Low-Calorie Candy & Sweets Recipes

Find healthy, delicious low-calorie candy and sweets recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake

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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.
By Patsy Jamieson

Chocolate Nut Bark

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Use your favorite combination of nuts to make this quick and easy chocolate nut bark.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Coconut-Dark Chocolate Truffles

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Coconut macaroons meet dark chocolate truffles in these little treats. Inside the snap of the dark chocolate shell lies the tender coconut-cocoa filling: a mix of naturally sweet dates, cocoa and coconut flour. Coconut flour is a healthy way to add decadent coconut flavor to this coconut-dark chocolate truffle recipe and other baked goods. It packs a whopping 5 grams of fiber per 2 tablespoons (with only 2 grams of total and saturated fat). Look for coconut flour near other gluten-free flours.

Peanut Butter & Pretzel Truffles

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These peanut butter-pretzel truffles satisfy your craving for something sweet and salty.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Apple-Cinnamon Mini Doughnuts

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These bite-size baked apple doughnuts have all the flavor of their fried counterparts with fewer calories. Serve plain for breakfast, with an afternoon cup of coffee or alongside whipped cream for an after-dinner treat.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Cinnamon Popcorn

This simple spiced popcorn snack will satisfy your sweet tooth and provide a hearty dose of whole-grains, fiber and antioxidants.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

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Serve this dense, fudgy pudding cake with vanilla frozen yogurt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

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Looking for a fun cooking project to do with kids? Make chocolate truffles! In this easy vegan dessert recipe, we make a chocolate ganache filling with peanut butter and coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make chocolate bark with the leftover chocolate and wrap it up together with a few truffles for a beautiful edible gift.
By Joy Howard

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Ready in under 30 minutes, this truffle recipe is easy to make and you'll love the different coating options!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Bark

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With just a few simple steps, you can transform plain chocolate into a divine treat with this chocolate bark recipe. We stir chopped peppermint candies and chocolate-covered espresso beans into this chocolate bark, which is perfect for a gift.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vanilla Marshmallows

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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.
By Stella Parks

Salted Caramel Chocolate Bark

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With just a few simple steps, you can transform plain chocolate into a divine treat with this chocolate bark recipe. We stir in melted caramel then top this chocolate bark with more melted caramel and flaky sea salt--it makes a perfect gift.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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Inspiration and Ideas

Chocolate Bark with Pistachios & Dried Cherries
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With the news that dark chocolate contains some healthful properties, there is a better excuse than ever to indulge during the holiday season. Specks of green pistachios and red dried cherries in this chocolate confection make for a festive holiday gift.
Bittersweet Chocolate-Orange Truffles
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While orange adds an exotic note, much of the flavor of these simple yet sophisticated candies comes from the chocolate, so choose a semisweet or bittersweet with a flavor and level of sweetness you enjoy. The recipe makes a big batch of truffles--plenty for gift-giving. Although they should be stored in the refrigerator, they're best served after sitting at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
Cherry Marshmallows
Crunchy Chocolate and Peanut Clusters

Because these sweet, crunchy treats take just 45 minutes to prepare, they can be made on short notice. Consider doubling the recipe--stored in an airtight container in the freezer, an extra batch will last for up to 3 months.

All Low-Calorie Candy & Sweets Recipes

Chocolate Pretzel & Cherry Popcorn Balls

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These popcorn balls are made with agave nectar and peanut butter and are spiked with chocolate covered pretzels and dried cherries for a special treat. Try making them for your Halloween party this year.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Caramel Apples

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These fall treats have just enough caramel to give a nice hit of salty-sweet flavor in each bite.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chai Fudge Pops

Honey and cream cheese team up to give this chai-spiced frozen pop recipe a creamy consistency: think chocolate Fudgsicles gone wild.
By Nancy Baggett

Chocolate-Dipped Clementines

Dip clementine segments into melted chocolate for a healthy dessert. Chopped crystallized ginger is a zesty garnish for this chocolate-dipped fruit recipe.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cranberry-Raspberry Jellies

