The Best DASH Diet Desserts

Though the DASH diet focuses on using fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy to help lower blood pressure, it doesn’t mean that you have to cut out all sweets. There are plenty of healthy recipes that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Since you should try to avoid food with high fat and sugar, typical desserts should be eaten in limited quantities. However, taking advantage of the sweetness of natural sources of sugar is a great way to have dessert on the DASH diet. 

DASH Diet Fruit Desserts

Fruit naturally has a sweetness which means that it makes a great base for DASH diet desserts. 

This Strawberries with Peppered Balsamic Drizzle recipe takes sliced strawberries and macerates them in a bit of sugar and balsamic vinegar to meld the flavors until the sugar dissolves. 

Tossing them all together in a bowl allows the mixture to coat the strawberries evenly. A few minutes before serving, crack in some black pepper to add an extra layer of flavor.

Though there are plenty of exact recipes for fruity soft serve, you can really curate this idea to your tastes. For instance, combine frozen mango with a bit of orange juice and orange zest in a blender for a soft frozen summer treat, or use coconut milk, lime juice, and pineapple for a different flavor! As you can see, you can create a whole world of different combinations. 

Grilling the fresh peaches in this Grilled Peaches with Honey and Yogurt brings out and caramelizes the natural sugars as well as gives it a smoky underlying flavor. Top them with honey and low-fat yogurt for the perfect creamy compliment. 

Similar to fruity soft serve, you can make fruit pops exactly how you want them. Simply combine fruit juice or coconut water with berries or other fresh fruit in a silicone mold, place a stick in the middle, and place it in the freezer!

If you are looking for something simple, just having some strawberries with a fat-free cool whip on top will give you the sweet you need without a bunch of work. 

DASH Diet Baked Goods

There are many alternative ingredients that can make baked goods more heart-healthy. 

This Blackberry Oat Nut Crumble has fiber and nutrients that are good for you while still providing a great taste. It uses oats, honey, cinnamon, berries, dates, and coconut oil. All of these ingredients are both tasty and healthy! If you want even more of a cinnamon kick in this one, grate up a fresh cinnamon stick. 

Craving apple pie? Try this Apple Berry Cobbler recipe! Though it has some sugar, it gets most of its sweetness from the fruit, making it much healthier than a traditional apple pie, not to mention the oats contain fiber. 

Even if you are on a journey to lower your high blood pressure, there are still dessert recipes that can give you the taste of chocolate cake, like this decadent chocolate cake. It uses alternative healthy ingredients like sweet potato, applesauce, dark chocolate, and fat-free Greek yogurt to create the same gooey taste.

Light Pumpkin Pie

By The DASH Diet.Net

This Light Pumpkin Pie will have you reminiscent of thanksgiving. With ginger snaps for the crust, egg whites, skim milk, and pumpkin pie for the filling. It has some sugar but is lower in fats and lighter than traditional recipes. 

Other DASH Diet Desserts

There are a few other desserts that are tasty when watching your high blood pressure.

Milkshakes are easy to make to fit into a DASH diet lifestyle. You simply have to switch out the ice cream and the milk for low-fat ice cream and skim milk. It can be any flavor you would like, so feel free to mix it up depending on your cravings. 

Now sweet potatoes and dessert aren’t two things you typically think of together, but sweet potatoes are the perfect base for some dark chocolate, peanut butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon. It’s sweet and savory and perfect for a high blood pressure diet. 

Avocado is another one of those ingredients that you might not pair with dessert, unlike fruits like bananas or pears, but avocados make a creamy base for a creamy guilt-free chocolate mousse. This treat combines vanilla, avocado, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and almond or coconut milk and whips it together for a dessert that won’t make you miss a traditional heavy mousse.

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is perfect for serving with the fruits of your choice, but we love it with apples. Chocolate chip cookies may be exactly what you want when you are looking for lower blood pressure. This recipe will give you the flavor you are looking for while still keeping your cholesterol, weight, and sodium in check. 

Here are the answers to the two most popular questions about desserts on the DASH diet.

If you have high blood pressure, following a hypertension diet, like the DASH diet, is a great way to prevent future heart disease, lower blood pressure, and stay on top of your health. These dessert recipes will keep you on track, satisfying your sweet tooth while enjoying a healthy way of eating.