20 Heart-Healthy Dessert Recipes

Prioritizing your heart health doesn’t mean you have to skip dessert. With these delicious cake, ice cream or cookie recipes, you can enjoy a sweet bite that is low in saturated fat and sodium to meet our heart-healthy parameters. From our light and refreshing Chocolate-Strawberry Nice Cream to our highly-rated One-Bowl Chocolate Cake, these healthy recipes are the perfect way to end your day.

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Chocolate-Strawberry Nice Cream

This dairy- and lactose-free nice cream uses just four simple ingredients to create a tasty dessert. The chocolate-strawberry combination is perfectly balanced with ripe banana for a dessert without added sugars. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt takes the flavor to the next level, but it’s delicious even without it.

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02 of 20

Apple strudel

This adaptation of apfelstrudel, a traditional Austrian baked apple dessert, is made with less added sugar, uses avocado oil instead of butter and calls for whole-wheat phyllo dough for a nutritious dessert. Tart Granny Smith apples are used, but any apple variety can be substituted. Enjoy this fruit-filled dessert warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a cappuccino.

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03 of 20

Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake

This fresh blueberry Bundt cake is a crowd-pleasing dessert that offers a perfect balance of moist, tender cake with fruity blueberries and a hint of lemon. This versatile dessert can be enjoyed year-round, whether made with fresh, in-season blueberries or frozen ones for a taste of summer any time of the year. To prevent frozen blueberries from turning the batter blue, give them a good rinse before mixing.

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04 of 20

Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters

These bite-size dark chocolate almond clusters combine dark chocolate with nutty almonds for an easy snack or dessert. Stick to the three ingredients we list here, or add your own twist by including dried cherries or toasted coconut for a little variety.

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05 of 20

2-Bite Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts

These mini pumpkin cheesecakes are a festive dessert for any gathering, especially Thanksgiving. Feel free to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top to amp up the warm, cozy flavors. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own with a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Use leftover pumpkin puree in muffins, soup and more.

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06 of 20

Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

Greek yogurt gets studded with fresh strawberries and chocolate chips and then frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark (but healthier!). This colorful snack is perfect for kids and adults alike.

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07 of 20

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

This easy-to-make chocolate cake is dark, moist, and rich, and it’s made with healthful canola oil and whole-wheat flour. Plus, it only dirties one bowl! It’s not quite as easy as boxed cake mix, but our simple 3-step recipe gives you an entirely homemade cake in about an hour.

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08 of 20

Apple Crumble with Oats

Leaving the skins on the apples provides fiber and vitamins, so this diabetic-friendly dessert is not only good tasting but also good for you.

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09 of 20

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

All you need are four simple ingredients to make healthier crispy peanut butter balls that kids and grownups will love. Make this easy recipe for a bite-size treat, on-the-go snack or easy homemade gift. You can swap the peanut butter for almond butter or even sunflower seed butter if you need a nut-free snack for school.

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10 of 20

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kids and adults alike will love this easy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, which—unlike most cookie recipes—doesn’t call for flour. These gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and, with only five simple ingredients, they can easily be whipped up by young chefs and enjoyed as an after-school treat. They’re also perfect for a holiday party or for a cookie swap.

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Fresh Apple Squares

One batch of dough does double duty as both the crust and streusel topping to make one of the easiest desserts around.

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Chocolate Nut Bark

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

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Strawberry Nice Cream

This luscious strawberry nice cream is a wonderful healthy ice cream alternative. It’s all fruit, dairy-free, vegan and contains no added sugar, but is bursting with sweet berry flavor. And it takes just minutes to whip up this easy healthy dessert in a food processor if you freeze the fruit ahead. While you’ll get the best flavor from fresh berries, if you don’t have them on hand, feel free to use store-bought frozen fruit in this recipe. Serve the nice cream on its own or top it with more fresh berries for a refreshing summer treat.

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Cranberry Crumble Bars

These cranberry-orange bars freeze well. Make a batch on a free afternoon and pop them in the freezer so you’ll always have a healthy dessert on hand when company calls.

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Double Chocolate Cupcakes

This Double Chocolate Cupcake recipe is perfect for the ultimate chocolate lover. Topped with Chocolate Frosting, these diabetic-friendly cupcakes are delicious and impossible to resist.

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Watermelon Sherbet

The only difference between sorbet and sherbet is that the latter has a bit of dairy. In the case of this easy summer dessert, sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness plus a touch of creaminess.

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Carob Molasses Cake (Sfouf b’ Debs)

With all due respect to baklava, we’ve found a new favorite Lebanese dessert. This rich, moist cake is sweetened with carob molasses and has a hit of anise. We may or may not have fought over it in the Test Kitchen.

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Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

The deep flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg make these wholesome pumpkin cookies delicious without the addition of butter—and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour. They are also the perfect texture for a sandwich cookie—fill them with a slightly sweetened cream cheese frosting.

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Light Lemon Meringue Pie

Smooth and soothing; a great classic pie right down to the crust, redefined with a generous amount of lemon and fewer egg yolks in the filling.

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Apple-Oatmeal Cookies

These healthy apple cookies made with oats, shredded apples and brown sugar make snack time enjoyable for everybody.

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