 Honey Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone
Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 4-8

Ingredients:

• 1-2tbsp honey
• 4 peaches, halved and stoned
• Mascarpone, to serve
• Raspberries, to serve
• Mint leaves, to decorate

Preparation:

1. Warm the honey, if necessary, to make it runny, then spread it over the cut sides of the peaches.
2. Grill, cut-side down, for 2-3 minutes, then rotate 90° and cook for a further 2-3 minutes – to give a charred grid pattern on the fruits.
3. Serve immediately with scoops of mascarpone in each centre with 2-3 raspberries on top. Decorate with sprigs of mint.

#7 Nutty Raspberry Fool
Prep time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 225g fresh raspberries
• 2 tbsp honey
• 500g pot of Greek yoghurt
• Zest of one lemon
• Chopped hazelnuts

Preparation:

1. In a glass bowl, crush the raspberries with a fork. Add the honey and mix until well combined. Leave to stand for 10 mins to draw out the juices of the raspberries.
2. Meanwhile, put the Greek yoghurt into another large bowl, add the zest of one lemon and beat until smooth.
3. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the raspberry mixture into a glass and top with 2 tablespoons of the yoghurt mix. Continue to the top of the glass and sprinkle with hazelnuts. Chill for 15 minutes before serving.

Click on the next page to read our bread and cake low fat dessert recipes…

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