Healthy Spring Dessert Recipes

Find healthy, delicious spring dessert recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Rating: Unrated
30
This healthy pound cake recipe isn't just delicious--it also only requires one bowl to make. For the best cake texture, be sure to beat the sugar and butter together long enough in Step 2 to look creamy--the time it takes to get there varies according to the type of electric mixer you have. Serve with brunch or alongside a cup of coffee in the afternoon.
By Stacy Fraser

Carrot Cake

Rating: Unrated
14
Carrots give carrot cake a health-halo effect--people think it's health food, but it's usually very high in fat and calories. But our version has about 40 percent less calories and 50 percent less fat than most. First, we use less oil in our batter. Then we skip the butter in the frosting (don't worry, it's still light and smooth). To ensure the cake is moist, we add nonfat buttermilk and crushed pineapple.
By Patsy Jamieson

Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

Rating: Unrated
7
Lightly sweetened Greek yogurt gets studded with fresh strawberries and chocolate chips then frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark (but healthier!). This colorful snack or healthy dessert is perfect for kids and adults alike. Use full-fat yogurt to ensure the creamiest bark possible.
By Carolyn Casner

Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Rating: Unrated
5
This recipe takes oatmeal cookies up a notch with its cinnamony, buttery, delicious take on a much-loved classic dessert.
By Carolyn Casner

No-Sugar-Added Oatmeal Cookies

Rating: Unrated
1
Classic oatmeal cookies without all the sugar, these better-for-you gluten-free treats get their sweetness from ripe bananas and chopped dates.
By Carolyn Casner

Lemon Squares

Rating: Unrated
2
Lemon squares are so delicious, but classic lemon square recipes tip the scales with their calories and saturated fat. Our healthy lemon squares recipe shaves almost 200 calories and more than 5 grams of saturated fat per lemon square. For a variation, use lime juice in place of the lemon juice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Breakfast Blueberry-Oatmeal Cakes

Rating: Unrated
20
This oatmeal-meets-muffin-tin cake recipe is perfect for having a healthy breakfast available on busy weekdays. Make a batch on the weekend and keep them in your freezer. For a grab-and-go breakfast, reheat the oatmeal cakes in the microwave for about 40 seconds.
By Hilary Meyer

Lemon Cheesecake Bites

These creamy and lemony cheesecake bites are diabetic-friendly and guilt free!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mini Berry Cream Pies

Rating: Unrated
3
Try this Mini Berry Cream Pies recipe the next time you want to whip up a quick healthy dessert. For this red-white-and-blue dessert, frozen mini phyllo cups work the best. Keep them nestled in their tray for easy transport to a picnic or potluck.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baked Strawberry Custards

Rating: Unrated
2
Sour cream gives this healthy baked custard recipe richness and tang. It's delicious with in-season strawberries, but feel free to substitute whatever berries you can get your hands on.
By Lisa Weiss

No-Sugar-Added Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

Rating: Unrated
1
Soft, chewy and no added sugar! Sweeten these classic oatmeal cookies with ripe bananas and raisins or dates. Plus, a touch of nut butter adds lots of flavor and holds the cookies together while keeping them vegan and gluten-free.
By Carolyn Casner

Lemon Thins

Rating: Unrated
5
These lemon cookies are made healthier with whole-wheat pastry flour and they get their zippy flavor from fresh lemon zest and juice rather than lemon extract. This lemon cookie recipe would be the perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

16 Easy Spring Desserts to Make with Frozen Fruit

16 Easy Spring Desserts to Make with Frozen Fruit

20 Stunning Cakes to Bring in Spring

20 Stunning Cakes to Bring in Spring

Celebrate the arrival of spring with these beautiful, fruity cakes. These cakes will look gorgeous on any table and taste even better. Recipes like Strawberry Poke Cake and Orange Ombre Cake highlight the bright, tart flavors of berries and citrus that are sure to brighten everyone’s plate.
Flourless Honey-Almond Cake

Flourless Honey-Almond Cake

Rating: Unrated
13
Fresh Fruit Salad

Fresh Fruit Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Light Lemon Meringue Pie

Light Lemon Meringue Pie

Rating: Unrated
2
Mini Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecakes

Mini Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecakes

Strawberry & Yogurt Parfait

Rating: Unrated
2

This healthy yogurt parfait recipe combines fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and crunchy granola for an easy breakfast. Pack the parfait in a mason jar for a healthy breakfast on the go.

