Who doesn’t love a sweet treat after dinner? With these healthy pudding recipes, you can happily indulge your sweet tooth at the end of the day, without consuming huge quantities of unhealthy ingredients like refined sugars and saturated fats…
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Healthy lemon tart recipe
Serve this zesty dessert as a waistline-friendly final course.
- Serves: 8
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 10 minutes + 30–35 minutes
- Per serving: 334 calories | 8g protein | 15g fat | 4g saturated fat | 40g carbs | 1g fibre | 20g sugar
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 150g spelt flour
- 75g plain flour
- Pinch of baking powder
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 100ml sunflower oil
- 75ml water
- Pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 1 whole free-range egg and 2 egg yolks
- 150g caster sugar
- Grated zest of 4 unwaxed lemons, plus juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g half-fat crème fraîche
- 250g virtually fat-free quark (low-fat cream cheese)
- Icing sugar to serve
Method:
- Mix all the pastry ingredients together, and roll into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and place a baking sheet inside. Roll the pastry to half a centimetre thick, sprinkling with plenty of flour, and use it to line a lightly oiled 20cm flan tin, leaving the edges overlapping the sides (you can trim these off once the tart is cooked).
- Place baking paper on top and add some baking beans (or dried beans or lentils). Place the tin on the hot baking sheet and bake ‘blind’ for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 160°C/gas mark 3.
- Meanwhile, beat the egg and egg yolks with the sugar. Mix the lemon juice, zest, vanilla extract, crème fraîche and quark, then gradually stir in the egg and sugar mixture.
- Remove the paper and beans from the case, fill with the lemon mixture and bake for 30
to 35 minutes, checking and turning regularly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then trim the edges. Dust with icing.
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Healthy mango sorbet recipe
Swap ice cream for a healthier frozen dessert.
- Serves: 8
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Freezing time: 3-4 hours
- Per serving: 95 calories | 0g protein | 0g fat | 0g saturated fat | 17g carbs | 1g fibre | 17g sugar
Ingredients:
- 100g sugar
- 150ml water
- 2 ripe mangoes
- 1 pinch of salt
- Juice of 1 lemon juice
- Lime zest to serve
Method:
- Make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in 150ml of boiling water, then allow to cool a little.
- Peel two ripe mangoes, remove the flesh from the stones and blend until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and the juice of a lemon, then stir in the syrup, mixing well.
- Add the mixture to a freezer-proof plastic container so that it’s no more than 3-4cm deep. Place in
the freezer. - After about an hour, it should start freezing around the edges. Mix thoroughly with a fork, bringing the icier edges toward the middle, then return to the freezer for another hour. Mix again, then freeze for another 30-40 minutes and give it a final mix. Freeze for another hour.
- The sorbet will keep in the freezer for a month. Before serving, remove from the freezer and put in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to soften. Sprinkle with some grated lime zest to serve.
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Healthy trifle recipe
This classic dessert needn’t be fattening. Here yoghurt and crème fraîche replaces cream and custard.
- Serves: 6
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 15 minutes
- Per serving: 288 calories | 11g protein | 12g fat | 4g saturated fat | 32g carbs | 11g fibre | 29g sugar
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
- 2 tbsp (75g) self-raising flour
- 1 tbsp (30g) caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp almond essence
- 150g raspberries
For the vanilla yoghurt:
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 200g 0% fat Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 3 ripe nectarines or peaches, peeled and sliced
- 300g strawberries, sliced
- 200g half-fat crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp toasted almonds
Method:
For the sponge:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180ËšC/gas mark 4. Mix the flour and caster sugar. Separate the egg, and beat the whites until fluffy.
- Add the oil, milk, egg yolk and almond essence together. Mix well, then blend in the flour and sugar.
- Fold in the egg whites and mix in
the raspberries. - Add to a lightly oiled cake tin, spreading the mixture out to 1-2cm high, and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool.
For the vanilla yoghurt:
- Add the honey to 200g of fat-free Greek yoghurt and the vanilla extract. Leave to infuse in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Add a piece of sponge to the bottom of six wine glasses and add a layer of peaches. Spoon on the Greek yoghurt, add a layer of strawberries then the crème fraîche. Top with toasted almonds.
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Healthy cherry fool recipe
Brimming with health-giving nutrients, cherries add colour and intensity to your dessert.
- Serves: 4
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 3 minutes
- Per serving: 299 calories | 6g protein | 4g fat | 2.5g saturated fat | 56g carbs | 2.5g fibre | 56g sugar
Ingredients:
- 300g cherries
- 4 tsp sugar
- Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp fat-free live yoghurt
- 2 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
Method:
- Cut the cherries in half and remove the stones.
