Desserts For People Who Don't Like Sweets

We're firm believers that everybody deserves to have dessert. Unfortunately, not all of us were born with a sweet tooth. And let's be honest, that's sort of a requirement these as most desserts are jam-packed with sugar, sugar, and more sugar. It can be enough to send even the most diehard dessert aficionado over the sugary edge. So what is there to do, give up on enjoying a delectable after-dinner treat? Never!

There are plenty of delicious, scrumptious desserts that don't fall under the "sweets" category. Some are fruity, some are zesty, while some are actually traditionally breakfast food. In fact, truth be told, it may take a little imagination wrapping your head around labeling some of these dishes as dessert. But what better place to experiment with food than dessert? From a British baked good and orange-flavored beverage to a no-bake citrusy pie and popular, but under utilized, strawberry treat, these are the perfect desserts for people who don't like sweets.

When you hear "scones" you likely think of breaking out the tea kettle for an afternoon snack. But on this side of the pond, these delectable British baked goods can be a refreshing after-meal bite. This is especially true when you consider that traditional British scones are sort of a blank canvas that you can add flavors to (think fruity jam).

This British scone recipe is decidedly simple — even the most novice of bakers can whip together the batter in mere minutes. After that, the dough gets cut into rounds, brushed lightly with a beaten egg, and put into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. If you do happen to have any left over from dessert, good news: Your breakfast is ready and waiting.

Imagine being able to enjoy a hot Auntie Anne's pretzel without having to drive to the mall, zigzag your way through crowds, and wait on a line at the kiosk. Well, dreams do come true, after all: This copycat Auntie Anne's pretzels recipe lets you have this treat at any time of day without leaving the comfort of your home. 

You might be thinking that pretzels are a suspicious choice for dessert, but Auntie Anne's versions are sweeter than most other soft pretzels (they have brown and powdered sugar in the dough). And let's not forget that the pretzel can just be a vehicle to deliver the real dessert flavor in the form of delicious dipping sauces, like caramel and sweet glaze. Pretzels are sounding more and more like the perfect dessert by the second!

It takes about 40 minutes to prepare the pretzel dough but only nine minutes to bake. The recipe makes eight pretzels, so if you have any extra, break out the cheese sauce the next day and have yourself snack!

Who says dessert has to be food? Certainly nobody who has enjoyed a milkshake before. If you're looking for a unique dessert to surprise your guests or family members, try serving a beverage that's equally delicious but even more refreshing than any sweet as an after-dinner palate cleanser. And we have just the recipe for it. 

An orange Julius combines the best part of a milkshake (the ice cream) with the citrusy flavor of an orange and just a hint of vanilla to create a rich, silky-smooth, all-around delicious beverage. And even if you've never stepped foot in a kitchen before, you can make an orange Julius. All it involves is putting the ingredients in a blender and blending for 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into glasses, top with a dollop of whipped cream if you please, and drink away. This beverage is particularly refreshing during the hot summer months, but we think a treat this good deserves to be enjoyed year round.

It's oh so easy for things to get lost in translation, and though Americans and Brits technically speak the same language there are oh so many different meanings in our common vocabulary. Take, for example, pudding, as in Yorkshire pudding. If you're expecting this English treat to be anything like the rich, gooey, American dessert, think agin. Yorkshire pudding is a baked good, more along the lines of a muffin, with a crispy exterior and custardy interior.

If you don't like sweets, this Yorkshire pudding recipe is right up your alley as it contains zero sugar, just flour, eggs, milk, butter, water, and salt. Once you have your batter ready, transfer the mixture into a popover or muffin tin and bake until the puddings are inflated and deep golden brown.

When it comes to apples and dessert, the mind automatically thinks of apple pie. But if you don't like sweets, this slower cooker baked apple recipe gives you the same great flavor that's more amenable to your taste buds. The key here is finding the biggest apples you can — ones that can withstand the slow cooker's heat. We recommend honey crisp or Granny Smith varieties. 

