Healthy Cookie & Dessert Recipes

EatingWell reader Beverley Sharpe of Santa Barbara, California, contributed this healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. She gave chocolate chip cookies a healthy update by cutting back on sugar and incorporating whole grains. To increase protein, Sharpe replaces the rolled oats with 1 cup almond meal.

You don't have to have pumpkin pie to still enjoy pumpkin and spice in a Thanksgiving dessert. Pumpkin helps keep this cake tender and moist while, delicate spices add the classic Thanksgiving flavors.

Turn an easy vanilla cupcake recipe into an impressive mythical creature with just a couple marshmallows, a dash of sprinkles and a perfectly placed candle. Kids will flip for these unicorn treats, and you'll flip over how easy and quick they are to decorate. A birthday party win for kids and adults alike!

Honey and almonds flavor this simple (and gluten-free) cake. It's lovely for afternoon tea or a spring holiday dessert. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites--they should be white and very foamy, but not at all stiff or able to hold peaks. If you beat them too much, the cake may sink in the middle as it cools.

Almond butter and coconut oil melt together to bind these stovetop cookies without using any eggs. To take the flavor to the next level, try subbing in your favorite nut butter.

This simple two-layer cake has colored sprinkles baked right in for a fun surprise in every bite, just like a Funfetti cake. It's perfect for birthdays or any occasion that calls for a celebration. Look for naturally colored sprinkles in the baking aisle of your local natural-foods store or find them online.

These perfectly portioned molten cupcakes combine two of your favorite things--red wine and chocolate. When cut open, this easy yet decadent dessert oozes with a gooey chocolate center that pairs perfectly with the wine-and-chocolate ganache drizzled on top.

This luscious strawberry nice cream is a wonderful healthy ice cream alternative. It's all fruit, dairy-free, vegan and contains no added sugar, but is bursting with sweet berry flavor. And it takes just minutes to whip up this easy healthy dessert in a food processor if you freeze the fruit ahead. While you'll get the best flavor from fresh berries, if you don't have them on hand, feel free to use store-bought frozen fruit in this recipe. Serve the nice cream on its own or top it with more fresh berries for a refreshing summer treat.

Besides its normal role as a fat, olive oil adds flavor in this delicate and healthy cake recipe. This is the perfect place to use a fancy olive oil. Serve with whipped cream, strawberries, balsamic glaze and fresh basil, if you like.

Homemade carrot cake is always a treat. In this recipe, a topping made of whipped mascarpone cream flavored with orange, saffron and white chocolate elevates the super-moist carrot cake. To make the cake healthier, we've used half whole-wheat flour instead of all white flour--you won't notice the difference in this delicious cake.

This light and tangy lemon meringue cheesecake gets tons of citrus flavor from lemon juice and zest, as well as a layer of lemon curd between the cake and the fluffy meringue topping. It would be the perfect dessert for any spring or summer party, though we'd happily eat this treat year-round.

Crispy meringue shells, rich vanilla filling, and in-season fresh fruits combine to make a special dessert that your guests will love.

Balsamic vinegar adds a tart-sweet accent to the grape and raspberry fruit filling in this beautiful pastry-topped dessert.

This low-fat custard owes its tangy, sophisticated flavor to dried lavender and store-bought lemon curd. Decorate each custard with fresh lavender, thyme sprigs, or--for real style points--edible flowers!

This hand-shaped tart is meant to look rustic, so there's no need to fuss with crimping the edges. Just fold the cornmeal crust up and over the fruit filling and everything will be held neatly in place while it bakes.

This luscious vegan cheesecake nixes the dairy in favor of a filling made with coconut cream, tofu and cashews or macadamia nuts instead of the traditional eggs and cream. Coconut oil and nuts make for a rich-tasting and crunchy crust, so nobody will miss the butter.

Magical aquafaba--the liquid from canned chickpeas that often gets poured down the drain--mimics egg whites in these airy vegan meringue cookies. The other magical thing? These cookies require just three ingredients! Save the chickpeas themselves for hummus, stew or any one of our other recipes that call for canned chickpeas.

What's more fun than beautifully decorated individual dessert pies? These fruity hand-held treats are full of raspberry jam, peach pie filling, and fresh raspberries. Be creative and substitute any of your favorite pie fillings, preserves, and fresh berries--your guests will thank you!

Jazz up that leftover pound cake sitting on your counter by turning it into a sweet dessert kebab with fresh or frozen fruit.

This Italian-inspired mango custard is beautiful to look at and delicious to taste. Serve this chilled dessert after dinner on a warm summer night.

Need a sweet dessert for a group of six? Try this yummy pudding recipe and serve up individual ramekins full of fresh blueberries with a decadent brown sugar and cornmeal topping.

This sweet pudding pop recipe is actually a fun craft project you can make with your young children--they'll love to help mix the ingredients, line up the paper cups, layer in the different mixtures, and pop in the craft sticks. The most difficult part may just be waiting for them to freeze!

Owning an ice cream maker means you can create specialty ice cream flavors at home, for a fraction of what you'd pay at your local ice cream shop. This almond ice cream is a real treat, bursting with chunks of raspberries, slivered almonds, and dark chocolate pieces.

Light whipped topping is the secret to this delicious mousse dessert. Portions of the whipped topping are sweetened and flavored with cocoa powder and strawberries and then layered and frozen to resemble Neapolitan-style ice cream.

Instead of heading down to your local coffee shop to purchase an afternoon iced coffee, grab this summer treat right out of your freezer. All you need to make this 3-ingredient popsicle recipe is chilled coffee, half-and-half, chocolate syrup, and some popsicle molds--it will cool you off and give you a little pick-me-up at the same time.

While you're focused on every other dish for the backyard barbecue, let the slow cooker make cherry cobbler for a crowd. With frozen fruit, this easy slow-cooker dessert can be made and enjoyed any time of year.

Classic cherry cobbler is studded with a sweetened cream cheese swirl in this easy cherry dessert you can make any time of year.