Healthy Winter Desserts to Keep You on Track This New Year

Healthy winter desserts with chocolate do exist! For this low-fuss slow cooker sweet treat, we call for antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and incorporate a scoop of raspberry jam into the brownie batter to sneak in some fruit and moisten the texture. Crown each portion of this brownie recipe with another serving of your favorite fruit. (We’ve even enjoyed this with frozen berries for an icy, nutritious pairing.)

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We can’t stop buzzing about this easy heart-healthy winter dessert that’s spiked with a splash of coffee. This is an ideal treat to share with gluten-free diners because its made with only chocolate, coffee, and whipped topping … plus a selection of seasonal fruits, of course.

Test Kitchen Tip: Set your slow cooker to “warm” to keep the fondue texture flowing and dunkable all evening long.

It’s time to pump up your dessert spread. Canned pumpkin is always in season, and we enjoy incorporating it into healthy winter dessert recipes when fresh produce isn’t as available (compared to spring and summer). Fold a full can of the low-calorie squash into the filling for these flaky pastry-wrapped hand pies.

For Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any day in between, you’re going to fall in love with this ruby-hue healthy pomegranate dessert recipe. An easy three-ingredient crust is the foundation for the fruit topping that contains a whopping six cups of frozen raspberries, plus pomegranate juice. 

Test Kitchen Tip: Prefer strawberries or mixed berries? Try them instead of raspberries in the bar batter.

After only 20 minutes of prep time, this healthy winter fruit dessert essentially prepares itself in your slow cooker. Stuff your favorite firm apple variety with dried fruits and nuts, season with a unique blend of Asian-inspired spices, then simmer in ginger-infused apple cider for a light yet satisfying seasonal dessert. If your sweet tooth is really firing today, drizzle your serving with a bit of extra honey.

Related: How to Bake the Best Apples

If these four health benefits of eating dark chocolate haven’t convinced you to try this easy heart-healthy winter dessert yet, consider this: The entire recipe calls for only two ingredients, plus your favorite dried fruits. It’s also paleo diet-friendly and gluten-free. Come cold weather, try it with dried apple slices, apricots, or figs.

Brimming with flaky coconut, sweet dried cherries, fiber-filled oats, and dark chocolate, these crumbly oatmeal cookies are surprisingly only 94 calories apiece. And at 8 grams of sugar, each has less than a serving of many breakfast cereals. (They average nearly 20 grams.) For a delicious dose of protein, toss some chopped walnuts into the batter.

Prepare to go nuts for this seasonal fruit crisp loaded with just enough healthy fats (and satisfying salty flavor) from a handful of chopped walnuts. To crank up the fiber factor even more, try whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose.

Test Kitchen Tip: Once you master the apple version, try this as a healthy pear dessert. The firm fruit also works well in this slow cooker dessert.

“Healthy winter dessert recipes” and “cookies” aren't often in the same sentence. Enter these squash-spiked cookies that feature a full cup of vitamin A-rich canned pumpkin. A scoop of whole wheat flour adds fiber. If you’re feeling in need of an antioxidant boost, stir in a scoop of dried cranberries or cherries.

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Why reserve gingerbread for Christmas? This healthy winter fruit dessert takes the same flavors—molasses, ginger, and warm baking spices—and translates them into a sweet treat to enjoy all season. Buttermilk lends a lovely tender texture; apples add fiber and a moist crumb to the cast-iron dessert.

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Go play in the snow. Your slow cooker has you covered! Toss in the ingredients—whole grain rice, fruit, fiber-filled chia seeds, and spices—turn on low, and voilà: a healthy warm winter dessert waiting to warm you up.

You'll never guess the secret ingredient in this healthy winter fruit dessert. OK, we’ll spill: It’s tofu! The soybean-based ingredient is high in calcium and protein and makes a silky base for this creamy banana pudding.

Banana bread is good. But you know what’s even better? Using the same star ingredient—bananas—to whip up a creamy pudding. Our slow-cooked healthy warm winter dessert calls for whole wheat cinnamon-swirl bread, honey, and a bag of green tea in addition to the potassium-rich fruit.