Healthy Winter Dessert Recipes

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

Staff Picks

Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Rating: 4.5 stars 10
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: 3 stars 6
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

Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake

Rating: 4.5 stars 7
When you have a craving for a comforting dessert, try this pudding cake, which forms its own rich-tasting sauce as it bakes. The coffee flavor is subtle, but it adds complex depth to the cake's flavor.
Patsy Jamieson
By Patsy Jamieson

No-Sugar-Added Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

Rating: 4.5 stars 6
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

Gingerbread Tea Cake

Rating: 5 stars 4
This low-calorie cake gets its festive flavor from molasses, cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves. Serve it for dessert at the holidays.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Soft Sugar Cookies

Rating: 5 stars 1
These easy and classic cookies incorporate mild-tasting white whole-wheat flour for extra fiber and nutrients.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Rating: 4.5 stars 9
We gave no-bake cookies a healthy makeover, bumping up the peanut butter and cutting back on added sugar and butter. The result is a chewy, peanut buttery, oat-packed delicious cookie. It's easy to whip up a batch of these—only a few simple ingredients are needed to make these chewy peanut butter cookies and there's no baking required.
By Carolyn Casner

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.

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl

Rating: 4.5 stars 4
This creamy sweet potato pie recipe is seasoned like a pumpkin pie with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and gets nice ginger flavor from the gingersnap crust. For the best results, roast sweet potatoes in the oven; in a pinch, microwave them instead.
By Stacy Fraser

Raspberry-Pistachio Greek Yogurt Bark

Rating: 3.5 stars 3
Mix Greek yogurt with sweet jam and crunchy pistachios and freeze so you can break 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

Apricot-Sunflower Granola Bars

Rating: 4 stars 1
Easy to make at home, these nut-free granola bars can be adjusted to your taste preferences. Simply vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the apricots and seeds in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.
A portrait of Breana Killeen, M.P.H., RD
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

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.
A portrait of Breana Killeen, M.P.H., RD
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD
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Inspiration and Ideas

17 Vegan Desserts to Make This Winter
Whether it's cookies, brownies or cake, these sweet treats are free from animal products, thanks to alternatives like coconut milk, rice milk and aquafaba.
17 Easy & Delicious Cake Recipes for the Holidays
There's nothing like desserts during the holiday season, and these cake recipes embrace the flavors of the season—think gingerbread, apple, pumpkin and more.
Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Rating: 5 stars 1

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.