Healthy Recipes Healthy Cookie & Dessert Recipes 23 High-Protein Desserts Without Protein Powder By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 12, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player While some protein powders can be healthy supplements of the important macronutrient, most aren't the most tasty additions to desserts because of their distinct flavors. These delicious bites use no protein powder and still pack in at least seven grams of protein per serving to help satisfy cravings and keep you feeling full for longer. Recipes like our Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake and 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream are whole-food options for a tasty and protein-packed sweet treat to end the day. 01 of 23 Almond Flour Cake View Recipe Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee This light and fluffy almond flour cake is flavored simply with almond extract and orange zest. Whipped egg whites give this gluten-free cake a light texture. 02 of 23 Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake View Recipe This healthy pound cake recipe isn't just delicious—it also only requires one bowl to make. For the best cake texture, be sure to beat the sugar and butter together long enough in Step 2 to look creamy—the time it takes to get there varies according to the type of electric mixer you have. Serve with brunch or alongside a cup of coffee in the afternoon. 03 of 23 Banana Pudding Parfaits View Recipe Andrea Mathis These individual banana puddings contain all of those delicious traditional banana pudding flavors in a healthy little parfait package. This recipe is part of our Juneteenth Family Cookout Menu. 04 of 23 Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream View Recipe Here's a simple recipe for low-fat vanilla ice cream. Our version has all the richness you'll need but about 90 fewer calories than store-bought premium ice cream and a whopping 15 grams less total fat and 10 grams less saturated fat per serving. 05 of 23 Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Pecan Praline Sauce View Recipe The dessert menu at Brigtsen's restaurant in New Orleans offers "Bread Pudding du Jour," which changes with the seasons. This sweet potato version plays well during the holidays. 06 of 23 Oatmeal Cookie Fruit Pizza View Recipe This classic fruit pizza recipe starts with a giant oatmeal cookie that's topped with a cream cheese-yogurt sauce plus berry and kiwi slices for a fun, colorful dessert pizza. The crowd-pleasing lightened-up dessert will be the first to go at your next potluck or barbecue. 07 of 23 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream View Recipe Whir up frozen bananas into an "ice cream" without the cream! Peanut butter adds a natural swirl of flavor for a sweet and satisfying dessert with no added sugar. 08 of 23 Peach-Ricotta Pound Cake View Recipe Sonia Bozzo This peach-ricotta pound cake is fruity and delicious. The ricotta cheese helps keep it moist, and the peaches add fresh summer flavor. Using vanilla extract lets the spices shine through, while almond extract provides a stronger flavor that pairs well with the peaches. 09 of 23 Strawberry Fro-Yo Cupcakes View Recipe Fat-free frozen yogurt and fresh strawberries are blended together to make a healthier cupcake with a bonus cookie crunch in this easy 4-ingredient dessert recipe. 10 of 23 No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake View Recipe This no-bake cherry cheesecake is an easy summertime treat. This no-bake cheesecake recipe has omega-3-rich walnuts in the graham cracker crust and uses nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese in the filling to keep saturated fat in check. If you want a bright red topping, use sour cherries. Sweet cherries give it a more purple hue. To make gluten-free no-bake cherry cheesecake, use gluten-free graham crackers. 11 of 23 Lemon Frozen Yogurt Ripieno View Recipe Lemon lovers will enjoy the bright flavor of this creamy, refreshing dessert. To make it extra special, serve it in a frozen lemon cup! You can use the juice from your lemon cups to make the frozen yogurt or keep it on hand to enjoy later. 