Light Summer Desserts

 

Stay swimsuit-ready all season long with fruit-filled treats, less-sinful pies and light-as-air mousse and ice cream creations.

 

Blueberry Compote

A homemade compote is a simple way to transform a bowl of frozen yogurt or ice cream into a proper summer dessert. Ellie Krieger's recipe is low in sugar but bursting with blueberry flavor. 

Get the Recipe: Blueberry Compote

Grilled Bananas with Maple Creme Fraiche

Bobby Flay grills bananas until the sides are caramelized and crunchy and then tops them with dollops of maple-sweetened creme fraiche. Plate with berries for a simple, beautiful and sweeter-than-you'd-think dessert.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Bananas with Maple Creme Fraiche

Honey Tangerine Gelatin

Mix powdered gelatin with honey tangerine juice and zest for fresh citrus flavor. Leave it to set in the fridge and then serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Have you ever seen such a sunny dessert?

Get the Recipe: Honey Tangerine Gelatin

Raspberry Tart

Raspberry liqueur and fresh raspberries come together in this sweet-tart pastry best enjoyed in small but decadent doses.

Get the Recipe: Raspberry Tart

Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream

Balsamic syrup adds a rich, savory note to a bowl of berries, best complemented by a super-sweet ricotta, honey and vanilla cream.

Get the Recipe: Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream

Angel Food Cake

Alton adds a teaspoon of orange extract to give this naturally light, spongy cake bright flavor.

Get the Recipe: Angel Food Cake

Strawberry Ice Cream

A pound of frozen strawberries gives this frozen treat incredible flavor, and low-fat Greek yogurt delivers the creamy consistency of ice cream with only a fraction of the fat.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry Ice Cream

Basil Limoncello Sorbet

Tiffani Thiessen's simple, six-ingredient sorbet is refreshing and packed with tart lemons, crisp basil and a hint of booze from limoncello.

Get the Recipe: Basil Limoncello Sorbet

Melon with Strawberries and Raspberries

Carving the seeds out of the center of a halved melon transforms it into a tasty bowl for summer berries.

Get the Recipe: Melon with Strawberries and Raspberries

Hungry Girl's Banana Split Pie

Fake a banana split pie with Hungry Girl’s recipe using chocolate pudding, whipped topping, bananas, syrup, peanuts and cherries.

Get the Recipe: Banana Split Pie

Chocolate Dream Ice Cream

A bit of indulgence doesn’t have to leave you feeling guilty. For a sweet treat that doesn't pack on the calories, sprinkle any of the following toppings on some low-fat ice cream: chocolate bar, chocolate chips, peppermint patty or crumbled chocolate wafers.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Dream Ice Cream

Mascarpone Amaretti Cup

Debi and Gabriele's elegant mascarpone mousse, topped with chocolate shavings and crumbled amaretti cookies, is perfect for serving as a party dessert.

Get the Recipe: Mascarpone Amaretti Cup

Mixed Berries with Limoncello

Giada tosses a mixture of summer berries with fresh basil, mint and a splash of limoncello for a sweet medley that's ready in less than five minutes.

Get the Recipe: Mixed Berries with Limoncello

Super-Simple Sorbet

All you need to make this super-simple, super-fresh sorbet are frozen strawberries, yogurt and sugar.

Get the Recipe: Super-Simple Sorbet

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

We know what you're thinking: Tofu in a dessert? Here, silken tofu is practically tasteless and allows the chocolate and spicy chile flavors to shine through, while adding creaminess (no milk required).

Get the Recipe: Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Mango Kulfi

This lighter version of a favorite Indian ice cream is made with mango juice, chunks of fresh mango and toasted pistachios. Best of all: You don't need an ice cream maker to enjoy it.

Get the Recipe: Indian Ice Cream: Mango Kulfi

Cookie-rific Ice Cream Freeze

Sip on this low-cal version of a cookies and cream shake, made with chocolate crisps, light soy milk, fat-free ice cream and fat-free whipped topping.

Get the Recipe: Cookie-rific Ice Cream Freeze

Frosty Cappuccino

Wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Whip up one of these frothy and frosty cappuccinos. It takes just five minutes to make, has only 105 calories, and satisfies caffeine and chocolate fixes — sure to put you back on the sunny side.

Get the Recipe: Frosty Cappuccino

Gimme Gimme S'mores Sandwich

This treat is too cold to be a s'more and too marshmallow-y to be an ice cream sandwich –– but who cares? All that matters is that it's delicious and only 133 calories.

Get the Recipe: Gimme Gimme S'mores Sandwich

Dessert Island Parfait

A few drops of coconut extract transform fat-free vanilla yogurt into a sweet and tropical base for mango, banana and shredded coconut.

Get the Recipe: Dessert Island Parfait

Angel Food Cake With Mangoes

Dress up store-bought angel food cake with a zesty-sweet mango sauce and fresh mango cubes.

Get the Recipe: Angel Food Cake with Mangoes

HG Hot Couple: Chocolate-Dunked Strawberries

Dip strawberries fondue-style into fat-free chocolate pudding snacks for instant and guilt-free satisfaction.

Get the Recipe: HG Hot Couple: Chocolate-Dunked Strawberries

Very Berry Dreamboat Parfaits

A blend of nonfat vanilla pudding and fat-free cream cheese is layered between strawberries and raspberries, then topped with crumbled graham crackers for a touch of crunch in this pretty parfait.

Get the Recipe: Very Berry Dreamboat Parfaits

Cherry Lemonade Super-Slushie

Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien blends frozen cherries with ice and sugar-free lemonade for a refreshing slushie that's high in vitamin C and low in calories.

Get the Recipe: Cherry Lemonade Super-Slushie

Tropical Vanilla Pudding Shots

Made with a mixture of crushed pinapple, fat-free instant pudding and coconut rum, these shots make fun mini desserts with a cocktail kick.

Get the Recipe: Tropical Vanilla Pudding Shots