Healthy Coffee Dessert Recipes

Inspired by a recipe developed by Chef Patrick Grangien at Cafe Shelburne in Shelburne, Vermont, this lightened version has less than half the calories and one-eighth the fat of a classic brulee.

Espresso coffee powder and bittersweet chocolate make this dense cake an extra-rich dessert.

Rich, chocolate waffles are the perfect breakfast for that special someone's birthday.

Using a light, sweet cocoa sprinkle in place of frosting adds flavor and moistness to this carb-trimmed cupcake recipe, yet keeps the fat and calories in check.

Turn this moist, dense and truly chocolaty cake into an elegant dessert by garnishing each serving with a dollop of whipped cream, some fresh raspberries and a light dusting of cocoa. Note that this cake does not contain any leavening: beaten egg whites alone are used to lighten it.

In this take on tiramisù, the Italian Christmas bread pandoro is used instead of ladyfingers to make this praiseworthy dessert. If you prefer ladyfingers, use 8 ounces in place of the pandoro.

Creme anglaise is a luxurious French custard sauce that is thickened with lightly cooked egg yolks. This sauce requires vigilance, but the result is well worth the effort. With a kick from instant espresso powder and crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans, this version goes well with chocolate desserts. If you perfume the custard with vanilla extract instead of coffee, you'll have a lightened version of a classic creme anglaise--a delightful sauce for poached pears or just about any fruit.

A dose of espresso coffee turns vanilla frozen yogurt into a frozen cappucino.

Sometimes we even stun ourselves. This ultra-rich and creamy chocolate cheesecake has less than 10 grams of fat per slice, making it one of our all-time best successes. We replaced the full-fat cream cheese in the original with pureed cottage cheese and reduced-fat cream cheese. To achieve a rich chocolate flavor, we used cocoa powder enhanced by a small amount of high-quality chocolate instead of 12 ounces chocolate chips.

A bûche de Noël--a cake decorated like a yule log--is a traditional dessert served around Christmastime in France, Belgium, Canada and some other French-speaking countries. Our gluten-free recipe, which is just as tasty served cold as it is at room temperature, is lighter than air. The chocolate brown-butter génoise cake is easy to roll up and it's covered with a billowy espresso-spiked 7-minute frosting. We've substituted agave nectar for white sugar in the frosting. It's pretty garnished with meringue mushrooms and sugared rosemary.

These brownies are a high-energy treat you can pack in your lunch bag or tuck into your fanny pack when you are out walking. Wrap cooled brownies individually for fast picnic assembly or lunchbox fill-ups.

Spelt flour's earthy flavor is a good companion to the warm spices and molasses in these cheerful cookies. Play around with the glaze and decorations to vary the look of the batch.

This remake of a traditional rice pudding recipe uses whole-grain farro which is full of fiber and minerals. For an optimal serving appearance, top each dish with ground cinnamon and chocolate-covered coffee beans.

Espresso and almonds flavor this bread pudding; it's particularly special when served with this delicious caramel sauce.

Coffee lovers will love the addition of Kahlua; Frangelico adds a lovely hazelnut note.

This healthy cake recipe is like a pumpkin-flavored version of Boston cream pie. Rather than the traditional round shape, we use a 9-by-13 pan to make a four-layer rectangular cake that looks fun and provides more layers of creamy goodness.

A couple of egg yolks are all you need to make a thick, rich cream sauce.

Graham cracker crumbs lend a hearty texture to a chocolate treat so it maintains the characteristics of a muffin, rather than an oversized cupcake, perfect to pack in a lunchbox.

This no-bake take on a Sicilian classic will quickly become part of your dessert repertoire.

This serve-from-the-pan cake is a winner at pot-luck suppers, classroom celebrations and picnics.

Our mousse reformation, with only 248 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving, as compared to 485 calories and 40 grams of fat in the original recipe, doesn't require a warning from the Surgeon General.

Soft and chewy, these cookies have a deep chocolate flavor.

You won't feel an ounce of guilt when you dig into this dense, chocolate bundt cake.

A bûche de Noël--a cake decorated like a yule log--is a traditional dessert served around Christmastime in France, Belgium, Canada and some other French-speaking countries. Our recipe, which is just as tasty served cold as it is at room temperature, is lighter than air. The chocolate brown-butter génoise cake made with whole-grain flour is easy to roll up and it's covered with a billowy espresso-spiked 7-minute frosting. We've substituted agave nectar for white sugar in the frosting. It's pretty garnished with meringue mushrooms and sugared rosemary.