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Deliciously addictive, these simple fruit candies have an intense cranberry-raspberry flavor and a consistency vaguely reminiscent of soft gumdrops. The individual candies are normally rolled in granulated sugar, but for a different, frosted look and smooth consistency, you can roll them in sifted powdered sugar instead. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Drunken Rosé Gummies

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Turn your favorite summer wine into a sweet treat with this easy recipe for boozy gummy bears. They're just like a cute, miniature jello shot--perfect for parties or to give as a gift.
By Carolyn Casner

Tropical Popcorn Balls

These popcorn balls are held together with a flavorful combination of agave nectar and peanut butter. Macadamia nuts and coconut give them a delightful twist. They make a fun treat for Halloween.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cocoa Fudge

Homemade fudge isn't hard to make--and this version uses low-fat milk for a healthier indulgence.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Gingerbread Marshmallows

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This gingerbread-flavored homemade marshmallow recipe is a fun, naturally gluten-free alternative to holiday cookies--and you won't believe how much better homemade marshmallows are than traditional store-bought marshmallows until you taste one. Use a stand mixer to make them, though--hand mixers typically aren't powerful enough to get the job done.
By Stella Parks

Papaya & Chile Chocolate Bark

With just a few simple steps, you can transform plain chocolate into a divine treat with this chocolate bark recipe. We stir dried papaya, pepitas and chile powder into this chocolate bark, which is perfect for a gift.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chestnut Truffles

Chestnut puree makes a deceptively rich-tasting filling for these elegant truffles.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cinnamon-Apple Lollipops

The warm, winning flavor of cinnamon can be savored for a long time with this homemade apple lollipop.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chocolate-Dipped Pecans

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These chocolate-dipped pecans get an elegant finish from a sprinkling of turbinado sugar. You can use this technique with other nuts to make chocolate-covered nuts too.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chocolate-Dipped Gingersnaps

A sprinkling of crystallized ginger and dried cranberries makes these easy, chocolate-dipped gingersnaps festive.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Caramel-Raisin Popcorn Balls

This simple recipe for caramel popcorn balls with raisins is fun to make for Halloween.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Frankenstein Kiwi Pops

Kids will go crazy for these cute snacks that turn kiwi slices into Frankenstein's monster and bride. Plus, you'll feel great serving them a treat that's healthier than all that Halloween candy.
By Melissa Fallon

Chocolate-Hazelnut Truffles

Chopped pitted dates are the secret ingredient in these healthy chocolate-hazelnut truffles.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chocolate-Dipped Dried Apricots

Healthful bonbons are truly a gift of love. This healthy dessert recipe for chocolate-dipped dried apricots makes a great gift or special treat.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vanilla Candy Cane Peppermint Bars

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These festive bars are easy to make for a cookie swap or holiday treats for friends and family.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Frozen Fudge Bars

Creamy, chocolaty and just like the ones from the corner store, but better.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cashew & 3-Seed Chocolate Bark

With just a few simple steps, you can transform plain chocolate into a divine treat with this chocolate bark recipe. We stir cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and aniseed into this chocolate bark, which is perfect for a gift.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Caramel-Vanilla Popcorn

Toss popped popcorn in a vanilla brown sugar syrup, then bake for a quick-and-easy sweet snack or gift.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Candied Grapefruit Peels

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A fine cup of coffee and two or three of these bittersweet confections make a fitting conclusion to a holiday meal. The peels remain soft and full of flavor because they are made with the entire peel, including the white pith. The same technique can be applied to navel oranges.
By Nora Carey

Sage Marshmallows

Try this sage-infused marshmallow recipe on top of sweet potato casserole and you'll seem like a cooking genius. Homemade marshmallows taste so much better than traditional store-bought marshmallows--and they're easy to make. Just be sure to use a stand mixer to make them, since hand mixers typically aren't powerful enough to get the job done.
By Stella Parks
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