Healthy Recipes Healthy Cookie & Dessert Recipes 18 Anti-Inflammatory Desserts You'll Want to Make Forever 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 July 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 Chronic inflammation can cause you to experience some pesky symptoms like low energy levels, digestive issues and mental fog. Luckily, what you eat can help you lower the chronic inflammation in your body—and dessert is no exception! We created these mouthwatering dishes with some of the best anti-inflammatory foods like berries, nuts and whole grains to help you combat those symptoms. Plus, they boast four- and five-star ratings from the real home cooks who have made them. Try refreshing recipes like our Lemon-Blueberry Poke Cake and Oatmeal Cookie Fruit Pizza for a delectable treat you'll want to make on repeat. 01 of 18 Lemon-Blueberry Poke Cake View Recipe Jacob Fox This lemon-blueberry poke cake is tender and light. Holes are poked into the cake after baking to let the tangy-sweet glaze seep in. 02 of 18 Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark View Recipe Greek yogurt gets studded with fresh strawberries and chocolate chips then frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark (but healthier!). This colorful snack is perfect for kids and adults alike. 03 of 18 Lemon-Blueberry Nice Cream View Recipe Brie Passano Nice cream is for everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions. This dairy- and lactose-free, no-added-sugar version requires only five ingredients, including cold water, and comes together as fast as the blades in your food processor can spin. It's bright with blueberries and creamy from bananas, making it a simple and easy dessert with a good dose of dietary fiber—how much more can you ask from a delicious frozen summer dessert? 04 of 18 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. 05 of 18 Apple Coffee Cake View Recipe Apples lend their sweet-tart flavor to this warm and comforting apple coffee cake. The nutty oat and pecan filling in the middle of the cake also acts as a crispy topping that's drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze. 06 of 18 Naturally Red Velvet Doughnuts View Recipe Cake batters require a lot of food coloring or they end up looking faded. For these un-fried doughnuts, we use both sweet red beets and powdered freeze-dried pomegranate arils to deliver a rich, natural red color along with bonus antioxidants and fiber. 07 of 18 Chocolate Rye Babka View Recipe Brittany Conerly More like a yeasted cake than a loaf of bread, babka can be incredibly sweet and rich. We tamed the sweetness in this chocolate rye babka recipe by minimizing the amount of sugar in the dough and contrasting it with bittersweet chocolate in the filling. Whole rye flour in the dough not only adds a subtle whole-grain element to the flavor, but also makes the dough easier to roll out and contributes to a moister finished loaf. For maximum chocolate flavor, we recommend including the optional espresso powder and cacao nibs in the filling. 08 of 18 Apple Crisp with Cranberries View Recipe Sticking to its food-waste mission, L.A. Kitchen created this dessert to work with almost any fruit you have on hand. We've done it here with pears and apples, but you can use berries or even tropical fruits instead. The addition of dried fruit adds a concentrated hit of flavor you won't get from fresh alone. 09 of 18 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. 10 of 18 Chocolate Nut Bark View Recipe Use your favorite combination of nuts to make this quick and easy chocolate nut bark. 11 of 18 Flaky Apple Pie Bars View Recipe Jacob Fox Grab your box of puff pastry for these easy and delicious apple pie bars. 12 of 18 Cherry-Pineapple Dump Cake View Recipe Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn This fruity cherry-pineapple dump cake has a delightful balance between tart and sweet flavors. Frozen cherries are the star here and add sweetness without going overboard. Pineapple adds tropical notes. 13 of 18 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. 14 of 18 Slow-Cooker Cherry Cobbler View Recipe While you're focused on every other dish for the backyard barbecue, let the slow cooker make cherry cobbler for a crowd. With frozen fruit, this easy slow-cooker dessert can be made and enjoyed any time of year. 15 of 18 Berry Chantilly Cake View Recipe In this beautiful and simple Chantilly cake recipe, fresh berries are layered with whipped cream and delicate sponge cake for a special sweet that's as well suited for a bridal shower as it is for a birthday or graduation party or other special occasion. Fill and top with any combination of fresh berries. 16 of 18 Plantain Puff Puffs View Recipe Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Plantain puff puffs combine two of San Francisco chef Simileoluwa Adebajo's favorite things: fried plantains and puff puffs (Nigeria's nutmeg-scented fried dough). For the best flavor, be sure to use overripe plantains, which will have completely black or mottled black skin. 17 of 18 Peppermint-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark View Recipe This eye-catching frozen peppermint-chocolate bark was inspired by Williams Sonoma's Original Peppermint Bark--our loose interpretation of the treat is frozen and made with Greek yogurt, chocolate and crushed candy canes. For the creamiest bark, be sure to use full-fat yogurt, as fat-free yogurt can get icy when frozen. Serve this healthy dessert when you want all those festive holiday flavors in a lightened-up--and totally delicious--package. Just don't stuff your Christmas stockings with this bark because it melts quickly. 18 of 18 Ginger Molasses Cookies View Recipe Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless The spelt flour in these ginger molasses cookies offers a chewy texture and a nutty flavor that shines with the ginger in this easy holiday cookie recipe. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit