I love desserts that are quick and easy – there’s nothing like opening a box, melting and drizzling, and ending up with a dessert that makes your mouth water for more ! These are a cross between a cookie and a candy and at only 87 calories per serving, I like them even better

Nilla Deluxe

18 servings
87 calories per serving (2 treats)

18 Nilla Wafers
8 caramel candies
1 square Baker’s semi sweet chocolate
18 pecan halves

Place cookies flat side up in a single layer. Microwave caramels to melt, stiffing frequently. Let stand 5 minutes. Melt chocolate. Spoon 1/2 t caramel on to each cookie then top with a nut and drizzle with chocolate.

Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results.

Caramel Latte Pops

6 servings
46 calories per serving

2 c skim milk
3 shots of espresso, cooled
2 T caramel sauce

Whisk together espresso and milk. (if you like a sweet flavor, add some Equal or Splenda). Then pour into the base and freeze completely (7-9 minutes in the Zoku, 6 hours in the freezer). Just before eating, drizzle the pops with caramel syrup.

Fudgy layers of chocolate heaven !! First you have a chocolate chip cookie crust – then you add chocolate covered rice chex and peanuts. And as if that were not enough – you add a layer of caramel chocolate fudge to the top. OH SO GOOD !

Chocolate Caramel Bars

36 servings
190 calories per serving

1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookies (18 oz.)
11 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
18 oz. caramel apple dip
3 c Rice Chex cereal
1 c chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Break up cookie dough and press it into the bottom of an ungreased 13×9 baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown then cool 15 minutes. In a saucepan heat 1 c chocolate chops and 1 c caramel sauce. On medium heat stir and cook until smooth then remove from heat and stir in cereal and peanuts. Spread the cereal mix over the crust. In the saucepan heat the rest of the chips and caramel and cook until melted. Spread over the cereal mix then refrigerate ½ hour or so then cut into bars.

This was sooooo easy to do and everyone just loved it ! You pour a whole lotta liquid over the top but by the end of the backing time, all the brown sugar makes its way to the bottom and drizzled over the top, it is pure heaven !

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

9 servings
140 calories per serving

9 oz. yellow cake mix
1 t apple pie spice
1/3 c skim milk
1 medium apple peeled and coarsely chopped
¾ c brown sugar
1 ½ c water heated to 120 degrees
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with Pam. Combine cake mix, spice and milk then stir in apple and spread the mix in the prepared pan. Combine brown sugar and water and mix well and then pour over the batter. Bake ½ hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Spoon warm cake into dishes and serve immediately.

You can serve this pudding warm or chilled. It is rich and creamy and ever so decadent. It’s good without the caramels melted in – - then you do that step and it gets taken to a whole other level. You must try !

I am sure you could bring down the calories using buttery spread instead of butter, Splenda instead of sugar, Fat Free evaporated milk instead of whole – - but this dessert just deserves all the ingredients that give it its creamy goodness.

Dulche de Leche Rice Pudding

294 c per ½ c serving

2 c water
½ c uncooked rice
¼ c sugar
1 ½ cinnamon sticks
1 T butter
Dash of salt
12 oz. evaporated milk
8 caramels
1 T coarse sugar
1/8 t kosher salt

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Stir in the evaporated milk and bring to a boil again then lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes or until it is thick and creamy then add the caramels and stir until melted. Take out the cinnamon sticks and throw them out, then spoon the pudding into desert dishes. Combine sugar and salt and sprinkle over the pudding just before serving.

This has a subtle sweetness that builds with each bite rather than a thick, in your face coating of sweet on the popcorn. It’s a great alternative to kettle corn and at only 90 calories per serving, eat up !

Caramel Popcorn

6 servings
90 calories per serving

6 c popped popcorn
2 T margarine
2 T honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread popcorn in a large pan. Melt margarine and honey and pour over the popcorn and bake 10 minutes stirring often. Let cool then store in an airtight container.

Apples and caramel – what a mix !! There’s no one here that didn’t want seconds of this tasty treat !

Grilled Caramel Apples

4 servings
245 calories per serving

2 large apples
24 caramels, unwrapped
2 t water

Heat grill and fold 4 pieces of heavy duty foil then spray with Pam. Cut apples in half and remove cores. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Place 6 caramels in center of each piece of foil and place apple wedge over and sprinkle with ½ t water. Wrap each foil packet securely and grill 15-20 minutes or until all melted. You can also do this in the oven – preheat to 425 degrees and place the packets on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until all is melted.

A large latte in the evening is one of my favorite things. And at a fraction of the calories (and cost!) of a Starbucks drink, it’s worth it to get set up with all the equipment and make these at home. Just buy the sugar free syrups since they have ZERO calories. They are available right at your local Starbucks store (so you can get your favorite) or you can try Torani syrups and find a new favorite. I have been using these for months and have a stock of 10 different flavors.

Low Fat Latte

1 serving
100 calories per serving

Heat 6 oz. of skim milk in a large mug in the microwave for 90 seconds. Add 1 serving of espresso or ½ a cup of strong coffee. Add 3 squirts of a sugar free flavored syrup. Top with a good amount of low fat whipped cream (from the can). Sprinkle with cinnamon or cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. I find the best shavings come from chocolate and cinnamon mills – I purchased this chocolate mill from Amazon and have been very happy with the performance:

This is the espresso maker we use – my husband is quite the espresso snob and let me tell you, he RAVES about this machine. We have had much more expensive machines and have had espresso out at some of the finest coffee shops and Italian restaurants, and nothing compares to the espresso that this little machine makes:

And these are the sugar free syrups that I use (local coffee shops also sell versions of these):