Healthy dessert recipes to make at home
Whether you are preparing ahead for your New Year diet, or you have guests round for dinner who have health concerns (or are particularly diet conscious), having a healthy dessert at the end of your festive feast will be much appreciated.
There are so many health-conscious and delicious ready-made desserts and recipes you can try yourself out there. So, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite puddings that you can make yourself.
Here are our favourite healthy desserts for you to try, as well as some fun, healthy dessert recipes for you to make at home!
Why bother with healthy desserts?
We know what you might be thinking – why bother with a healthy dessert after all the Christmas chocolate and feasting that’s happened beforehand?
Well, just as with any meal you make for guests, you need to cater to individual needs. Sometimes this can be health concerns, such as reduced sugar for those who have diabetes, or even having lactose-free or gluten-free options for those who have food allergies.
Ensuring that you have a dessert that suits everyone will make certain that your festive feast ends on a high. And no one is left behind, just waiting on the next opportunity to go home to their own snack cupboard!
It’s also only right to cater to those who are more health-conscious during the holidays. With so much merriness, we might want a break from all the decadent desserts and opt for something lighter at the end of the meal.
This will also ensure that none of your guests feel rude turning down your signature seven-layer chocolate cake slice. After all, they can happily accept a healthier alternative and you can save the cake for the guests who would like it.
The best healthy desserts
So, what are some of the best healthy desserts you can buy at the supermarket right now? There are some obvious, and some surprising, choices available to you:
- Fruit salad
This cheap and cheerful option only requires you to buy a handful of your favourite fruits, including apples, oranges, grapes, and some sweet juice.
- Low-calorie ice cream
Lots of brands now cater to healthy minds with low-calorie and low-sugar ice cream, which is a great alternative to classic ice cream for those looking to avoid too much sugar this Christmas.
- Gluten-free brownies
With some low-fat single cream, warm gluten-free brownies are a perfect alternative to standard brownies, as they are made with gluten-free flour instead of regular flour.
They are still rich and fudgy, so not the healthiest alternative, but one to keep in mind for your guests with gluten intolerances. Or, you can opt for some treats from our gluten-free hampers.
- Vegan-alternative desserts
Made without dairy or eggs, you can cut out a lot of the butter, cheese, and cream in a dessert by buying a vegan alternative. There are so many different options available in supermarkets today, as well as some amazing delights from vegan hampers range, that will leave you spoilt for choice!
Healthy homemade desserts
For those of you who aim to impress, or if you have particular health concerns you would like to cater to, make your own healthy desserts. This can be a fun challenge, and you may be surprised at how tasty they can be!
Here are some of our favourite healthy desserts to make at home:
Healthy cakes
This recipe takes the classic sweet treat of strawberry cheesecake and gives it a healthy twist! Top it with some strawberry jam from our fruit preserves range for those who don’t mind a little extra sugar on top.
Banana bread may not be a classic Christmas food, but it’s definitely a year-round favourite you can serve up as a healthy dessert at your next dinner party.
These muffins make for both a tasty, healthy cake recipe and can also be great the next morning on your breakfast plate!
Low-calorie healthy desserts
Make your own cold treat to eat after the main meal has finished with this frozen yoghurt recipe, made using fresh strawberries and not much else! Serve alongside some treats from our pantry range if this feels too plain for your tastes.
You won’t want to miss out on making this creamy and decadent ‘chocolate’ tart, using avocado and banana as the mousse filling. It’s covered in lots of fresh fruit and berries, too, yum.
This tasty and healthy dessert recipe is great for a nice, light pudding after a lot of food. You can even use some lemon curd if you don’t have time to make your own…
Try these for yourself and uncover more
Why not stock up with one of our delicious Christmas food hampers to jog some more inspiration, or even dig into our pantry range to find some tasty preserves to top your healthy homemade desserts?
Alternatively, head over to our blog to find some more festive food inspiration, such as alternative Christmas pudding ideas and tips for decorating a Christmas cake.