Although this recipe takes more than three hours, the slow cooker does just about all the work,, and these treats can be prepped in 10 minutes. Place your washed, cored apples in the cooker and fill the fruit with a mixture of cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and old fashioned oats. Pour a half-cup of water into the cooker, sprinkle some apple pie spice over the apples, and let them cook for three hours. When they're nice and tender, top the apples with a scoop of vanilla Greek yogurt — or ice cream — and dig in!

Chocolate-covered strawberries are generally a dessert saved for special occasions, but why limit them to a few times each year? Especially considering that they're delicious and can easily be made at home. We're proponents of breaking out the chocolate-covered strawberries any day of the year.

As expected, this dessert recipe couldn't be much easier to make. The most work may actually come at the grocery store when you comb the produce section for the largest, plumpest strawberries. Back at home, just dip each berry into melted chocolate, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and allow one hour for the chocolate to harden. If you're feeling particularly fancy, top the strawberries with chopped nuts, crushed Oreos, or melted white chocolate.

If sugary sweets aren't your thing, why not switch it up with a tart, citrusy dessert? This lemon meringue pie recipe delivers delicious flavors and perfectly contrasting textures for an fully scrumptious bite. We'll tell you in advance that this dessert does take more than four hours to make, but the final product is worth the effort.

The pie's crust is graham cracker based and the filling gets its lemon flavor from both the juice and zest of the fruit. As for the pillow-y soft meringue, it's made of a mixture of egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, corn starch, and vinegar. Once the pie is assembled, it's baked for 20 to 25 minutes and then cooled for several hours. The pie is best eaten the day it's made, as meringue does not refrigerate well. The good news for both your taste buds and fridge space is that since lemon meringue is lighter than most dessert pies, so it's easy to eat more than one slice!

Starbucks is many people's go-to breakfast stop, so where better to glean inspiration from for a traditional morning meal. And we'll admit it: Starbucks makes a hell of a pumpkin scone. It's light, yet packed with pumpkin flavor that is well seasoned but not overpowering. And since the coffee giant's version is glazed, we think it makes for a perfect dessert.

Making the scone itself is pretty straightforward in our copycat recipe. And since this is dessert, let's focus on the topping. The scone's glaze is a simple mixture of powdered sugar and half and half. The pumpkin drizzle is a combination of powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and half and half. When the scones are done baking, spoon the glaze over each one, then zigzag the pumpkin drizzle to complete your delicious scone dessert.

Raspberry bars are usually relegated to the second-tier of desserts. Maybe they're seen as kids' food or not as eye-appealing as perfectly baked pie. But as this this recipe proves, raspberry bars are a prime dessert choice. They deliver all the great flavor and texture of a pie but can be made in just a fraction of the time. They can also be eaten by hand if that's important to you.

These bars have three layers: a cookie-like base, a raspberry jam center, and streusel topping. We're using pre-made jam and preparing the cookie is similar to any other such  dough you've made, so let's focus on the streusel. To make this crumbly topping, combine brown sugar, flour, salt, and oats in a small bowl and mix. Pour melted butter over the oats mixture and stir until clumps begin to form. Sprinkle the streusel over the layer of jam and throw the bars in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. When they're ready, put the bars on a serving dish and enjoy!

Most pies are packed with sugar and the result is an incredibly sweet dessert — most pies, but not all. This key lime pie recipe calls for just five ingredients, with sweetened condensed milk doing the job of a sweetener. The dessert gets its tart and tangy flavor from fresh lime juice and zest. Even better, the pie can be prepped in a mere 10 minutes and requires no baking. "It's incredibly easy to make — fail-proof!" says recipe developer Kristen Carli. "Just mix the ingredients and freeze. You don't even need to turn on the oven."

The aforementioned ingredients include a pre-made graham cracker pie crust, sweetened condensed milk, Cool Whip, and lime juice and zest. As Carli said, all you need to do is combine the condensed milk, Cool Whip, and lime juice, and then pour the mixture into the crust. After two hours in the refrigerator and a sprinkling of lime zest, your deliciously tangy dessert will be ready to eat.