fat free dessertsIn the quest for lower cholesterol, one must ban ice cream from the home. I know it's unfair -- tragic, even -- but that whole fat Dulce de leche pint is not doing your heart any favors.

Sadly, nothing can really replace the creamy deliciousness of Häagen-Dazs but I have taste-tested some no- and low-fat alternatives that actually leave me wanting more.

From chocolate to fruity, from homemade, to right out of the fridge, some of these substitutes will be finding a permanent place in our home.

No Pudge Fat Free Brownies

Using yogurt instead of fatty dairy, No Pudge brownies still manage to taste like the real thing. I added the egg white for the cake-like consistency since that's the way I usually make my own family (fatty) recipe. But the taste is so similar, and it has zero fat! Taste it, believe it, serve it up at your next get together.

no fat dessertsMetromint

I was sent some samples of Metromint awhile ago and my husband loved the minty water, especially the chocolatemint version. Lucky for him, since it's simply water, mint oil (grown pesticide-free) and cocoa essence. There's nothing but pure goodness in there to soothe your sweet tooth.

 

no fat dessertsZenSoy Pudding

With only one gram of fat, and zero grams of saturated fat per serving, this pudding tastes like your grandma slaved over that stovetop, but doesn't give you the whole milk problem. Additionally, Zen Soy has a no pesticides policy, so you can feel good about every bite you shove in your gullet.

no fat dessertsAngel Food Cake

Luckily, I've always had the love for angel food cake. This egg-white only recipe is one of the sweetest things you can make from scratch that won't throw your diet completely overboard. Put some fresh berries on that sucker, and you're downright healthy.

 

no fat dessertsRaspberry Lemonade Granita

All you need is water, sugar, lemons and raspberries for this low-fat and flavorful dessert.  It also takes a tiny amount of prep, then you toss it into the freezer until you're ready to chow down. If you have company coming over, break out your chilled vodka to make this into a grown-up party treat.

 

 

 

Images (top to bottom) via No Pudge, MetroMint, ZenSoy, seelenstrum/Flickr, Delish