Healthy Winter Dessert Recipes

This beautiful pomegranate dessert is served to celebrate Yalda, the Iranian celebration of the winter solstice. Think of masghati as a cross between Jell-O and panna cotta. It's infinitely more refined and delicate than Jell-O and not quite as wobbly as panna cotta. Prepare pomegranate masghati a few hours in advance, and serve chilled out of the fridge for a light and refreshing dessert.

In this 35-minute recipe, sweet pears and savory Cheddar cheese are topped with a buttery brown sugar- and cinnamon-oat topping. Whether you serve it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert, we know it will be a hit with your family.

These spiced cookies are a wonderful treat in the fall or winter. Each bite offers delicious pumpkin flavor with chewy raisins and crunchy walnuts. Make and freeze an extra batch to keep on hand for up to a month.

Using a combo of green- and red-skin apples gives the filling in this apple-sweet potato tart a pleasing touch of color. Look for Granny Smith, Newtown Pippin and Golden Delicious, as well as McIntosh, Empire and Braeburn varieties.

Apple pie has never been so quick to put together. After tossing unpeeled apples and spices in a baking dish, you'll assemble a quick lattice from pastry strips. This lattice topping is not woven like a traditional one--it takes less time to assemble this way but is just as eye catching!

This no-crust sweet potato pie is a great addition to your holiday dessert table. Sweetened with honey and flavored with warm spices, it's topped with crunchy cereal and pistachios. Any leftover topping can be stored for up to a week and is delicious added on top of your breakfast yogurt.

Cranberry juice and fresh cranberries add a double dose of zing to this sweet poached pear dessert. Served with a low-fat blend of yogurt and honey, it's a dessert you can make a day ahead of serving.

Planning any parties for fall? Don't overlook this custard recipe--it's easy to assemble and will have your guests doling out the compliments! They'll love how the creamy pumpkin custard contrasts with the crunchy walnut, brown sugar and oat topping.

This pumpkin dessert recipe is perfect for fall entertaining. Your guests will love the creamy pumpkin custard and be pleasantly surprised by the sweet orange-flavored raisins in each bite.

Coconut oil stands in for butter in this dairy-free, eggless cookie recipe for completely mouthwatering gingerbread cut-outs. Decorate cookies with a simple vegan icing or sanding sugar.

This recipe mash-up marries the sweet, subtle flavor of pumpkin with the nuttiness of pecans. Not only do the pecans create a beautiful pattern on top, their addition to classic pumpkin pie also creates an amazing textural combination of creamy and crunchy. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream to make it even more delicious.

Gluten-free flour stands in for regular flour in these crisp, festive cut-out cookies that taste amazing. To decorate, dust cookies with sanding sugar before you bake them or drizzle and pipe on royal icing once they've cooled.

This low-calorie tea cake gets its festive flavor from molasses, cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves. Serve it for dessert at the holidays.

Cold wind whipping outside? Grab a blanket and snuggle up with a serving of this warm fruit compote. The mixed fruit is slow-cooked with fresh ginger and served with toasted, flaked coconut making it the perfect after-dinner treat on cold night.

Who doesn't love cheesecake? The filling in this recipe is made with a blend of reduced-fat cream cheese, marshmallow creme and Greek yogurt, so it's not as dense as most cheesecakes. It's topped with light dessert topping and sprinkled with a sweet and crunchy mint topping.

These delectable bar cookies are great for holiday cookie trays, to bring out at casual gatherings, or just to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

A great dessert option for your next holiday party, these sweet cheesecake bars have an oat crust and a cranberry-orange sauce that's swirled on top and baked right in.

Crunchy pecans and warm vanilla add the perfect touch to these breakfast bars.

Suit your taste by using your choice of almond or mint extract for these crisp cookies.

The whole wheat biscuit-like topper helps soak up all the spicy, sweet juices from the baked apples and cranberries in this favorite fall recipe.