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  4. Guilt-Free Desserts to Start the New Year

Guilt-Free Desserts to Start the New Year

marissa wu
By Marissa Wu Updated December 22, 2021
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Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Credit: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

A fresh calendar usually comes with a side of healthy resolutions. We vow to exercise more, eat better, and do a laundry list of things to maintain or regain our health. That is, we admit, a little tricky—especially when we're surrounded by so many divine Southern desserts. It's hard to say no to a generous slice of chess pie or towering layer cake. But thankfully, there are better-for-you desserts out there that can still deliver on the sweets while scaling back a bit. Don't believe a dessert can be healthy and still taste good? Just wait until you taste our Lightened Hummingbird Cake and Key "Light" Pie. We promise you won't even realize what you're missing. Plus, healthy doesn't always mean substituting ingredients. Portion sizes can also play a large part in keeping us on track, so we included a few of our miniature desserts, too. These healthy dessert recipes are proof that you can have your cake and eat it, too. Here's to a healthier year—and you.

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Meyer Lemon-Cheesecake Bars

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Credit: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Meyer Lemon-Cheesecake Bars

These lemony bars are a great make-ahead treat. Use fresh orange juice and zest instead of lemon for a different flavor profile.

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Key "Light" Pie

Key "Light" Pie
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Key "Light" Pie

Fat-free condensed milk, egg substitute, reduced-fat graham cracker crust, and fat-free whipped topping considerably lighten the traditional key lime pie.

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Brown Sugar Baked Pears

Brown Sugar Baked Pears
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: Brown Sugar Baked Pears

No crust, no cake, and if you want to lighten it up further, just reduce the amount of butter, sugar, and ice cream that you use. A baked pear with just a little cinnamon on its own is guaranteed to be sweet and delicious.

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Raspberry Crumble Bars

Raspberry-Almond Crumble Bars
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Raspberry Crumble Bars

Packed with raspberries, rolled oats, and almonds, it's almost like breakfast in a bar. Cut down on the sugar in the filling, or swap it with a different sweetener.

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Banana Pudding

Healthy Desserts: Banana Pudding
Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Banana Pudding

This pudding delivers a velvety rich custard, ripe banana flavor, vanilla wafers so soft they melt in your mouth, and an irresistible golden-baked meringue topping. All this, and it's lower in fat and calories than traditional versions. These make great individual party desserts, or make it in an 8-inch square pan. We love it with extra wafers.

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Rainbow Fruit Pizza

Rainbow Fruit Pizza
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Rainbow Fruit Pizza

Use whatever fruit is in season—pomegranates, bananas, oranges, and pineapple all make for a stunning presentation.

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Tip

Splenda Peanut Butter Cookies Stevia Jar

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Lightened Hummingbird Cake

Lightened Hummingbird Cake

Recipe: Lightened Hummingbird Cake

While we love the classic, this lightened version is equally good. All you have to do is sub some of the oil for applesauce and scale back on the butter, sugar, and eggs. As for that creamy frosting, use a light cream cheese instead.

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Chocolate-Pecan Tassies

chocolate pecan tassies
Credit: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Chocolate-Pecan Tassies

Healthy isn't just about ingredients. It's also about portion sizes. Whip up these little tassies and they're a satisfying, bite-sized treat after dinner.

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Mini Berry Cobblers

Mini Berry Cobblers Recipe
Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Mini Berry Cobblers

These mini cobblers are packed with juicy berries and topped with a simple biscuit. Just one will serve up the satisfying sweetness needed to finish off a meal without going overboard on the sugar and fat.

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Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes with Buttermilk-Vanilla Glaze

Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes with Buttermilk-Vanilla Glaze
Credit: Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes with Buttermilk-Vanilla Glaze

Get your year off to a vibrant start with these tiny Bundt cakes, which are perfect individual servings and also packed with carrots. Serve with or without the glaze.

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Instant Pot Applesauce

instant pot apple sauce
Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Instant Pot Applesauce

It's a dessert, snack, breakfast, and baking substitute all in one. You'll definitely want to keep some in your fridge, and with an easy recipe like this one, it won't be hard. Make sure to enjoy a cupful warm, too.

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Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Mini Red Velvet Cakes
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Another individual dessert that helps control portion size but doesn't skimp on ingredients. And that frosting—mascarpone and cream cheese? Oh, yes.

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Apple Butter Cobbler with Drop Biscuits

Apple Butter Cobbler with Drop Biscuits
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Apple Butter Cobbler with Drop Biscuits

When preparing the apples, you can moderate the amount of sugar or sub it out for something like honey, maple syrup, or agave.

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Roasted Pears

roasted pears
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Roasted Pears

Aside from snacking on one straight from the fruit bowl, this might be one of the healthiest ways to enjoy a pear. The recipe uses honey as a sweetener and just a dab of butter for richness.

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Winter Blackberry Cobbler

Winter Blackberry Cobbler
Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Winter Blackberry Cobbler

Frozen berries make this recipe a possibility in the cold months. The minimal pastry allows the fruit to shine and limits the amount of sugar and butter you'll consume.

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Summer Fruit Skewers

Summer Fruit Skewers
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Summer Fruit Skewers

Sub the summer fruits for winter ones, like persimmons, oranges, bananas, and pineapple. It'll be bright, vibrant, simple, and good for you.

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Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler

Gluten Free Peach Cobbler
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler

Peaches in January? Yes, thanks to the frozen section. And, making it gluten free ensures all can enjoy.  

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Blackberry-Yogurt Grits

blackberry yogurt grits
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Blackberry-Yogurt Grits

Grits for dessert? Only if they're Blackberry-Yogurt Grits. Greek yogurt keeps the grits nice and creamy, honey cuts the tartness, and blackberry jam adds a little sweetness.

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Simplest Pear Tart

Simplest Pear Tart
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: Simplest Pear Tart

There's not much to this tart, but that's the beauty of it, as the pears are allowed to shine.

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Sweet Potato Cobbler

Sweet Potato Cobbler
Credit: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell

Recipe: Sweet Potato Cobbler

The hearty, healthy sweet potato shines in this cobbler, which uses just a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon to flavor.

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Fresh Fruit Salad

Fresh Fruit Salad
Credit: Jen Causey

Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad

This is the one instance in which salad can be dessert. Choose your favorite fruit medley and garnish with fresh mint leaves and a drizzle of honey.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 22 Meyer Lemon-Cheesecake Bars
    2 of 22 Key "Light" Pie
    3 of 22 Brown Sugar Baked Pears
    4 of 22 Raspberry Crumble Bars
    5 of 22 Banana Pudding
    6 of 22 Rainbow Fruit Pizza
    7 of 22 Tip
    8 of 22 Lightened Hummingbird Cake
    9 of 22 Chocolate-Pecan Tassies
    10 of 22 Mini Berry Cobblers
    11 of 22 Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes with Buttermilk-Vanilla Glaze
    12 of 22 Instant Pot Applesauce
    13 of 22 Mini Red Velvet Cakes
    14 of 22 Apple Butter Cobbler with Drop Biscuits
    15 of 22 Roasted Pears
    16 of 22 Winter Blackberry Cobbler
    17 of 22 Summer Fruit Skewers
    18 of 22 Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler
    19 of 22 Blackberry-Yogurt Grits
    20 of 22 Simplest Pear Tart
    21 of 22 Sweet Potato Cobbler
    22 of 22 Fresh Fruit Salad

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    Guilt-Free Desserts to Start the New Year
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