Dessert

Dessert

For some reason healthy dessert sounds kind of like an oxymoron. I’m of the mindset that when it comes to dessert always indulge in the real deal, just don’t do it too often. 

That being said, I have come across some pretty sweet treats along the way that don’t seem to break the bank. 

Chocolate Hummus

One of my most recent finds is chocolate hummus. I often wonder who first came up with the idea for this 8th wonder of the world? Pair it with strawberries or mandarin oranges, and it makes the perfect dessert option for someone looking for a healthier choice. My two grandsons are quite enamored by chocolate hummus, and the youngest one refers to it as hummy, a combination of the words hummus and yummy which describes it to a tee. 

Cool Whip

Adding cool whip can turn the mundane into the divine. Add a dollop to a Jello sugar-free pudding cup for a tasty treat. Mix it with chopped strawberries or spread it between two graham crackers and freeze it, and you have some pretty tasty dessert ideas. I have found the original Cool Whip to be the best rather than the lighter version. 

Chocolate Syrup

You can add just a tiny bit of chocolate syrup to bananas or strawberries or both, and it elevates the fruit more into a dessert range. I got this idea from my friend Gina many years ago at a Weight Watcher meeting, and it always satisfied my sweet tooth craving. 

Grilled Fruit

The next time you are grilling out consider grilling fruit for dessert. Place whole strawberries on a skewer and grill them. Then drizzle a Balsamic reduction over the grilled strawberries when serving. Basically all this entails is bringing a cup of balsamic vinegar to a boil, and then reducing the temperature and allowing it to simmer for 10-15 minutes. You end up reducing the amount by about half, and it thickens as it cools. 

Grilled peaches are pretty amazing as well, and although it takes away from the lower points value, adding some Bluebell Homemade Vanilla ice cream to the grilled peaches can’t be beat. 

Dark Chocolate 

If you can control your portions, a piece of Dove dark chocolate can be a very satisfying dessert. The trick here is to savor each bite. Sometimes I pair it with a Little Cutie, and it is delicious. My other latest obsession is the dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s. The secret here again is indulging in only one, although the one is pretty satisfying.

I try to save all other types of traditional desserts more for special occasions. Life is too short to never indulge, and sometimes having them only occasionally makes them more special.