21 Healthy Desserts That Are 250 Calories or Less

Everyone loves a treat at the end of a meal. But intentional indulgence (rather than mindless eating) means satisfying your sweet tooth, while keeping reasonable portions and nutrition in mind.

Here, we define a lower-calorie dessert as 250 calories or less per serving. But know that 250 calories isn’t a magic number. It is, however, sizeable enough to be satisfying. And all these desserts can contribute meaningful nutrition to a meal. That’s how dietitians think about dessert.

For instance, if a meal didn’t include enough fiber, you can fill in that gap with a fruit-filled dessert. If you didn’t get whole grains, reaching for Oatmeal, Date and Chocolate Chunk Cookies might be the move. Or if calcium-rich dairy is missing from dinner, serve Chocolate Chia Pudding Pops. Even a few vegetables can be found in our Carrot Muffins — although, these muffins don’t actually count as a vegetable, but you get the idea.

Here are some ideas for desserts that will put a smile on your face – and with nutrients to boot.

Start with classic Chocolate-Covered Strawberries. Whether there’s a birthday, holiday or special occasion on the horizon, or you just happen upon good-looking berries at a great price, these dipped berries are as fun as they are simple. Depending on how much chocolate ends up on each strawberry, three dipped strawberries come out to about 220 calories of healthy indulgence. Semi-sweet chocolate and strawberries do contain some antioxidants, but the real benefit of this treat is how completely it satisfies your chocolate cravings.

Most of us probably have bananas and the rest of these ingredients on-hand, so make these ooey-gooey caramelized bananas now. The sticky bananas along with an orange-scented caramel are so satisfyingly sweet, that it might be surprising they contain only one tablespoon of added sugar per 230-calorie serving. It’s best to use firm but ripe bananas, but use up what you have to make this homey dessert.

These beautiful pink treats are perfect to savor slowly by taking small bites. In fact, popping a whole one into your mouth is almost impossible, thanks to the delightful chewy texture. Appreciate one of these Japanese confections with a cup of plain green tea; the contrast of the sweet mochi ball and the earthy tea completes the mindful experience. The antioxidants found in the green tea also add to the variety of antioxidants also found in the strawberry and red bean paste. One Ichigo Daifuku is about 170 calories.

These soft and cakey applesauce oatmeal cookies straddle a world between cookie and muffin – making them the perfect lower-sugar treat for lunch boxes, after-school snacks and coffee breaks. The combination of whole wheat flour, oats, raisins and chopped pecans gives them some staying power thanks to the two grams of fiber, along with four grams of protein fiber in a two-cookie serving, which comes in at about 210 calories.

Creamy coconut milk combined with sweet-tart red raspberries is one flavor combo that’s not to be missed. Throw in some watermelon and floral-scented honey and this is a fancy, grown-up ice pop. Plus, one of the best parts of eating ice pops for dessert is that they have to be savored – there’s no rushing through all these nuanced flavors. One of the healthiest ways to eat dessert is to slow down and enjoy it. Relish the experience of eating dessert daily with these lovely pops – or share, which is also healthy.

These tarts hail from Hong Kong and consist of a homemade puff pastry crust with a slightly less rich filling than other versions of tarts. One pastry would be perfect to enjoy as a mid-afternoon snack with cup of tea and some beautifully sliced fruit. Each tart has four grams of satiating protein from eggs and milk, and only one teaspoon of sugar. They are especially satisfying since you hand-crafted each one. One tart comes out to about 190 calories.

There’s nothing boring about this jewel-colored fruit salad. It’s nature’s perfect dessert that is simply dressed up with other flavors from nature. Kiwi, strawberries and cantaloupe are kissed with a honey, lime and mint dressing. Kiwi are especially good for gut health and eating them daily can help people with digestive issues. The potent antioxidants that give gorgeous color to kiwi, cantaloupe and strawberries are anti-inflammatory – and make this a stunning dessert. One serving provides about 120 calories.

Sweet prunes become decadent bon-bons when dipped in chocolate and rolled in antioxidant-rich pink raspberry powder. Just three make a satisfying dessert (180 calories) that’s ready in minutes. These homemade chocolates have only four ingredients and each one brings a solid nutrient profile. The almonds, prunes and raspberries are each abundant in inflammation-fighting antioxidants – the chocolate has some too. The prunes and the raspberries are plentiful in fiber, bringing the count to a substantial five grams.

This Moroccan-inspired dessert might be the perfect way to end a meal. It’s a refreshing mix of oranges and cream that’s inspired by the English fool dessert. By using Greek yogurt instead of cream, our version is plentiful in protein with eight grams. Each orange contains about three grams of fiber – which along with the crunchy pistachios brings the total to four grams. One serving comes out to about 170 calories.

