Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Here's a simple recipe for low-fat vanilla ice cream. Our version has all the richness you'll need but about 90 fewer calories than store-bought premium ice cream and a whopping 15 grams less total fat and 10 grams less saturated fat per serving.
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Here's a simple recipe for low-fat chocolate ice cream. Our version has all the richness you'll need but about 90 fewer calories than store-bought premium ice cream and a whopping 15 grams less total fat and 10 grams less saturated fat per serving.
Whoopie Pies
Classic whoopie pies combine a creamy filling sandwiched between cakey chocolate cookies. Some are filled with a marshmallow cream frosting while others are filled with whipped cream. Even those of us who grew up with the former fell in love with our lighter version of the whipped cream-filled treats.
Strawberry-Chocolate Ice Cream
Chopped strawberries and cocoa nibs are a colorful addition to vanilla ice cream.
Chilled Key Lime Mousse
This refreshing chilled Key lime mousse is a perfect union of cream and foam, tangy lime and soft sweet custard. The method is simple but a little unusual--you make a custard with fresh Key lime juice rather than milk or cream. Key limes, which are about the size of a Ping-Pong ball, are wonderfully fragrant and more acidic than regular limes. They are available all year at well-stocked supermarkets. If you can't find them, by all means use regular limes.
Brown Sugar & Toasted Almond Ice Cream
In a world of designer ice creams, sometimes the simplest can be the best. The full-bodied flavors of brown sugar combined with nutty toasted almonds are all it takes to give this easy-to-make frozen treat a sophisticated distinction. The alcohol in the base mixture acts like an “anti-freeze,” reducing the icy texture sometimes associated with lower-fat ice cream. For a little extra indulgence, try topping a scoop with some crumbled gingersnaps.
No-Bake Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Make slicing this elegant cheesecake easier and keep the swirls in place by dipping your knife in water between cuts.
Vanilla Marshmallows
You won't believe how much better homemade marshmallows are than traditional store-bought ones until you taste one. They're amazing sandwiched between graham crackers for s'mores or as a topper for hot chocolate. You'll seem like a cooking genius with this easy marshmallow recipe, but rely on the horsepower of a stand mixer to make them--hand mixers typically aren't powerful enough to get the job done.
French Silk Pie
This French silk pie recipe deviates from tradition for a lighter version. Butter and sugar are traded for dates and canola oil in the crust, while the chocolate filling has less egg and butter and is thickened with gelatin. The tasty secret is a shot of coffee that enhances the pie's chocolate flavor without giving it a detectable coffee flavor.
Raspberry Jello
We combine cran-raspberry juice with sparkling white grape juice to make a dazzling raspberry jello recipe. We like to add fresh raspberries to enhance the flavor but any small berry would work well too.
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Strawberries
This creamy Italian dessert is flavored with vanilla bean and topped with fresh strawberries. Feel free to mix it up and substitute blueberries or raspberries, or a combination of all three!
Mango Pudding
Very ripe mangoes make this simple Chinese pudding sublime. Traditionally, agar-agar--a derivative of seaweed--is used as the thickener. We use more commonly available gelatin and add sweetened condensed milk for a touch of creaminess. Use a very fine sieve for the smoothest texture. The recipe can be cut in half to make 4 puddings instead of 8.
Mango-Strawberry Jello
Tropical mango and sweet strawberries are the perfect marriage in this pretty, crowd-pleasing jello recipe. We like the subtle tang the orange juice provides in this strawberry jello recipe, but using all mango juice works well too.
No-Bake Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
This luscious swirled cheesecake dessert is a no bake, mix-and-chill recipe. Plus, each slice is under 200 calories!
Grape Jello
The mix of white and purple grape juice lets you peek inside at all the fresh cut fruit layered inside this jello recipe. If you don't have both colors, either white or purple alone will work well too.
Raspberry-Lemon Chiffon Icebox Cake
You can use a mix of berries as the topping for this classic summertime dessert-we like combining regular raspberries, golden raspberries, and blackberries. Look for golden raspberries at farmers' markets or farm stands at the height of summer.
Blueberry-Cinnamon Swirl Ice Cream
Blueberries and cinnamon add flair to homemade vanilla ice cream.
Key Lime Pie
We tested this healthy Key lime pie quite a few times and no one got tired of it. We lightened the filling with nonfat condensed milk blended with tangy low-fat plain yogurt and continued the makeover with a topping of lovely golden meringue rather than whipped heavy cream. Use Key limes if you can find them, but common Persian limes work as well.
Banana Cream Layer Cake
Here we layer delicate banana-buttermilk cake with a fluffy Bavarian-style cream that's made low-fat by combining nonfat milk with a reasonable amount of whipping cream. The rich taste makes it hard to believe that this cake has only 300 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per slice.
Frozen Raspberry Mousse
Pamper your guests with this pretty, elegant dessert--no one will ever guess that it easily conforms to any healthy weight-loss regime. A fluffy meringue creates a sublime texture, while just a little real whipped cream delivers velvety richness. Straining the raspberries is a labor of love (consider delegating this task), but all the work is done well ahead and the results are absolutely worth the effort, guaranteed.
Red Chile-Spiked Chocolate Mousse
The idea of chile with chocolate still surprises most people, but the duo pairs beautifully in many chocolate desserts. In this silky, luxurious mousse the chile adds a light but bright accent.
No-Bake Mason Jar Strawberry Cheesecakes
These no-bake portable cheesecakes are rich and creamy and swirled with fresh strawberries and honey for sweetness--perfect for a picnic or a backyard barbecue! We've used some Greek yogurt to lighten up this healthy dessert.
Creamy Cherry Jello
Here we flavor plain gelatin with 100% cherry juice, and stir in creamy yogurt and fresh cherries to make a special treat. Experiment with other fruit juice and fruit combinations.
Cherry Marshmallows
These cherry-flavored marshmallows perk up wintery hot cocoa with a “chocolate cherry” vibe and a festive splash of color. You'll want the horsepower of a stand mixer to make these--hand mixers aren't typically powerful enough to get the job done.