Healthy Fall Dessert Recipes to Wrap Up Your Meal in Cozy Style

Healthy fall desserts that taste like decadent bakery pastries? Sold. These apple-spiked salted caramel goodies have just 210 calories and 5 grams of fat each. The secret: transforming the traditional deep-fried treat into an air-fryer dessert.

Refrigerated piecrust makes these fruity fall pastries a cinch. Shape the dough in muffin cups, then fill with fiber-rich apples and toffee pieces for a healthy fall dessert that can be made and baked ahead and frozen up to 3 months. Once you master the easy prep steps for this fast and fresh apple recipe, you might get inspired to try it other times of the year with whatever fruit is in season.

One bite is all the proof you need that gluten-free, healthy fall desserts can be as delicious as their wheat- and calorie-packed counterparts. Fluffy, creamy ricotta cheese or yogurt acts as a luscious base for a pool of cinnamon-scented roasted fruit. To fit the seasonal theme, we recommend trying this with pears or apples—or you could use frozen fruit you preserved in the summer (we love berries!).

Speaking of apples, they star in this fall healthy baking recipe that comes with a built-in drink pairing. Sip the rest of the sparkling wine you infuse into the recipe along with the finished 202-calorie, vanilla-scented product. For best results, we recommend assembling this gluten-free dessert in a cast-iron skillet, so you can pop it right under the broiler.

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These cozy custards are made with an unexpected ingredient: carrots! Stick with us here—vegetable desserts can be just as tasty and seasonal as fall fruit ones. Remember carrot cake? Blend the vitamin-A-packed root vegetable in a food processor until smooth, then combine with four common pantry ingredients for an easy 130-calorie healthy fall dessert.

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Light ingredients like low-sugar marmalade and reduced-fat cream cheese make these gorgeous galettes a healthy fall dessert. Low-calorie, sweet-tart plums contribute vitamins A and C to the pretty pastries. For a pleasant hint of salty crunch and healthy fat boost, sprinkle the petite pies with chopped almonds or walnuts.

Take a couple of the flavors from your favorite s’mores recipe and tiptoe them into fall territory. Sticky-sweet molasses transforms ordinary cupcakes into a so-seasonal treat. Reduced-fat cream cheese and marshmallow creme keep the healthy fall dessert's tangy frosting fluffy and light. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cocoa powder (the latter to amplify the campfire-side flair).

Chopped tart apples and apple juice give this low-calorie cookie recipe a double dose of fall flavor. Homemade caramel frosting and a sprinkle of walnuts, which contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, finish the enticing fall healthy baking recipe. 

Crushed gingersnaps and cocoa powder give these 100-calorie healthy fall desserts their gorgeous autumn-color exterior. The truffles' creamy centers burst with warm pumpkin pie spice.

Seeking a last-minute healthy fall dessert recipe? Whip up a batch of these easy no-bake cookie balls. Creamy peanut butter helps bind dried fruit, chocolate pieces, and shredded coconut to rolled oats, which are rich in both fiber and protein.

For those times when you can’t quite decide between pumpkin or pecan fall healthy baking recipes, we say to have both! These crustless cheesecake bites can be baked in a muffin tin for perfect, 130-calorie portions. The petite pies get their flavor from canned pumpkin, toasted pecans, and a dreamy caramel topping.

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We can’t stop buzzing over the fact that this healthy fall dessert recipe looks like it would come out of a gourmet restaurant kitchen—yet calls for only 20 minutes of prep time. Fat-free milk helps keep the cozy custards at 177 calories each, while espresso powder gives them a burst of coffee shop flavor. To complete the looks-as-good-as-it-tastes experience, garnish each dish with light whipped cream and cinnamon for a dash of fall vibes.

Related: 15 Buzzy Caffeinated Desserts

Pump up the flavor in your next round of bar cookies with (you guessed it!) canned pumpkin. These moist pumpkin bars incorporate whole wheat flour for added nutrients and fiber. Top with crunchy walnuts and heavenly browned butter frosting for a memorable fall healthy baking recipe you’ll make time and time again all season.

With fewer than 200 calories per serving, two types of fruit, and heart-healthy nuts, this fall dessert takes the cake. Sweet, sticky dates mingle with tender apple chunks under a crumbly pecan topping.

Cranberries aren’t just for Thanksgiving, and cookies aren’t just for bake sales and Christmas season! This autumn, savor a batch of no-bake fruit-and-nut clusters featuring dried cranberries and antioxidant-rich semisweet chocolate. Cinnamon and nutmeg add seasonal flavor to the healthy fall dessert’s vanilla candy coating.