Not Cinnabon, but definitely a tasty and low cal substitute when you’re in the mood for something sweet and gooey. Have 2 rounds for only 120 calories – add a nice latte and it’s a decadent snack. This recipe is definitely kid friendly – very sweet, very cinnamony !
Mini Cinnamon Nut Rolls
20 servings
60 calories per serving (1 roll=1serving)
8 oz low fat crescent rolls
2 t sugar
2 t cinnamon
2 T very finely chopped walnuts
Butter flavored Pam
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 T skim milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll dough and press together perforations. Cut lengthwise and sprinkle both halves with cinnamon, sugar and nuts. Roll pressing firmly to make nice even rolls without air bubbles. Pinch the seams to keep the rolls closed. Cut each roll into 10 rounds. Coat a baking sheet with Pam and place rolls on their sides on the sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Mix the sugar and milk and drizzle over the hot rounds and serve immediately.
Yup – my friend poured these in a bowl, added milk, and had them like cereal – they’re just that good. They are so crunchy, so sweet, so awesomely good !
PB and Chocolate Chex
36 servings
90 calories
9 cups crispy rice and corn cereal squares
1/2 c peanut butter
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar
Melt chocolate in a saucepan then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and mix well being careful to not crush the cereal. Work in batches adding sugar to a large zip loc bag then adding the cereal and shaking to coat. Store in an airtight container.
These are a delightfully plain cookie – sometimes all I want is just the flavor of a simple vanilla baked good without any pomp and circumstance. This is it ! And at only 21 calories a cookie, I can have 5 without any guilt. Dip them in coffee, serve with some yogurt of some fat free, sugar free pudding – or just indulge in their simple elegance.
Vanilla Rounds
24 servings
21 calories per serving (1 cookie)
2 eggs, separated
½ t baking powder
¼ t salt
¼ c sugar
2 t vanilla
¼ t grated lemon zest
½ c flour
Confectioner’s sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Beat egg whites until foamy. Mix baking powder, salt, and sugar and slowly add to egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Mix yolks, vanilla and zest and beat with a fork the fold into egg white mix. Sift flour over egg mix and fold until smooth. Use about 2 t of batter to make each cookie and place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. Cool on sheets a few minutes and then move to racks. Cookies will crisp as they cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar once completely cool.
Sometimes it’s the simplest things – and that is the case of this ‘recipe’. By adding a dusting of powdered sugar to already sweet fruit, you get a super taste sensation that the kids will gobble up. Try serving with some yogurt for a great breakfast.
Cantaloupe and Strawberries
4 servings
92 calories per serving
2 c strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 T powdered sugar
1 cantaloupe, seeds removed and cut into chunks or made into balls
Talk about decadent and delicious !! This breakfast dish will give you legendary ‘short order cook’ status ! The bananas and cream cheese make a perfect middle to the grilled raisin bread.
Grilled Banana French Toast
8 servings
206 calories per serving
8 slices 80 calories cinnamon raisin bread
2 medium bananas, in slices
1 c skim milk
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c egg beaters
1/3 c Splenda
3 T flour
2 t vanilla
Powdered sugar (optional)
Pam
Spray skillet with Pam and heat well. Mix milk, cheese, eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla with a mixer until. Take 4 slices of bread and spread with cream cheese then add banana slices and top with the remaining bread. Gently dip into the egg mix and then place on pan and cook 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Cut in half and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Rich, decadent, creamy goodness – this has a great cream cheese / cheesecake flavor while screaming CHOCOLATE !! It makes a great special occasion dessert.
Chocolate Cheesecake
10 servings
265 calories per serving
1 Oreo crust
1 c nonfat cottage cheese
½ c Egg Beaters
12 oz. Nefchatel (low fat cream cheese) at room temperature
1 c sugar
½ c unsweetened cocoa
¼ c flour
1 t vanilla
¾ c powdered sugar
¾ c nonfat sour cream
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a blender or food processor, mix cottage cheese and eggs until smooth. In another beat cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until smooth and then add the cottage cheese mix, cocoa, flour and vanilla. When smooth pour into the prepared pan. Bake 60-65 minutes or until set. Cool 15 minutes and then cover and chill 4 hours. Just before serving, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the cake.
You make it like a grilled cheese, only it is sweet and delicious and utterly decadent. Serve for a sweet treat breakfast, as a dessert, or for a snack !
