HEALTHY DESSERTS

No Bake Apple Cheesecake

2 apples large, peeled, cored, and diced (recommend Golden Delicious or Braeburn) 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

3 tablespoons blonde coconut sugar divided 

pinch of sea salt 

2/3 cup fat-free cream cheese softened 

1/3 cup Greek yogurt plain, fat-free 

4 dates no sugar added 

1/2 cup walnut halves (about 18) 

Add diced apples, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, salt, and cinnamon to a medium pot, cover, and cook on medium heat just until apples begin to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, approximately 30 minutes. Be careful not to turn into applesauce. Allow to cool to room temperature before adding to dessert dishes.

While apples are cooking, in a medium mixing bowl add softened cream cheese, yogurt, and remaining coconut sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Add dates to a food processor and pulse until finely diced. Add walnuts and continue to pulse just until a coarse crumb consistency and combined with dates. 

Evenly layer to each dessert dish, walnut mixture, cream cheese, and lastly cooked apples. Sprinkle any remaining walnut mixture over the top. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Zucchini Brownies

1 cup finely shredded zucchini (use the smallest blade on a cheese grater. It should look like a puree).  

6 tablespoons butter , melted

2 tablespoons coconut oil , measured in melted state (or sub with any vegetable oil you have) 

1 large egg 

1/2 cup natural granulated sweetener (or granulated sugar of choice -- coconut; white sugar) *See Notes 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

3/4 cup peanut flour 

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or 1/4 cup if you don't like them too rich) 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

4 squares Lindt 90% chocolate (or chocolate of choice), cut into pieces/chunks

Preheat oven to 176°C | 350°F. Line a 8x8" baking pan with baking?parchment paper, or lightly grease with oil spray. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the zucchini, butter, oil, egg, sweetener (or sugar), and vanilla until well combined. Add the peanut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; folding through slowly until just combined. The batter will be thick but shouldn't be dry. (It depends on how much liquid your zucchini has! If too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water). Fold in half of the chocolate chunks; pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle remaining chocolate chunks over the top. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until the brownies spring back when gently touched. (If testing with a toothpick, they will be very moist in the centre BUT they do set and harden when removed from the oven.) 

Allow to cool completely (about half an hour); cut into squares and chill to semi-set. 

If storing at room temperature they're best eaten within 2 days. If refrigerating, they last 3-4 days.

Peanut Butter Honey Cookies

1 cup natural peanut butter 

1/2 cup honey 

1 egg 

3/4 cup oat flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, honey and eggs. Beat in the oat flour and baking soda. 

Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized scoops and form into balls. Place on a baking sheet and gently flatten. Use a fork to make a cross hatch pattern on the top.

Bake on the center rack for 8 - 10 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden brown. 

Remove from oven, allow to cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes. This allows the cookies to "set". Slightly reheat in the microwave if desired and enjoy!

Sugar Free Rice Crispy Treats

3 cups rice cripsy cereal 

1 1/2 tablespoon light butter 

1 bag sugar free marshmallows 3.4 ounce bag 

Optional 1 teaspoon sprinkles 

Melt butter with marshmallows, 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each 15 seconds. Do this 4-5 times until marshmallows and butter are melted together and smooth. 

Add 3 cups rice crispys to your marshmallows (and sprinkles if you are using them) and stir. 

Using your hands, take the cereal mixture and form it into a rectangle on parchment paper. Make it as wide or thick as you like. If sticky, spray hands with cooking spray and press cereal together so it stays in a form. Chill for 30 minutes.

Cake Pop Brownies 

1 cup flour 

1 ¼ cup sugar 

1 tsp baking powder 

6 oz. dark chocolate bar broken in pieces

5 oz. butter 

3 eggs 

2 tsp vanilla 

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, sugar and baking powder). 

Melt the chocolate and butter together using a double boiler, or place a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water and add the chocolate/butter to the bowl to melt it, stirring occasionally. 

Add the melted chocolate/butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined. 

Lightly oil the cake pop maker cooking plates. Plug it in to preheat. Pour brownie batter into a piping bag. 

With the piping bag, pour batter into cake pop maker holes, to just below the top of the hole. (Alternatively, you can use a teaspoon to transfer the batter.) 

Close the lid and bake for about 8 minutes, or until baked through. I like to use a narrow spatula with a heat glove on to remove them. 

They will be hot inside, so let them cool and enjoy!

Brownie Cheesecake

1 bar Fiber One Brownie 

8 tablespoons sugar free cool whip1 

1/2 teaspoon sugar free cheesecake pudding mix 

In a small bowl, crumble the Fiber one brownie bar (it crumbles VERY easily). 

Then, 4 divide the brownie into 4 silicone muffin cups. 

In a bowl, mix 8 tablespoons sugar free cool whip with the sugar free cheesecake pudding mix. 

Top the brownie with the cool whip. Place in freezer for 2 hours (for soft cheesecake) or longer if you like it more frozen). I like it soft!

Angel Food Cupcakes

Angel Food Cake mix 

Water 

Cool Whip Free Fresh strawberries 

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Next, prepare the angel food cake mix according to the directions. Use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients. 

Place the cupcake liners in muffin tins. 

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners about ¾ full. It will make about 41 cupcakes. 

Bake the cupcakes for 12-14 minutes until the top is slightly colored (not brown anymore). 

Allow to cool completely. 

Add cool whip to each cupcake. Also, add 1 strawberry sliced on top of each cupcake.

Weight Watchers Frozen Yogurt Pie

1/2 cup Cool Whip light whipped topping

1 container Dannon Greek Light and Fit Yogurt blueberry or strawberry 

2 medium nilla wafers 

In two small tart tins, muffin cups, or rammekins, add 1 crushed or whole nilla wafer to the bottom. 

Blend the yogurt with the whipped topping. Scoop the yogurt and whipped topping on the top and freeze! 

It only takes about 20-30 minutes to firm up, and then you have the perfect, 100 calorie dessert!

No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls

1 scoop vanilla protein powder 

4 tablespoons peanut butter powder 

1/4 cup zero calorie powdered sweetener 

1 tablespoon water 

4 pcs Lily's sugar free white chocolate 

Mix together protein powder, peanut butter powder, and the sugar free powdered sugar. 

Then, using only 1-2 tablespoons of water in order to mix and form balls of dough. Then form into 7 equal balls. Too much water and you can't work with it. You really have to get your hands involved to use the least amount of water you can get away with. 

Put the formed balls of peanut butter dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze just for about 20-30 minutes, so the melted chocolate is easier to dip. 

Melt the chocolate. Take the peanut butter balls out of the freezer and dip each one. Return to fridge or freezer until you are ready to eat.

Healthy Key Lime Pie

1 1/4 c. low-fat graham cracker crumbs 

4 tbsp. trans-fat free vegetable oil spread (60% to 70% oil) 

1 tbsp. sugar tsp. salt 

1 cup. cold water 

1 envelope unflavored gelatin 

22 Key limes or 4 to 5 regular limes 

1 can Fat-free sweetened condensed milk 

1 ½ cup fat free yogurt 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In 9-inch glass pie plate, mix crumbs with spread, sugar, and salt to moisten. With hand, press onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Cool until ready to fill. 

Meanwhile, to 1-quart saucepan, add water; sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand 2 minutes to soften. Cook on low to dissolve, stirring. Remove from heat. 

From limes, grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 1/2 cup juice; if using Key limes, do not use grated peel — it will make filling taste bitter. In bowl, whisk lime peel and juice, milk, and yogurt. Whisk in gelatin mixture. 

Spoon filling into crust. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours to set.