5 Easy-To-Make Healthy Desserts

Love dessert? But hate the fat and content that comes with your favorite dessert? Try these five delicious options for a healthier dessert.

Updated: June 23, 2015, 2:59 AM IST

https://www.india.com/lifestyle/5-easy-to-make-healthy-desserts-179282/

1. Homemade Fruit and Nut Bars

Using a powerful blender, such as a Vitamix, combine your favorite combination of dried fruit and nuts. The dried fruit will become sticky once chopped, holding the nuts together in a fun and healthy snack that is great for dessert or just to much on as a snack.

2. High-Protein Baked Goods: Use Almond Flour Instead of Flours Made Out Of Grains

Cakes and pastries don’t have to be bad for you. By simply substituting almond flour into a recipe for all-purpose or cake flour, you turn a carbohydrate-rich dessert into a high-protein one. Almond flour takes away from the fluffy texture of some cakes, so be aware of this. A good way to maintain the fluffiness of a cake or pastry is by mixing almond flour with cake flour. Using whipped egg whites instead of whole eggs can also maintain a fluffy texture in your cakes.

Read more: Dhirendra Shastri’s call to ban non-veg food: Bengal BJP chief rejects spiritual leader’s appeal to ban meat, fish during Durga Puja

3. Fruit Parfait

Fruit and yogurt parfait do not have to be an exclusive breakfast food. Change up your fruit and yogurt parfait by creating a layer of crust with graham cracker or ginger snap crumbles (low calorie cookies). You can mix plain yogurt with a flavored pudding or sweet flavorings to change things up. Cooking fruit to soften it can also make it taste sweeter without taking away from the nutrient content.

4. Naturally Sweet Substitutes for Sugar in Baked Goods, Like Bananas

Bananas can substitute for sugar or eggs in a recipe. There are lots of options that one can use while baking such as unsweetened applesauce, dried fruit (pureed), molasses or really any fruit that has been mashed or pureed. Molasses and dried fruit will be a little higher in sugar than fresh fruit substitutes for sugar while still having lower concentrations of sugar than pure sugar.

5. “Sweet” Seasonings

Sweet seasonings like raw cacao powder, cinnamon and nutmeg are a great way to trick your taste buds into thinking that you are eating something sweet. Using such sweet seasonings will make your recipes taste sweeter and have stronger flavors without changing the sugar and carbohydrate content of your sweets.

For a great healthy dessert recipe, try this High-Protein Lemon Flaxseed Scone:

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup finely ground blanched almond flour
¾ cup mashed bananas
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ cup water
zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and lightly spray them with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon flaxseed and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix together ¾ cup ricotta, ¼ cup water, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 oz mashed banana.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients into the middle then mix together with a wooden spoon. Add 2 tablespoons flaxseed and gently fold into batter.
Evenly divide batter into prepared muffin pan using a large scoop. Pat tops to make cups look even if batter is thick.
Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow scones to cool completely.