All Healthy Spring Dessert Recipes

Ricotta & Yogurt Parfait

Rating: Unrated
2
Reminiscent of a lemon cheesecake, this healthy breakfast recipe is easy to throw together in the morning. Or stir together the filling in a jar the night before and top with the fruit, nuts and seeds when you get to work.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Mini New York Cheesecakes

Rating: Unrated
2
These mini cheesecakes aren't just adorable--baked in a muffin tin, they're quicker to make than traditional cheesecake and perfectly portioned.
By Breana Killeen

Bunny Fruit Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
This naturally sweet festive treat is equally fun for kids and adults, with none of the sugary guilt. Arrange this simple fruit salad recipe in the shape of a bunny for Easter or any spring occasion.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

One-Bowl Monster Cookies

Rating: Unrated
3
If you thought it wasn't possible to make healthier monster cookies, think again. These peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip and M&M cookies have less butter and sugar than traditional recipes, but they have just as much flavor and tenderness, thanks to more peanut butter. Even better, they're made in one bowl for easy cleanup.
By Carolyn Casner

Purple Fruit Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy plums, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, green and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.
By Carolyn Casner

Lemon Meringue Tart for Two

Rating: Unrated
2
A mile-high meringue is possible only if the egg white, bowl and beaters are at room temperature.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cherry Crisp

Rating: Unrated
3
A fruit crisp offers the luscious flavor of a fresh fruit pie without the fuss of making a crust. Celebrate the arrival of cherries with this rich-tasting crisp. The nut-studded topping works great with other fruit combinations too.
By Patsy Jamieson

Skillet Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Rating: Unrated
1
Fresh strawberries and rhubarb meld together under a crisp oat crumble in this gluten-free dessert recipe made in just one skillet. If you're not gluten-sensitive, regular rolled oats will work too. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for an extra-special treat.
By Breana Killeen

Buttermilk Oatcakes with Raspberry Compote

Rating: Unrated
3
These high-fiber oatcakes are made with 100% whole grains and no butter. A quick raspberry compote is a nice change from maple syrup.
By Jan Ellen Spiegel

Bunny Butt Cake

Rating: Unrated
1
You won't believe how easy it is to assemble this adorable bunny-butt-shaped cake. You don't even need any special baking pans--just a round cake pan and a muffin tin are used to make the cute bunny butt and little bunny feet. Shredded coconut and fresh berries complete the look in a snap for an Easter dessert everyone will rave about.
By Joy Howard

Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

There are plenty of granola bar options at the grocery store, but they're also easy (and often healthier) to make at home. Feel free to vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the dried cranberries and nuts in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.
By Breana Killeen

Mango Fruit Leather

Rating: Unrated
1
This no-sugar-added fruit snack is a healthy treat kids and adults will both love. It's perfect for packing in a lunchbox for school or work or just enjoying as a snack or better-for-you dessert at home.
By Carolyn Casner

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Rating: Unrated
2
Strawberries and lemons make for a sweet and citrusy treat in this lightened-up cupcake recipe topped with a cream cheese frosting.
By Carolyn Casner

Lemon Pudding Cakes

Rating: Unrated
5
These magical little desserts start out as one batter and separate during baking into fluffy cake hiding a creamy layer of lemon pudding.
By Melissa Pasanen

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler with Granola Streusel

Tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries turn tender in their own juices beneath a brown sugar and oat crumble topping. This spring-inspired dessert comes together quickly without pie crusts to unroll; the tender fruit cooks quickly to make this a great last-minute dessert option too. Serve warm for the most luscious texture.
By Sarah Epperson

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Stuff each tender cupcake with a whole fresh strawberry for a fun surprise inside these healthier cupcakes--a perfectly portioned take on a classic strawberry shortcake.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Oatmeal-Coconut Cookies with Cranberries & White Chocolate

Rating: Unrated
1
Our classic oatmeal cookie recipe gets a flavor twist with coconut, white chocolate chips (which have a more delicate flavor than milk or dark chocolate) and tart dried cranberries. The result is a chewy, sweet treat that's sure to leave you coming back for more.
By Carolyn Casner

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

A quick stir-in of grated carrots not only makes these easy drop cookies reminiscent of spicy carrot cake, it also adds sweetness and keeps these cakey cookies moist. A drizzle of cream cheese frosting on top finishes off these better-for-you goodies perfectly.
By Carolyn Casner

Nut & Berry Parfait

In this quick high-protein breakfast recipe, Greek yogurt is topped with healthy berries and almonds and lightly sweetened with honey.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Double-Berry Ice Cream

Frozen strawberries and raspberries team up in this 1-carb-choice sweet dessert for kids and diabetics.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Strawberry Fruit Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
This summer berry fruit salad recipe makes enough for a crowd. Serve with granola and yogurt at brunch, as a healthy potluck side, or halve the recipe to serve 4.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Yogurt with Blueberries

Blueberries add all the sweetness you need, naturally, to protein-rich Greek yogurt in this satisfying snack.
By Victoria Seaver, M.S., R.D.

Old-Fashioned Fruit Crumble

Rating: Unrated
6
Use whatever fresh or frozen fruit you have on hand to make this old-fashioned crumble. Typical crumble topping has as much as a half cup of butter--ours has just a bit of canola oil and, for richness, chopped almonds, which are full of healthy monounsaturated fats.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Strawberry Pandowdy

Rating: Unrated
1
A truly old-fashioned dessert, “pandowdy” is said to refer to the cutting up of the flaky crust, or “dowdy-ing,” toward the end of the baking time. Once the crust is cut, the bubbly fruit cooks up around the crust. This dessert is good with whichever berries are ripe at the moment. In early summer go for strawberries. Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt.
By Marie Simmons
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