Let them eat carrot cake! These carrot cake-like muffins are scented with vanilla and cinnamon, and studded with sweet tropical pineapple, all for around 180 calories in one. Ingredients like whole wheat flour, eggs and whole carrots bump up the amount of protein to three grams per muffin. They can even be schmeared with one tablespoon of low-fat cream cheese for an extra 25 calories and protein, and to fulfill cravings for cream cheese frosting on top.

Whip up these four-ingredient-cookies in no time, but don’t forget the flaky sea salt on top; it’s key to giving them a satisfying sweet-salty finish. Each cookie provides about 140 calories, along with an impressive three grams of protein and one gram of fiber. And since they’re made with peanut butter, they’re packed with nutrition. Besides protein and fiber, peanut butter contains a host of healthy fats, B vitamins and the minerals magnesium, zinc and phosphorus.

These pops are uber-fudgy, thanks to a combination of chopped semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder. If you don’t have the patience to wait for the frozen version, no problem, the chia seed pudding is just as delicious. Whether your pudding is spoon-able or frozen and lick-able, the chia seeds bring the bulk of the nutrients; they add a boost of healthy omega-3 fats and three grams of fiber. This significant amount of fiber along with five grams of protein is super satiating. Each pop is about 180 calories.

Indulgent chocolate-dipped strawberries are an extraordinary delight on their own, but adding this rainbow of fruit makes them a delicacy – an affordable delicacy! Serve them for brunch, a shower or a dessert to make anyone feel special. Each of the ingredients are bursting with plant polyphenols and flavanols which are antioxidant-like components that help decrease inflammation. Perhaps most importantly, these antioxidants give these fruits their pleasingly bright colors. Each skewer is about 100 calories.

Chock-full of chocolate chunks, dates, oats, cinnamon and brown sugar, these cookies don’t taste “healthy,” which makes enjoying them the perfect way to end any meal. Whole grain oats are the star of these slightly chewy little delights. Both types of oats, old fashioned and quick oats would work in this recipe; both are also a whole grain, so they have benefits like helping to lower cholesterol and promoting gut health. Keep oats on hand for a bowl of oatmeal – or a quick batch of these cookies, each of which come out to about 90 calories.

Sometimes fruit is just right for dessert – and this quick preparation makes ‘just fruit’ something special. Serve it in summer with fresh seasonal peaches and cherries. But this gemstone-colored fruit bowl would also be delightful with frozen fruit – thaw before making, collecting all the juices to cook in the sauce. Frozen fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness and then flash-frozen to preserve their nutrition. One serving comes out to about 100 calories.

Like banana pudding? You’ll love this lightened up version of the classic recipe. We used real ingredients like real milk, sugar, vanilla, bananas and an egg to craft a recipe that will still cure any cravings for dreamy, creamy banana pudding. Our trick is to use real cream – but the reduced-fat sour cream version. Using sour cream gives the rich mouth-feel of cream, but with less saturated fat and fewer calories. And don’t worry, we didn’t forget the ‘real’ vanilla wafers!

Creamy Icelandic-style yogurt forms the base of these pretty pink ice pops that are loaded with sweet frozen peaches and raspberries. Raspberries are a fiber super star, so each of the 10 ice pops that this recipe makes contains two grams of fiber – which you probably won’t find in any other frozen treat in the freezer aisle. Frozen raspberries are also bursting with antioxidants – which is evident from their bright red color. One pop comes out to about 65 calories.

Serve these plump, smoky berries on a rimmed platter or bowl to capture all the maple syrup sweetened juices. Maple syrup is a natural sugar that contains several minerals including manganese, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium. The most abundant mineral is usually manganese (maple syrups differ by regions), and it’s crucial for calcium absorption and brain function. Six berries have about 140 calories; eat them right off the skewer or serve them over protein-rich Greek yogurt for a hearty snack.

These creamy frozen pops take frozen bananas to another level. Cocoa powder and a small amount of cream produce a smooth, mellow chocolate flavor. The peanuts complete the experience by adding nuttiness and a kiss of salt. All these quality ingredients combine together to make for an icy indulgence that offers protein and fiber – meaning these pops will satisfy your sweet tooth and fill your belly with natural goodness.

This luscious chocolate pudding has a secret ingredient – sweet potatoes! With the addition of creamy milk chocolate and rich cocoa powder, you’d never guess there are veggies in this velvety treat. Each portion-controlled dish of rich pudding has almost a full serving of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins A and C which help keep the immune system healthy; it’s also a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin B6 all of which help the heart stay strong. One serving clocks in at about 210 calories.