These Mediterranean Diet Desserts Taste So Good You'll Forget They're Good for You

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Just because the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets for weight loss doesn't mean dessert is off the menu. These healthy Mediterranean diet desserts use heart-healthy oils instead of saturated fat—so go ahead and have seconds.

01 of 10

Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake

Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake
Mediterranean Dish

You can have your cake and eat it, too—swapping out butter, which is full of saturated fats, for heart-healthy olive oil, a monosaturated fat, makes all the difference. Feel free to indulge in this olive oil cake recipe, which won't lead to a sugar coma. (

Get the recipe:

Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake

[mediterranean diet desserts][mediterranean diet desserts][mediterranean diet desserts]

[mediterranean diet desserts]

[mediterranean diet desserts][mediterranean diet desserts][mediterranean diet desserts]

02 of 10

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

Olive oil is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, and since this Mediterranean dessert recipe uses olive oil instead of butter, you can basically consider eating these cookies to hit your daily macro quotas. (A garnish of kosher salt basically guarantees you won't stop at one.)

Get the recipe:

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

03 of 10

Mediterranean-Inspired Brownies

Mediterranean-Inspired Brownies
Olive Tomato

Olive oil isn't the only healthy swap for butter. This decadent chocolate brownie recipe calls for Greek yogurt, and ups the healthy fat quotient even more with walnuts. The best part? They're just 150 calories a piece. (Here are 15 more low-calorie chocolate desserts.)

Get the recipe:

Mediterranean-Inspired Brownies

04 of 10

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse
My Fussy Eater

Cut back on the amount of refined sugar that typically comes with mousse by mixing chocolate with Greek yogurt instead of cream. The texture may be a little more yogurty than your average mousse, but you'll barely notice with each creamy bite.

Get the recipe:

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse

05 of 10

Turkish Yogurt Cake With Figs

Turkish Yogurt Cake With Figs
Life Love Food

Figs are all the rage in the Mediterranean, and they're packed with fiber, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Adding them to this airy, soufflé-esque cake, which uses Greek yogurt in lieu of butter or cream, makes for a tasty but good-for-you treat.

Get the recipe:

Turkish Yogurt Cake with Figs

06 of 10

Cinnamon Walnut Apple Cake

Cinnamon Walnut Apple Cake
Mediterranean Living

Fresh fruit? Check. Healthy fats? Check. Whole grains? Check! Made from eggs, wheat flour, olive oil, brown sugar, plus apples, raisins, and walnuts, this cake hits the Mediterranean diet trifecta.

Get the recipe:

Cinnamon Walnut Apple Cake

07 of 10

Peanut Butter Banana Greek Yogurt Bowls

Peanut Butter Banana Greek Yogurt Bowls
The Lemon Bowl

In America, we eat Greek yogurt mostly as a healthy breakfast option. But in the Mediterranean, a bowl of creamy yogurt—in this case, mixed with bananas, melted peanut butter, and flaxseed meal—serves as a protein-packed dessert. (Try 10 protein-packed yogurt bowls.)

Get the recipe:

Peanut Butter Banana Greek Yogurt Bowls

08 of 10

Low-Fat Apple Cake

Low-Fat Apple Cake
As Easy As Apple Pie

No butter, no oil, and packed with fresh apples, this low-fat apple cake is just 116 calories per slice. It's so light and so spare on decadent ingredients, you could eat this Mediterranean diet dessert as a healthy breakfast.

Get the recipe:

Low-Fat Apple Cake

09 of 10

Fig and Pistachio Cake

Fig and Pistachio Cake
Dessert First Girl

This cake passes the Mediterranean diet test thanks to nutritious figs and plenty of protein—plus antioxidant-packed pistachios. It does call for a tad of cream and sugar, so maybe stick to one slice of this treat. If you can. (

Get the recipe:

Fig and Pistachio Cake

10 of 10

Popped Quinoa Crunch Bars

Popped Quinoa Crunch Bars
The Garlic Diaries

These look like rich, chocolaty brownies, but they're so much healthier and just as tasty. And you don't even need to bake 'em! Just pop quinoa, melt chocolate, then mix the two with vanilla and peanut butter and refrigerate. Voilà! The perfect dessert. (What are you having before dessert? Check out these 50 Healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipes and Meal Ideas.)

Get the recipe:

Popped Quinoa Crunch Bars

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