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Healthy Holiday Desserts

Yes, you can eat your favorite holiday cookies, cakes and pies without gaining weight — just indulge sensibly, and bake Food Network's better-for-you recipe picks.

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Healthy Dessert

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Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Food Network Kitchen replaced most of the cream cheese in a traditional cheesecake with 1 percent cottage cheese, then added cocoa powder and just a touch of melted chocolate. The end result: a silky and rich, deeply chocolatey dessert.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Mascarpone with Raspberry and Pineapple

Giada De Laurentiis fills phyllo cups with mascarpone cheese mixed with sweet raspberry yogurt and juicy pineapple chunks, then tops it all with chocolate shavings for a quick, easy and light dessert.

Get the Recipe: Mascarpone with Raspberry and Pineapple

Lighter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These crispy cookies will give your full-fat recipe a run for its money. By adding some ground oats to whole-wheat pastry flour, cutting the butter and adding some agave nectar, Food Network Kitchen cut the fat and calories without sacrificing flavor.

Get the Recipe: Lighter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Oat Cakes

Food Network Kitchen added chocolate to the classic British digestive biscuit to highlight the richness of the oats, plus hazelnuts for texture and crunch. The cakes aren't too sweet, which means they're the perfect match for afternoon tea.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Oat Cakes (Scotland)

Ginger Angel Food Cake

This light, airy cake from Food Network Magazine is flavored with fresh ginger and topped with a lime-spiked raspberry sauce.

Get the Recipe: Ginger Angel Food Cake

Chocolate Macaroons

Nigella Lawson's chocolate macaroon cookies are chewy, chocolatey and, at 54 calories each, a sweet treat you don't have to feel guilty about.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Macaroons

Mini Date-Nut Snowballs

Ellie Krieger's no-sugar-added date-nut balls are ready in just 10 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Mini Date-Nut Snowballs

Almond Snowballs

Rachael Ray's chewy almond-flavored cookies, coated with coconut and topped with a cherry, are light treats a festive look.

Get the Recipe: Almond Snowballs

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Holiday guests who avoid gluten — and even those who can eat gluten — will love these blueberry-studded muffins for dessert or breakfast.

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This creamy cheesecake is packed with pumpkin pie flavor but with a fraction of the fat as the original; it's made with reduced-fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Healthy Carrot Muffins

Grated carrots and crushed pineapple add naturally sweet flavor to these muffins, which are made with a mix of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours. They're perfect for a holiday breakfast or an after-dinner treat.

Get the Recipe: Healthy Carrot Muffins

Pecan Sandies

Ellie uses almond butter, a source of healthy fat, to add nutty creaminess to these holiday cookies. A dusting of powdered sugar is the finishing touch.

Get the Recipe: Pecan Sandies

Apricot Oat Bars

The combination of dried fruit and nuts is popular around the holidays, but it also makes a healthy treat. Giada's fiber-packed Apricot Oat Bars give this classic medley a sweet twist. Every bite is loaded with apricots, walnuts and jam.

Get the Recipe: Apricot Oat Bars

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