Healthy 4th of July Dessert Recipes

Linzer Tart (or Linzer Torte) is an Austrian specialty: an almond pastry topped with raspberry jam. Here it is reinvented as an American cake: almond-rich layers divided by raspberry jam. It's even better when prepared a day in advance, giving the jam time to soak into the cake. If you like, buck tradition by using strawberry jam and garnishing with fresh strawberries.

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.

As if no-bake weren't tempting enough, consider that the graham cracker crust for these berry cheesecake bars has pecans in it. Ooh la la! In the filling, nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese cut the calories and saturated fat.

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.

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.

This muffin-tin mini cheesecake recipe is an adorable, healthy dessert that's the perfect cute size. If making 2 dozen seems like overkill, the recipe can easily be cut in half. If you avoid gluten, use gluten-free graham crackers to make the crust.

This is a healthier version of a traditional cobbler, with canola oil in place of some of the butter and whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. Unlike more classic biscuit-topped cobblers, the peaches and blueberries are nestled into a tender batter that swells around the fruit as it bakes. Other fruits may be substituted. It's especially beautiful when baked in and served right from a cast-iron skillet.

With all that delicious fruit an apple pie should be healthy, but the truth is a slice can have as much as 750 calories and 30 grams of fat. For the most part, the culprit is the crust. We use whole-wheat pastry flour to add fiber and lower the saturated fat by replacing some of the butter with canola oil. The brown sugar-sweetened filling in this pie is made with two kinds of apples for the perfect balance. A slice has half the calories of a typical version and only 10 grams of fat--sweet!

This pudding's rich vanilla flavor plays perfectly with the luscious chocolate, cherries and almonds.

This easy graham cracker crust recipe--made with heart-healthy oil instead of butter--is the perfect base for meringue pies, ice cream pies, cream pies and more. For a different flavor, try crumbled gingersnaps or chocolate snaps instead of the graham crackers.

Love bananas, toffee and whipped cream? Then you've got to try this healthy Banoffee Pie recipe--a healthier version of one of Great Britain's sweetest desserts. It is made with layers of toffee, bananas and whipped cream. Our healthier Banoffee Pie recipe has half the calories, over 65 percent less saturated fat and 40 percent less sugar than the original--but all of the amazing flavor.

Sweet strawberries are nestled between layers of sponge cake and a cream filling in this easy cake. We add nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt to whipped cream to lighten up the filling and give it a little tang.

Malted-milk powder and powdered nonfat dry milk add most of the body to this unbelievably creamy but low-fat ice cream. Stir in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or crushed chocolate wafer cookies for a chocolate-lover's delight.

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.

This chocolate raspberry tofu pie gets an amazing smooth, rich, creamy texture from pureed tofu. But no need to reveal that tofu is the secret ingredient--we're sure no one will guess.

Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy melon, grapes and kiwi on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, purple and orange) for a fun crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.

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.

Inspired by a lassi, India's version of a yogurt-based fruit smoothie, this healthy frozen pie recipe gets flavor from a generous amount of cardamom and lime zest. Look for the ripest Ataulfo mangoes, sometimes called champagne or honey mangoes, because they're less fibrous and more flavorful than the more common Tommy Atkins variety. Top this healthy dessert with a dollop of whipped cream if you like.

These healthy strawberry-rhubarb bars are perfect for spring. Strawberries add sweetness to balance the tart flavor of the rhubarb, while a nutty topping adds delicious crunch.

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.

In this grown-up take on jello, we combine cran-raspberry juice with Champagne and fresh raspberries for a sparkling crimson dessert recipe.

It couldn't be any easier to make sorbet. Just combine fruit, sugar and juice and escape to the tropics with this mango sorbet recipe flavored with lime. For a fun presentation, sprinkle with toasted coconut before serving.

This creamy, luscious pie is made by combining a fluffy cooked meringue with a raspberry puree, then pouring the mixture into a chocolate-cookie crust.

This cherry pie recipe is pure magic. If you can't find sour cherries, don't fret--it's also delicious with sweet cherries. The filling has a hint of clove and honey, which gives it a novel flavor. Serve this cherry pie with your favorite light vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.