7 Desserts for Your Thanksgiving Feast with a Healthy Makeover

By: Cindy G Castillo

This Thanksgiving, we understand that eating healthy is in no one’s mind — especially when it comes to the best part which comes last, dessert.

We want you to satisfy your sweet tooth this Thanksgiving. Check out these dessert recipes from around the web that can cut your dessert calories by the bunch without missing out on the deliciousness!

Apple Coconut Crumble Pie

popsugar.com

Calories: 338 vs. 411 on traditional pie

Makes 8 servings | Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 mins.

This lightened-up recipe marries two traditional desserts — apple pie and apple crisp — into one glorious, warm, and spicy treat that you’ll feel proud bringing to your next holiday dinner.

Ingredients: 

Crust:
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Filling:
4 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Crumb Topping:
3/4 cup oats
1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons Earth Balance, melted

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Get out a 9-inch pie pan, and set aside.
3. Add raw almonds, rolled oats, and flour to a food processor, and grind to a powder. Add in the shredded coconut, the coconut oil, and the maple syrup, and pulse until well blended.
4. Transfer mixture to the 9-inch pan, and press into an even thickness on the sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside.
5. In a medium-sized bowl, add the apple slices, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well, and fill the pie pan.
6. In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted Earth Balance. Use a fork to mix well.
7. Sprinkle the topping over the apples evenly.
8. Bake for 60 minutes or until the apples are soft and juicy.

 Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

 Cheesecake for Thanksgiving? Yes please! Cut the calories by using low-fat cottage cheese and low-calorie whipped

popsugar.com

cream.

Ingredients: 

1 cup low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk of choice
1 tbs sugar-free instant butterscotch (or vanilla) dry pudding mix
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3-6 packets stevia, or to taste (or sweetener of choice to taste)

Optional toppings:
gingersnaps
light whip cream

Directions: 

1. Place everything in a blender, and blend until smooth. Serve immediately or cover and place in the refrigerator until chilled — at least one hour. Top with light whip cream and/or crushed gingersnap cookies if desired!

 Vegan Sweet Potato Pie with Whipped Coconut Cream Frosting

Don’t let the label “Vegan” scare you! Believe us, no one in your dinner table will be able to tell the difference. This recipe uses no butter, eggs, milk or cream making it only 362 calories per serving.

Ingredients:

popsugar.com

For the crust
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the filling
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 sweet potatoes, cooked
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the coconut whipped cream
1 can chilled full-fat coconut milk (fat solids only)
2 teaspoons confectioners sugar or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Add pecans and rolled oats to a blender and grind to a powder. Make sure you don’t overblend — you may end up making a paste. Place flour in a medium-sized bowl and add pecan and oat mixture. Mix well.
2. Add the coconut oil and mix with a fork until it is thoroughly incorporated into the flour mixture.
3. Stir in the maple syrup; mix just enough to blend well and form a dough that will hold together when pressed.
4. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch pie pan and spread into an even thickness on the sides and bottom of the pan.
5. Poke holes in bottom and sides of the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let the crust cool before filling.
6. While crust is baking, make the pie filling: in a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and cornstarch until combined. Add sweet potato, almond milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and whisk until blended. Pour mixture into pre-baked pie crust.
7. Bake 1 hour or until edges are set and center slightly jiggles. Let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before serving.
8. Once pie has cooled, open the can of chilled coconut milk, turn upside down, and open. Pour out the liquid at the top; you’ll use the cream part, not the liquid.
9. Gently pour the coconut fat into your chilled mixing bowl and whisk with a hand blender or standing mixer until whipped. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla or maple syrup and whip again until fully incorporated. Spread evenly onto pie and refrigerate.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Spice Bread

For a sweet after-dinner treat, bite into a slice of oatmeal pumpkin spice bread that’s completely dairy-free.

Makes 2 loaves; 16 servings

popsugar.com

Calories per serving: 248

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients: 

15 ounces puréed pumpkin
4 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup organic unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup water
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup organic rolled oats (save 1 teaspoon for sprinkling on top)
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly apply cooking spray to two loaf pans.
3. Place the pumpkin, eggs, oil, applesauce, and water in a large mixing bowl. Blend it together using a hand mixer until creamy.
4. Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, and spices in a smaller mixing bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, and using a spoon, mix thoroughly until smooth. Pour half the batter into each greased pan. Sprinkle the tops with rolled oats.
6. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Allow to cool in the pans before removing.

No-Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

chocolatecoveredkatie.com

• 15 oz pureed pumpkin (or 1 can)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp cocoa powder
• level 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• sweetener of choice, to taste

Directions: 

Melt the chocolate (either on the stove or in the microwave), then throw everything into a food processor and blend until it is super-smooth. Pour into a pie crust and fridge until chilled. This pie gets firmer and firmer, the longer it sits. Perhaps you could try baking this, too. 

Chocolate Pumpkin “Pizookie”

What the French is a “Pizookie?” It’s the heavenly combination of a pizza and a cookie! No, there is no mozzarella or tomato sauce involved, it simply gets its name for its crunchy crust, and gooey middle.

Ingredients:

chocolatecoveredkatie.com

• 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (500g total, once drained)
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin (or butternut squash or sweet potato)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar or coconut sugar (For a sugar-free version, perhaps try xylitol. Also, white sugar will work if you don’t have brown. Also: I know some readers have successfully made my original pie with agave, but I haven’t tried it.)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Blend everything except the chips very well in a food processor (NOT a blender). Blend until it’s super-smooth. Mix in chips, and pour into a pan. (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want areally deep-dish pie.) Cook at 350F for 35 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccinos

Surprise your guests this Thanksgiving with your very own home-made pumpkin spice frappuccinos, and save that trip to Starbucks — your wallet might just thank you.

Makes 2 large servings

chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk of choice (480g)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp instant coffee granules (decaf or regular)
• scant 1/16 tsp salt
• stevia extract to taste, or 3 tbsp sugar (or other sweetener of choice)
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (120g)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)

Directions: 

Mix the ingredients together in 1 or 2 shallow plastic containers. Freeze. (You could also use an ice cube tray.) Once frozen, pop the blocks out of the containers. Thaw until just soft enough for your blender to be able to handle it, and blend until desired slushiness is reached. Add extra sweetener if needed, but do NOT add ice! It will dilute the flavor. Pour into two glasses and enjoy. Note: the flavor and texture will obviously vary depending on your choice of milk. I’m sure many types of milk will yield a good result, but I’ve only tried the recipe with Silk almond milk.