Thanksgiving Cranberry Dessert Recipes

In this healthy cranberry-walnut Bundt cake recipe, Greek yogurt and shredded apple or pear keep the cake moist and are a healthy substitute for extra butter. If you want to use something other than allspice, try pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon in the filling. For a nut-free variation, omit the walnuts in the cake or use chopped dried cranberries in their place.

This pretty pumpkin-cranberry Bundt cake is a delicious alternative to holiday pumpkin pie.

This healthy, gluten-free dessert has everything--crisp-on-the-outside, gooey-inside meringue base, whipped cream, tart cranberry sauce and toasted nuts. Plus, you can make everything ahead of time, then simply assemble and serve.

In this healthy bread pudding recipe, whole-wheat bread, fresh cranberries, candied ginger and toasted coconut come together for a memorable dessert. To make individual bread puddings instead of one large pan, divide the batter among 12 small oiled individual baking dishes (about 8 ounces each). Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with coconut and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more.

Bran cereal, almonds, and dried cranberries make a quick but pretty topper for this crustless pumpkin pie.

This tender, flavorful version of a holiday staple is made more wholesome with whole-wheat flour and flaxseeds. You can easily double the recipe if you are making these baby loaves as gifts.

Expand your holiday desserts repertoire with this cranberry galette. Frangipane is a sweet pastry cream typically made with ground almonds; here we substitute ground sesame seeds in the form of tahini to give it a complex, earthy flavor. If you've made the Cranberry-Almond Thumbprint Cookies (see Associated Recipes), you can use some of the leftover jam in Step 9.

No other dessert turns heads like a trifle. Festive in every way, this trifle recipe glows from within with scarlet layers of juicy cranberries. The filling is made from an astounding 6 cups of antioxidant-packed cranberries! We made the custard “skinny” with a combination of low-fat milk and light coconut milk. From-scratch brown-butter sponge cake (gluten-free!) stands in for store-bought ladyfingers.

No other dessert turns heads like a trifle. Festive in every way, this trifle recipe glows from within with scarlet layers of juicy cranberries. The filling is made from an astounding 6 cups of antioxidant-packed cranberries! We made the custard “skinny” with a combination of low-fat milk and light coconut milk. From-scratch brown-butter sponge cake, made with whole-wheat pastry flour, stands in for store-bought ladyfingers.

Bright red cranberries and toasted green pistachios stud these tart-and-tangy bar cookies and make them a colorful addition to any cookie platter. They hold well in both the refrigerator and the freezer so they're an excellent make-ahead option.

The filling for this apple pie is on the tart side--experiment with less lemon juice or sweeter apples for a balance that's right for you. Most pie crusts use butter, shortening or lard to get a flaky texture--this one uses heart-healthy canola oil. We found that when we simply substitute oil for butter the texture suffers. The trick is to freeze the oil and a bit of flour together before incorporating it into the dough. The result is a flaky crust without all the saturated fat.

Cranberries add a particularly pleasing tartness and color to pears. Fresh ginger, lemon and vanilla brighten up the pears, while reduced-fat sour cream adds flavor to the biscuit-dough crust. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

Cranberries and pear flavor this traditional French dessert.

Apples, pears and dried cranberries fill this holiday crisp. It has all the fruit flavor and sweet streusel topping that you get in a pie, but without the need to fuss with a crust.

Too often pecan pie is overly sweet and laden with fat. Enjoy this better-for-you tart for your next feast.

Light enough to follow even a substantial meal, this pretty compote has a refreshing balance of sweet and tart flavors. Serve with vanilla frozen yogurt for dessert or with plain yogurt for breakfast or brunch.

Rows of sweet apple slices are topped with tart cranberries in this pretty upside-down cake.

This healthy sugar cookie recipe makes delicate, thin cookies that are a great accompaniment to coffee or tea. You press the dough into cute wafers using the bottom of a glass and can sprinkle the cookie thins with dried cranberries and pistachios, as in this recipe, or use your favorite dried fruit and nut combination as decoration.

Shortcakes are biscuit-like desserts that are typically served with fruit and whipped cream. While strawberry shortcake may first come to mind, this shortcake recipe is definitely worth a try. Cranberries and raspberries make a delightful combination, and the whipped dessert topping has less fat than regular whipped cream.

Kumquats, with their sweet, orange-flavored rind and tangy flesh, are a lively match for tart cranberries in this stunning holiday tart. Look for firm, unblemished kumquats in the produce section in late fall and winter.

This healthy chocolate thumbprint cookie recipe incorporates dried cranberries and toasted hazelnuts into the chocolate cookie dough before it's rolled into jam-filled cookies. Here the cookies are drizzled with chocolate icing, filled with raspberry jam and topped with a whole hazelnut. You can elaborate on this basic recipe and use any type of jam, icing or nut for a plate of mixed cookies.

Pureed canned pears keep this healthful coffee cake moist.

The French-toast-like topping makes this sweet and tart “cobbler” appropriate for breakfast, brunch or dessert. The method can be used for various other fruits, such as peaches and raspberries or apples and cherries.

This healthy chocolate cookie recipe makes thin, sugar-kissed cookies speckled with dried fruit and nuts and topped with slivered almonds and dried cranberries arranged in a flower pattern. These thin chocolate cookies are perfect for accompanying tea or coffee.