- Add half the cherries to a pan with sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice and water.
- Add a lid, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and cool.
- Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt with the crème fraîche.
- Mix the raw cherries with the cooked, then add a spoonful to the bottom of two glasses and add alternate layers of the yoghurt mixture and cherries, ending with the cherry mixture.
- Just before serving, carefully stir the mixture just enough to create swirls of colour without blending everything together.
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Healthy blueberry pancakes
You don’t have to save these for Shrove Tuesday.
- Makes: 10 pancakes
- Preparation time: 5 minutes
- Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
- Per serving: 146 calories | 4g protein | 6g fat | 3g saturated fat | 20g carbs | 1g fibre | 10g sugar
Ingredients:
- 50g butter, melted
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 200g self-raising flower
- Soda bicarbonate
- Salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 250ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 200g blueberries
Method:
- Add the melted butter to a bowl and mix in the caster sugar, self-raising flour, a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and salt, egg, milk and vanilla essence.
- Mix to a smooth batter, then stir in the blueberries.
- Add two tablespoons of the mixture to a pan with a little oil in it and cook on a medium heat for two to three minutes on each side.
- Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Healthy ginger cake recipe
Enjoy a slice of cake with afternoon tea – without the guilt!
- Makes: 10 slices
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 40 minutes
- Per serving: 185 calories | 4g protein | 9g fat | 1.5g saturated fat | 22g carbs | 2.5g fibre | 10g sugar
Ingredients:
- 200g wholemeal flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 2 free-range eggs
- 100ml sunflower oil
- 2tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 75g (about four or five pieces) stem ginger in syrup, chopped
- 1 tsp syrup from the ginger
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 175°C/gas mark 4. Mix the flour, baking powder and ground ginger together and shake through a sieve. You will end up with the wheat bran left in the sieve, so add this back to the rest of the flour.
- Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until thick.
- In another bowl, add the egg yolks, oil, vanilla, treacle and molasses, and beat until well mixed.
- Now stir the flour into the molasses mixture, add half the chopped ginger and gently fold in
the egg whites. - Put the mixture into a lightly-oiled loaf tin (approximately 17x11cm), sprinkling the rest of the ginger on top.
- Cover with foil and place the loaf tin in another, larger baking tray, adding water so it comes halfway up the tin. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Allow to cool a little in the tin, then turn out onto a plate and drizzle the ginger syrup over the top.
Healthy chocolate mousse recipe
No need to feel guilty with this low-fat version of the sumptuous dessert.
- Serves: 4
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Chill time: 15 minutes–24 hours
- Per serving: 226 calories | 3g protein | 13g fat | 8.5g saturated fat | 20g carbs | 0.5g fibre | 20g sugar
Ingredients:
- 100g chocolate bar with
- 85 per cent cocoa solids, plus a few squares to serve
- 20g caster sugar
- 200ml half-fat crème fraîche
- 2 free-range egg whites
- 4 raspberries, to serve
Method:
- Place a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Break the chocolate into squares and add to the bowl, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Add the sugar and gently stir until the chocolate melts and the sugar dissolves.
- Mix in half the crème fraîche, then remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir in the rest of the crème fraîche.
- Add the egg whites to another bowl and whisk until fluffy, then fold them carefully into the chocolate.
- Spoon into four glasses or espresso cups and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with some grated chocolate and a raspberry – and they’re ready to enjoy.
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Healthy sticky toffee pudding recipe
Make this decadent dessert a little easier on your conscience
- Serves: 10
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 25–30 minutes
- Per serving: 311 calories | 5g protein | 15g fat | 6g saturated fat | 40g carbs | 3g fibre | 32g sugar
Ingredients:
- 200g dried dates, stoned
- 150g wholemeal self-raising flour
- ½ tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 3 tbsp natural yoghurt
- 75ml sunflower oil
- 100g caster sugar
For the toffee sauce:
- 60g unsalted butter
- 75g dark unrefined
- muscovado sugar
- 150ml half-fat crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp of blended dates
Method:
- Pre-heat your oven to 180ËšC/gas mark 4. Put the dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water for two minutes, then drain and blend into a paste (reserving one tablespoon of the paste for the sauce).
- Mix the flour, mixed spice, ginger and bicarbonate of soda together and shake through a sieve. Some bits of the wholegrain flour won’t go through the sieve, but just add these into the bowl after – you’re trying to get air into the flour but not removing the bran.
- In another bowl, beat together the eggs, yoghurt, oil, caster sugar and dates, then fold in the flour.
- Put the mixture into a lightly oiled dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- For the toffee sauce, add the butter, sugar, crème fraîche and blended dates to a pan, stirring over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Just before serving, pour the hot sauce over the pudding.