Home Topics CookingLow Fat Desserts

Low-Fat Desserts: Recipes, Tips and Ideas

When dieting, many people think they must avoid desserts at all cost. While some desserts will always be off limits to dieters, there are plenty of low-fat desserts that allow dieters to satisfy their sweet tooth. From low-fat cookies and cakes to low-fat frozen yogurt to low-fat fruit-based desserts, these days, the low-fat dessert selections are numerous.

While some low-fat desserts will never measure up to their full-fat counterparts, there are many high-quality, great-tasting desserts that don't feature excess fat.

Low-Fat Desserts in the Grocery Store

If you're looking for a pre-made low-fat dessert, you'll find a variety of options at your grocery store. One popular pre-packaged low-fat dessert is angel food cake. Often, grocery stores have angel food cake in the bakery section. To make your angel food cake even better, top it with fresh fruit and fat-free whipped cream or fat-free frozen yogurt.

You can also find impressive low-fat desserts in the freezer section of your grocery store. From fat-free frozen fudge pops to fat-free yogurt to frozen fruit pops, fat-free frozen treats abound.

When considering pre-made low-fat desserts, however, you'll want to pay close attention to the labels. While a so-called low-fat cake might boast only five gram of fat per serving, there could be as many 20 servings per cake!

Low-Fat Desserts: Recipe Substitutions

On low-fat diets, you can enjoy some of your favorite dessert recipes by simply making a few substitutions. Here are a few simple substitutions that can make your favorite desserts more figure-friendly.

Use an egg substitute rather than eggs.
Use applesauce in place of some or all oil.
Use margarine instead of butter.

While these substitutions might not eliminate all of the fat from your recipes, they can help cut out some unwanted calories.

Low-Fat Dessert Recipes

When you're craving something sweet, try one of these delicious low-fat dessert recipes.

Low-Fat Brownies

These low-fat brownies will calm your chocolate cravings.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 ˚F.
Spray an eight-inch cooking pan with cooking spray.
Combine the wet ingredients (canola oil, applesauce, vanilla and egg whites) in a bowl.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt).
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring constantly until combined and smooth.
Pour the mixture into the baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes. You will know the brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out clean.

This recipe should yield about 12 servings, each of which will contain approximately one gram of fat.

For a more fudge-like brownie, try substituting pureed prunes for the applesauce in this recipe.

Angel Food Strawberry Delight

For busy times or during the summer when you don't want to use the oven, try this delicious low-fat dessert.

Ingredients

1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and cut into quarters
2 Tbsp sugar
1 fresh angel food cake
1 jar of strawberry preserves
1 tub of low-fat whipped topping

Directions

Put the strawberries in a bowl with the sugar. This will soften the strawberries and extract some of their juice.
Slice the angel food cake in half horizontally.
Spread a generous layer of strawberry preserves over the cake.
Spread half of the tub of low-fat whipped topping on top of the preserves.
Before replacing the other half of the cake, place about half of the softened strawberry chunks on top of the whipped topping.
Place the top of the cake on top of the layer of strawberries.
Layer the top of the cake with the remaining preserves, whipped topping and strawberries.

This recipe should serve six people, with each serving containing approximately one gram of fat.

Other Topics in this Section

Add a Comment

Print this Article

Email to a Friend