When summer arrives, there’s nothing better than sitting outside in your backyard enjoying a homemade treat. Especially if that treat is delicious and guilt-free. Plenty of summer dessert recipes are ripe with fruit and other healthy ingredients that make the treats both fresh and tasty, plus you don’t have to worry as much about your waistline when you eat them.

If you’re excited to dig into yummy desserts this summer, but want to keep them as healthy as possible, check out our best tips and recipes.

5 Tips to Make Desserts Healthier

1. Switch Out White Flour
Switching white wheat flour with whole wheat flour, almond flour or coconut flour will make your desserts healthier while having a small effect on taste. Whole wheat flour and coconut flour increase your fiber intake, while almond flour adds a dose of protein to your desserts. Almond and coconut flour are also ideal for those who are sensitive or intolerant to gluten. Just be sure to check the ratio when you substitute flours into your recipes.

2. Use Lots of Fruits
Luckily, fruits and baked goods are a match made in tastebud heaven. Fruits like berries, peaches, apples, and watermelons are staples in summer dessert recipes, adding natural sweetness and freshness to your home-baked goods. Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber. They also boast a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants and lower your risk of diseases like heart disease and cancer.

3. Use Coconut Oil Instead of Butter
Butter is a key ingredient in many dessert recipes, but it’s not the healthiest thing for you. It’s high in saturated fat, sodium and is high in calories. Consider using coconut oil instead of butter in your recipes. Like butter, coconut oil is solid at room temperature and it’s lower in sodium. It also contains lauric acid, a healthy saturated fat that helps lower cholesterol and aid in weight loss.

4. Replace White Sugar
White sugar is another classic dessert staple, but it’s not great for your health at all and offers nothing other than empty calories. Substitute for more natural options like maple syrup or honey, which contain vitamins and minerals. They’re also easier to digest, keeping your blood sugar more steady and preventing an energy crash later on.

5. Use Dark Chocolate Instead of Milk Chocolate
Dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa is a healthy way to enjoy your favorite chocolate desserts. The higher the cocoa count is, the less the sugar content, making dark chocolate the healthiest choice against milk or white chocolate. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, fiber, iron, zinc, and other nutrients, so use it for maximum health benefits!

12 Easy Summer Dessert Recipes

1. Strawberry Crisp | Belle of the Kitchen
2. Lemon Curd Trifle | Olive Magazine
3. Classic Strawberry Shortcake | A Couple Cooks
4. Easy Summer Pudding | BBC Good Food
5. Summer Dessert Pizza | Taste of Home
6. No-Churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream | Olive Magazine
7. Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp | A Couple Cooks
8. Raspberry Summer Sensation Dessert | Food.com
9. 3-Ingredient Frozen Mud Pie | Epicurious
10. Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches | Food Network
11. Strawberry Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bake | Eating Well
12. Grapefruit Panna Cotta | Pure Wow

12 Summer Dessert Recipes for a Crowd

1. Confetti Squares | Delish
2. Peanut Butter Cream Pie | Taste of Home
3. Botanical Short Bread Cookies | Pure Wow
4. Fried Peach Pies | Cooking Channel
5. Blow Your Mind Coconut Mango Pie | Tara Teaspoon
6. S’mores Crispy Bars | Taste of Home
7. Gluten-Free Pistachio Apricot Tart | Pure Wow
8. Pink Lemonade Cake | Tara Teaspoon
9. Brown Butter Peach Cobbler | Bon Appetit
10. DIY Ice Cream Sundae Bar | Swirls of Flavour
11. Cannoli Dip | Taste of Home
12. Raspberry Ricotta Cake | Bon Appetit

12 Fruit Summer Dessert Recipes

1. Mixed Berry Tiramisu | Taste of Home
2. Peach Melba Ice Pops | Woman’s Day
3. Plum Upside Down Cake with Thyme, Lemon and Fennel | Cooking Show
4. Watermelon Granita | Bon Appetit
5. Strawberry Gelato | Taste of Home
6. Pineapple Nice Cream | Eating Well
7. Frozen Raspberry Meringue Pie | Woman’s Day
8. Blueberry Upside Down Cake | The Spruce Eats
9. Berry Cheesecake Parfait | Taste of Home
10. Mango Sorbet Pie | Woman’s Day
11. Strawberry Pistachio Crumble Pie | Bon Appetit
12. The Perfect Banana Split | The Spruce Eats

12 Chocolate Summer Dessert Recipes

1. Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Sandwiches | Woman’s Day
2. Churro Bites with Chocolate Sauce | Pure Wow
3. Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cheesecake | Taste of Home
4. Chocolate Pistachio Orange Slices | Woman’s Day
5. Chocolate Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches | Pure Wow
6. Chocolate Lasagna | Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
7. Rocky Road Freezer Pie | Taste of Home
8. Individual Frozen Creamy Chocolate Mini Pies | An Italian In My Kitchen
9. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars | Pure Wow
10. Banana Split Fudgesicles | Sassy Townhouse Living
11. Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars | Taste of Home
12. Tiramisu Truffles | Emily Stephens

12 No-Bake Summer Dessert Recipes

1. Berry Pistachio Pie | Taste of Home
2. No-Bake Chocolate Mousse Pie | Woman’s Day
3. Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies | Delish
4. Lemon Raspberry Icebox Cake | This Celebrated Life
5. Ice Cream Freezer Pops | The Food Network
6. Strawberry Citrus Ice | Taste of Home
7. No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars | Tablespoon
8. Strawberry Cheesecake | Woman’s Day
9. Frozen Greek Vanilla Yogurt | Taste of Home
10. Creamy Coconut Lime Ice Pops | Epicurious
11. Peanut Butter Freezer Pie | Pure Wow
12. Easy Key Lime Pie | Taste of Home

Summer’s almost here! Try these simple and delicious summer dessert recipes that are sure to please!