Healthy Low-Sugar Desserts Recipes

Salty cottage cheese and a sweet fresh pear make this snack satisfying.

These peanut butter-pretzel truffles satisfy your craving for something sweet and salty.

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.

Create instant frozen yogurt for a healthy dessert in just 10 minutes by blending frozen strawberries with yogurt in a food processor. This healthy frozen yogurt recipe is sweetened with Splenda, making it a sugar-free treat. Use a different favorite frozen fruit in place of the strawberries if you like.

In this healthy coconut macaroon recipe, Key lime curd brightens the center of a lightly sweetened coconut cookie. If you can't find ripe Key limes, you can substitute bottled Key lime juice, which is widely available, or try another citrus flavor like more traditional Persian limes, lemons or even bright blood oranges that will produce a coral-colored curd.

This granita uses sweet ripe melon for flavor, apple juice instead of sugar and a touch of lime juice to perk up the flavors. Berries look beautiful on top; or if you can find fresh figs, add them. For a vibrant look, make with an orange-fleshed melon, such as cantaloupe, Charentais or orange honeydew.

Dried apricots give plain vanilla yogurt a tart-sweet boost of flavor, plus potassium and fiber.

Chocolate pudding and banana cream pudding make delicious low-calorie and fat-free diabetic-friendly frozen treats. Experiment with your own favorite flavors.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these chocolate-dipped dried apricots for a healthy dessert. Try this chocolate-dipped fruit recipe with slices of your favorite dried fruit.

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!

Warm cherries topped with luscious ricotta cheese and toasted almonds makes for a rich-tasting--yet calorie-conscious--treat.

This easy vanilla-bourbon homemade whipped cream recipe makes a sophisticated topping for any pie, crisp or crumble, or dollop in after-dinner coffee for an elegant treat.

This super-simple recipe makes an exotic ice with intense flavor. To turn it into a showstopper dessert, garnish with sliced fresh tropical fruit and toasted coconut. Welch's frozen passion fruit concentrate can be found in supermarkets. Substitute the same size can of other frozen juice concentrates for endless variations.

Cocoa- and coconut-crusted bananas are a treat for the whole family.

This rich homemade ice cream recipe was inspired by Linnalla Pure Irish Ice Cream in County Clare, Ireland. They add carrageenan made from local seaweed to give the ice cream a more velvety texture. We've simplified the recipe for home, relying on only egg yolks and cream to do the job. Chopped honeycomb pieces add texture and pops of pure honey flavor, but feel free to omit them if you prefer a simpler ice cream. This ice cream would be delicious with rhubarb pie or crumble, or all on its own.

The citron-laced ricotta cheese filling in this mouthwatering cheesecake is lightened up with beaten egg whites and loaded with luscious chopped maraschino cherries. Served on a basic graham cracker crust, this sweet slice of cake will be the star of your dessert table.

Roasted pears and vanilla ice cream complete this diabetic-friendly dessert.

"I was inspired by the news that chocolate can be good for you," wrote reader Jennifer Sanders of Cambridge, Ontario. "Why not eat it for breakfast?" She shared her recipe for this heart-warming chocolaty hot cereal. If you are looking for a way to get your kids to start their day with a bowl of oatmeal, this is it. The microwave is convenient, but you can also cook the oatmeal on the stovetop following package directions. Top the cereal with milk or soymilk and sweeten with brown sugar or no-calorie sweetener, if desired.

Get the salty-sweet chocolate satisfaction of a candy bar with this better-for-you chocolate-peanut butter gluten-free snack or dessert recipe. Pair it with a glass of milk, hot or cold, for a boost of calcium and protein.

These pretty little two-bite almond and pear tarts are perfect for party buffets, especially in the fall when pears are in season. Thinly slicing the pears lets you roll up the tarts more neatly, giving you a bakery-worthy presentation. If you have a mandoline, this is a good time to pull it out. Cold puff pastry is important to ensure you get irresistibly flaky results. Want to make this easy, healthy dessert gluten-free? Just swap in gluten-free puff pastry, found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. And don't forget to use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend to roll it out!

Roasting isn't just for turkey. Roasting fruit, in this case grapes, brings out its inherent sweetness.

Light ricotta cheese and reduced-fat cream cheese help make this creamy dessert a smart choice for a diabetic meal plan. The scrumptious cooked apple topping has a touch of sweet honey and apple pie spice.

Serve these grilled nectarines with lightly sweetened mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) as a first course or a sophisticated dessert. Look for balsamic glaze near balsamic vinegar in well-stocked supermarkets or use honey for a sweeter taste.

When it's chilly outside, enjoy the best of two spectacular snacks with this delicately sweetened popcorn treat made in the microwave.