Chocolate Raspberry Delight
4 servings
345 calories per serving
8 slices 45 calorie wheat bread
½ c Nutella
12 oz. fresh raspberries (or defrosted frozen berries work fine too)
Spread 4 slices of bread with Nutella. Lightly mash the raspberries and add to the sandwiches and top with the remaining slices of bread.
To make this a hot sandwich, just follow the directions below:
Spray a heated pan with Pam. Spray outsides of sandwich with a couple spritzes of butter spray and cook 2-3 minutes per side in a hot skillet or a total of 3-4 minutes in a Panini press. Top with berries. Optionally, sprinkle with a little powdered sugar before serving.
You won’t even miss the frosting when you make this awesome raspberry sauce – the extra flair is a nice touch to add to a holiday table.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
8 servings
210 calories per serving
Cake:
9 oz. package devil’s food cake mix
1/3 c light sour cream
¼ c water
¼ c Egg Beaters
2 t powdered sugar
Pan prep:
Pam
1 T flour
Sauce:
10 oz. frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
3 T sugar
1 t cornstarch
¼ t vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch round cake pan with Pam and then lightly flour it. (INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO) Combine all cake ingredients except the powdered sugar and beat 2 minutes at medium speed then spread into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool ½ hour and then invert onto a plate and sprinkle with sugar. In a blender puree berries until smooth and strain out the seeds by pushing the puree through a sieve. Combine puree, sugar and starch in a saucepan and cook on low heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm sauce over cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
Because of the egg white contribution to this recipe, it almost tasted more like a thinner meringue than it did a mousse. But whatever the name, it was creamy, grapefruity and sweet yet tart.
Grapefruit Mousse
4 servings
181 calories per serving
½ c 2% cottage cheese
¼ c low fat vanilla yogurt
3 T grapefruit juice
2 T honey
1/8 t kosher salt
2/3 c sifted powdered sugar
¼ c egg whites
1 c plus 2 T chopped fresh or jarred grapefruit pieces (drained well)
1 t mint leaves for garnish
Process cottage cheese, yogurt, juice, 1 T honey and salt in a blender until smooth. Beat powdered sugar and egg whites to stiff peaks (about 7 minutes). Fold cheese mix with egg whites and 1 c grapefruit – do not over mix or the fluffiness will deflate. Mix remaining 2 T grapefruit with 1 T honey for a garnish. Divide mouse into cups and garnish with grapefruit mix and mint.
The best part of this recipe was the espresso dip – so incredibly rich and it very much reminds me very much of a similar dip served in one of my favorite restaurants. I would recommend it for any plain baked good (scone, cookie, etc.) The beignets themselves were a little dry and I would definitely add more water (1/4 c more) and some Splenda (1/4 c) to the dough. But even with them being a bit dry – it was sweet dough with sweet powdered sugar on top and an awesome dipping sauce, so I will definitely try again 🙂
Baked Beignets
12 servings
260 calories per serving
Beignets:
¼ c warm water
1 package quick rising active dry yeast
¼ c sugar
3 c flour
1 ½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
4 T cold butter, cut up
¾ c low fat buttermilk
1 large egg
¼ c confectioner’s sugar
Pam
Café Dip:
1/3 c sugar
2 T plus 1 t instant espresso powder
1 T plus 1 t cornstarch
2 c whole milk
1 ½ oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
Place warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle with yeast and 1 t sugar. Stir and then let stand about 5 minutes or until foamy. In a large bowl stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and rest of the sugar until well combined. With a pastry knife, cut in butter until the mix resembles fine crumbs. With a fork, mix buttermilk and egg into yeast mixture and blend well. Make a hole in the center of the flour mix and pour in the yeast mix. Stir until a dough forms. Lightly flour a work surface and knead dough several times until smooth. Spray the bowl with Pam and place dough in the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let stand in a non-drafty spot for 10 minutes. Spray 2 baking sheets with Pam and punch down dough. Roll the dough with a floured rolling pin to a 9 inch square and cut into 6 strips. Then cut each strip into 6 pieces for a total of 36 pieces. Place on baking sheets about 2 inches from each other. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with Pam and place over the pans while they sit and rise for 20 minutes.
To prepare dip, combine sugar, espresso powder and cornstarch in a pan. Whisk in milk and cook on medium for 8 minutes or until it comes to a boil and thickens slightly then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes then remove from heat and add chocolate and whisk until melted. Cover and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake beignets 12 minutes or until golden brown. While they are still hot toss with confectioner’s sugar. Serve with dip.
