8 Healthy Takes on Classic Desserts
Julie Bitely
| 2 min read
Honestly, who doesn’t love dessert? Dessert without guilt, however, is a bit harder to come by. Which is why, to satisfy your sweet tooth, we’ve arranged a round-up of our favorite healthy desserts and dessert inspired protein shakes. With a willingness to try different substitutions and bit of creativity, your sweetest dreams can come true.
Pies:
- Blueberry pie protein shake: Almond milk and fresh fruit make this shake yummy and nutritious. The recipe even calls for a quick and healthy crust topping for the shake!
- Apple pie baked in the apple: All you need to make these delicious apple pie copy cats are sugar, brown sugar, apples, cinnamon and graham crackers. To cut back on carbs, sprinkle the top of your apples with graham cracker dust rather than using lattice dough topping.
Cookies and Cakes:
- Girl Scout Cookies: There are tons of ways to cook your own Girl Scout cookies with healthier ingredients. If you’d like to up your protein intake in particular though, these Samoa and Thin Mint inspired protein shakes are good alternatives.
- Fruit cake: But not in the way you think! Fake this “cake” by cutting watermelon into a cylindrical shape, using Greek yogurt (or your favorite thick, low-fat yogurt) as frosting, and topping with shaved almonds and the fresh berries of your choice such as blueberries or blackberries.
Candy:
- Snickers inspired protein shake: This shake suggests healthy cottage cheese and chia seeds for thickening along with the chocolate and caramel your sweet tooth craves.
- Butterfinger inspired protein shake: Water and peanut butter balance this shake out while still providing lots of protein and nutrients.
Classic desserts:
- Strawberry shortcake: Cream and heavy toppings aren’t always necessary to make this dessert taste fresh and delicious. Try a piece of light angel food cake topped with a combination of mashed strawberries and a pinch or two of sugar. If you prefer more substance, add a dash of water to the strawberry mix or top with fat-free Cool Whip.
- Banana split: Downsize a normally giant banana split to its healthiest basics: take peeled and cut it in half length-wise like you would a normal banana split, top with frozen vanilla Greek yogurt (two scoops at most), and top with a thin dark chocolate drizzle, heart healthy nuts and a cherry, of course.
What are your healthier dessert recipes? Share them with us in the comment section!
Want to see more healthy twists on classic foods? Check out these blogs:
Photo credit: A Healthier Michigan
