Heart Healthy Dessert Recipes

Desserts are often associated with unhealthy sweets and fats, that’s why you sometimes try to avoid it. We know it can really be frustrating and tempting. However, you can enjoy a nice dessert and still be healthy at the same time! Here are a few heart healthy dessert recipes for you to try!

1.       Healthy Strawberry Shortcakes

This dessert can sometimes be loaded with fat. With ingredients like whipped cream and sugar, strawberry shortcake may not fit into your eating plan. But you won’t notice the difference if you whip up this healthier take on the original. You’ll love it just as much as the fattier version.

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 sponge cake dessert shells (5-ounce package)

Directions:

• 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 luscious sauce is also good spooned over no-sugar-added ice cream, angel food cake, or fat-free pound cake.

2.       Cinnamon Streusel Crisps

Cinnamon is a great way to give flavor to desserts instead of adding more butter or sugar, and it also helps lower cholesterol. Try these cookies for a guiltless snack that’s easy on your heart and (thanks to store-bought dough) even easier to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16.5-ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°; place rack in center of oven. Freeze sugar cookie dough for 1 hour.
• Remove from freezer, and place on cutting board. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices (about 28–32 slices); arrange 2 inches apart on 2 parchment paper–lined baking sheets.
• Combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and, if desired, nutmeg in a small mixing bowl. Top cookies with 3/4 teaspoon streusel.
• Bake 12 minutes or until edges are crisp and browned. Let cool on baking sheet 3 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 3.       Vanilla Lemon Berry Parfaits

Lemon and fruit make this refreshing parfait a good choice for a light dessert or even for breakfast. Low-fat yogurt and fat-free vanilla pudding are used as an alternative to full-fat ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 (3.5-ounce) containers fat-free vanilla pudding
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon curd (such as Dickinson’s)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups mixed berries (such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, pudding, lemon curd, and vanilla extract; set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, stir the honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Add the mixed berries, and gently stir with a rubber spatula to coat them with the honey mixture.
• Assemble the parfaits in four 8-ounce glasses. Using measuring spoons, scoop 3 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture into each glass. Top with 1/4 cup of the berries, then another 3 tablespoons yogurt, and another 1/4 cup berries. Garnish each yogurt parfait with fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

 

4.       Mocha Phyllo Cups

Who doesn’t love a flaky and delicious pastry? However, many are high in fat and dietary cholesterol. Phyllo, on the other hand, has an airy texture and is just as flaky as the rest but won’t offer any saturated fat and cholesterol. Each of these little bites has only 1 milligram of cholesterol and 80 calories.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 (1.4-ounce) box fat-free, sugarfree chocolate instant pudding mix
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso
• 3 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar, divided
• Fat-free whipped topping

Directions:

• In a saucepan, combine milk, instant pudding mix, and instant espresso, stirring with a whisk; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; transfer to bowl.
• Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap; chill 1-4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°. Unwrap thawed phyllo dough. Lay 1 piece on counter; lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Lay second sheet on top of first; repeat steps with remaining phyllo.
• Cut dough into 8 rectangles; fit into ungreased muffin cups. Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes.
• Remove cups from pan; cool completely. Spoon pudding into cups; top each with 1 teaspoon fat-free whipped topping.

Go ahead and enjoy these guiltless treats that will surely satisfy your sweet cravings!