10 Healthy Fall Dessert Recipes

Apple crisp photo by MissMessie on Flickr/Creative Commons

Fall in New England isn’t fall in New England without a few staples: apple cider donuts, pumpkin pie, apple crisp, and the like. We love these treats as much as the next apple picker, but they can be a one-way ticket to a sugar coma.

Below, we found 10 fall dessert recipes that are a little healthier than your average fare. Happy indulging!

1. Baked Apple Cider Donuts
via the Handmade Is Better Blog

These baked donuts are made without refined sugar, drawing their sweetness from maple syrup instead. Greek yogurt gives the treats a cake-y consistency.

2. Paleo Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
via My Whole Food Life

Yes, paleo cupcakes are possible. The cupcakes themselves are made only from pumpkin, bananas, coconut sugar, and spices, while the frosting is made from coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla.

3. Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
via Amy’s Healthy Baking

This recipe is two desserts in one, minus refined sugar. These cookies are healthy enough that we daresay you could eat two.

4. Whole Wheat Apple Crisp
via Bon Appetit

There’s still a half cup of brown sugar and a few tablespoons of butter in this recipe, but the crumble gets a healthy upgrade with whole wheat flour and old-fashioned oats. Top it with frozen yogurt, rather than ice cream, if you wish.

5. Healthy Pumpkin Bread
via Running with Spoons

If you really wanted to, you could make this recipe without chocolate chips. But since it uses Greek yogurt, coconut palm sugar, and whole wheat flour, we think it’s okay to indulge a little.

6. Chocolate Pretzel and Cherry Popcorn Balls
via Eating Well

There’s nothing like the nostalgia of a popcorn ball. Bring them into adulthood with agave nectar, natural peanut butter, dark chocolate-covered pretzels, and dried cherries.

7. Crustless Pumpkin Pie
via Healthy Recipes

Ditching the crust slashes calories, but leaves the pumpkin flavor you crave. A pie made without refined sugar is an added bonus.

8. Chai Spice Donuts
via Forest and Fauna

Another day, another baked donut recipe. These will give you all the warm comfort of a chai latte, in a tasty donut package.

9. Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
via Emily McLaughlin

Get your pumpkin pie fix through a socially acceptable—and healthy—breakfast. This pumpkin pie smoothie is sweetened only with a little honey or maple syrup.

10. Flourless Apple Pie Blondies
via the Big Man’s World

If you like your baked goods nice and gooey, this recipe is for you. It’s almost ridiculously simple, requiring only applesauce, almond butter, coconut flour, maple syrup, and spices.