12 of 23 Blitz Torte with Orange Curd & Meringue View Recipe A blitz torte—or "lightning cake," roughly translated—is a German-American layer cake. This cake has buttery, almost cookie-like cake layers, creamy orange curd filling and a crisp meringue decorated with crunchy almonds. Though it looks impressive, the cake is relatively cheap to make with only a handful of ingredients: Egg whites are used in the meringue, while the yolks go in the cake; both the zest and juice from a single orange flavor the curd. The rest is just flour, sugar, salted (regular) butter and a splash of vanilla. Serve this beautiful cake for any special occasion. Read more about this cake. 13 of 23 Almond Burfi View Recipe Burfi is an Indian sweet treat often served and gifted during Diwali and other festivals--or whenever one has a craving. Usually made with either condensed milk or ghee (or both), it's a decadent sweet that's not quite a cookie, not quite a candy, but something in between. It's often described as a kind of fudge. Throughout South Asia and the diaspora, different families have their own unique ways of making it, and that's the beauty: from the size and shape to the toppings and mix-in spices, everything can be customized. Even chocolate burfi is a thing! This version uses nonfat dry milk powder, almond flour and less sugar than most other burfi recipes for sweet satisfaction that's just a bit lighter, so you can feel good about serving up seconds. 14 of 23 High-Protein Lemon-Blueberry Cake View Recipe Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Liv Dansky Cottage cheese is the secret star ingredient in this stunning cake. While the cheesy flavor is muted by the fruit, the inclusion of cottage cheese adds protein and keeps the cake moist. The tart flavor of the lemon is balanced by sweet blueberries. Enjoy a slice of this cake for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Or try crumbling it up and stirring into a bowl of cottage cheese or yogurt. 15 of 23 Healthy Dirt Pudding Cup View Recipe Upgrade classic dirt cups by replacing the gummy worm with a strawberry to make it healthier, while achieving the same earthy feel. Creamy chocolate pudding (the "mud") is the ultimate comfort food and this easy homemade version is so much better than any pudding mix or refrigerated prepared pudding! A topping of chocolate wafer crumbs (the "dirt") provides an appealing texture contrast to the silky smooth pudding for a delicious snack or dessert kids and adults alike will love. 16 of 23 Lavender Cheesecake View Recipe Baking homemade graham crackers with a touch of brown sugar and honey makes this cheesecake recipe an extra-special dessert. 17 of 23 Quick Strawberry "Cheesecake" View Recipe Get cheesecake flavor without having to bake with this healthy dessert recipe. To make it gluten-free, look for gluten-free graham crackers. 18 of 23 Double Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding View Recipe In this healthy chocolate bread pudding recipe, whole-wheat bread, ripe bananas, chocolate and toasted peanuts come together for a heavenly dessert. To make individual bread puddings instead of one large pan, divide the batter among 12 small oiled individual baking dishes (about 8 ounces each). Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with peanuts and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more. 19 of 23 Pumpkin Cheesecake for Two View Recipe Single-serving pumpkin cheesecakes are the perfect way to finish off a Thanksgiving meal for two (or any other meal, given that they take just 15 minutes of active prep time!). You can make them a day or two ahead of time and keep them tucked away in the fridge in their sturdy ramekins until you're ready to enjoy them. 20 of 23 Flourless Chocolate Torte View Recipe Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Chelsea Zimmer / Kay Clarke Apples and walnuts add a delicious twist to this flourless chocolate cake. Serve this treasured family recipe for Passover. 21 of 23 Peanut Butter-Chocolate Mug Cake View Recipe Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer This super-fast peanut butter-chocolate mug cake is a great way to indulge your sweet tooth. The cake is tender and moist, with a hint of peanut butter. Enjoy this easy mug cake plain or topped with peanuts, chocolate chips or a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. 22 of 23 Mocha Yogurt & Raspberry Parfaits View Recipe Jason Donnelly These individual yogurt parfaits are layered with chocolate cookies and raspberries for a sweet treat. A touch of maple syrup balances the tangy flavor of the Greek yogurt. 23 of 23 Roasted Banana Souffles with Caramel Sauce View Recipe A silence fell over the table when my friends first tasted this dessert, interrupted only by the sound of spoons being licked or dipped back into the ramekins for a second, then third mouthful. A silencing dessert is always a winning dessert in my book. Was this page helpful? 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