Your Favorite Thanksgiving Desserts & Sides Made Healthier!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we asked you to send in recipes that you love but that could use a healthy makeover. And you did not disappoint! 

While some sent in actual recipes, many of you simply wanted lightened up versions of Thanksgiving classics. So after taking a look at the requests, I pulled three popular holiday recipes along with one that I had actually never had before. 

Keep reading for healthier swaps on Scalloped Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Pecan Pie, and Cherry Surprise! 

Scalloped Potatoes

One of the most popular requests we got was to make a healthier version of scalloped potatoes. While some recipes use only whipping cream to make this dish nice and creamy, the scalloped potatoes I grew up eating were also filled with cheese. 

Luckily there are ways to keep all the cheesy goodness, while still cutting back considerably on calories and fat. 

Traditional recipe 

From Food Network: 

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for brushing
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded asiago cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded raclette or comte cheese
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Healthier Swap

To lighten things up, we’re going to cut back on the butter and cheese and swap in 2% milk for heavy cream. I recommend using an aged white cheddar cheese as it melts well and has a richer flavor so you can get by using less.

I also like the texture of yukon gold potatoes better for scalloped potatoes. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 2 ¼ pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into ⅛ -inch thick rounds 
• Pinch freshly ground pepper
• 3-ounce (¾ cup) aged white cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup 2% milk 
• ½ clove garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
• 4 fresh bay leaves 

1. Preheat oven to 425 F and grease a baking dish (I usually use an 11×7-inch) with cooking spray or a little butter. Combine cheeses in a small bowl and set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, toss sliced potatoes with melted butter and a pinch of black pepper. 
3. Arrange half of the potatoes in the prepared baking dish, top with ¼ cup of cheese, and then add remaining potatoes on top. 
4. In a small saucepan, combine milk, garlic, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat and then pour on top of potatoes. 
5. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Option to remove bay leaves before serving. 

Nutritional comparison

Servings: ⅙ of recipe

Traditional:  562 calories, 35g fat, 24g saturated fat, 132 mg cholesterol, 52g carbs, 4g fiber, 2g sugar, 12g protein

Healthier: 224 calories, 8g fat, 5g saturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 29g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g sugar, 10g protein 

Sweet Potato Casserole

I was so excited when we received a family recipe for sweet potato casserole. My second favorite dish at Thanksgiving, I’ve spent the past few Thanksgivings trying to come up with a healthier version that’s still delicious, but not so sweet that it should actually be served with the desserts. 

Traditional recipe: 

• 3 canned sweet potatoes peeled, cut up, cooked until soft in microwave then drained and mashed 
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk (I assumed 2% for nutrition facts)
• ⅓ stick melted oleo 
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

Topping: 

• 1 cup brown sugar 
• ½ cup flour 
• ⅓ cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Healthier Swap

To make this more of a side dish and less of a dessert, we’re using whole instead of canned sweet potatoes, swapping some oats for flour in the topping, using less pecans, and cutting back on the butter and way back on the sugar. 

I also like to add a sprinkle of cinnamon in the filling and topping to help with the sweetness and add a seasonal touch. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, washed 
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup 2% milk or milk alternative
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  For the topping:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat white flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup chopped pecans 

1. For best flavor roast sweet potatoes in a 450 F oven for 1 hour, or until soft. Cut in half and allow to cool slightly before peeling the sweet potatoes. Lower oven temp to 400 F. 
2. In a mixer, combine peeled and roasted sweet potato, maple syrup, milk, egg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla until fluffy. Pour into a lightly greased 9×9 baking dish. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together topping ingredients and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. 
4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until topping is a light golden brown. 

Nutritional comparison 

Serving size: ⅛ of recipe 

Traditional: 515 calories, 28g fat, 8g saturated fat, 68mg cholesterol, 354mg sodium, 61g carbs, 1g fiber, 48g sugar*, 5g protein 

*The amount of sugar will vary based on how much syrup from the canned sweet potatoes remains on the potatoes vs. is drained out. 

Healthier: 153 calories, 4g fat, 1g saturated fat, 28 mg cholesterol, 107 mg sodium, 26g carbs, 2g fiber, 14g sugar, 3g protein 

Pecan Pie 

Pecan pie was another recipe that many of you asked for a healthier version of. 

And before we dig into the recipe, let’s get one thing straight: pecan pie is never going to be a “health food.” However, there are ways to lighten up a traditional recipe while still having an enjoyable slice of pie. 

Traditional recipe: 

From Taste of Home 

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)

Healthier Swap

To make this healthier, we’re getting rid of the corn syrup, reducing the sugar, and using white whole wheat flour in the filling and crust. While I’m not always a fan of whole wheat pie crust, I find that it works well with the deep flavors of pecan pie. 

For a store-bought crust, I recommend Whole Foods Whole Wheat Pie Shells. However, if you want to make one from scratch, I’ve had good success with Eating Well’s recipe. 

Another easy way to cut back on calories? Cut smaller slices. Instead of 8 servings per pie, slice yours into 10. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups pecans
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup pure maple syrup (I used Grade B syrups, which has a darker, richer taste than Grade A)
• ¼ cup brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 9-inch whole wheat pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and place pecans in the bottom of prepared pie crust. Note: if using a store-bought shell, you likely don’t need to bake the crust before using. However, if making it from scratch you’ll first want to pre-bake the pastry (also known as blind baking). 
2. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until bubbly, about 2 minutes. 
3. Whisk in flour and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until flour is a golden brown and is bubbling. 
4. Next, whisk continuously while you add in the water. Once water is fully incorporated, add maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to combine and then remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes. 
5. While mixture is cooling, crack eggs into a medium-sized bowl and whisk until frothy. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cooled sugar mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously to help temper the eggs. 
6. Next, pour egg mixture into the syrup mixture and whisk until combined. Pour over pecans, gently shaking to distribute the filling evenly. 
7. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until filling is set and no longer jiggles. 

Nutritional comparison: 

Serving size: ⅛ of pie 

Traditional recipe: 543 calories, 20g fat, 5g saturated fat, 84 mg cholesterol, 215 mg sodium, 93g carbs, 36g sugars, 2g fiber, 5g protein

Healthier version: 380 calories, 26g fat, 5g saturated fat, 54 mg cholesterol, 195 mg sodium, 31g carbs, 2g fiber, 21g sugars, 6g protein 

*Nutrition for healthier version calculated using Whole Foods 9-inch Whole Wheat Pie Shell. 

Cherry Surprise

This was a fun, yet tricky recipe as I wasn’t familiar with Cherry Surprise. After looking at the recipe, I realized it was a take on a dump cake-style cherry cobbler. 

What’s a dump cake you might ask? While not the most attractive name, it’s a cake (or really more of a fruit cobbler) where you simply “dump” all the ingredients into a pan and bake. 

Traditional recipe: 

• 1 stick of butter melted
• 2 cans of cherry pie filling
• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 container of Cool Whip fat free

Melt butter. Empty contents of cans of cherry pie filling into 9X12 baking dish. Empty contents of cake mix over cherry filling , then pour melted butter over.  Put in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until crust is light caramel color. Let cake pan cool. Then frost with thawed Cool Whip.

Healthier version: 

First things first, we’re swapping out the cherry filling for frozen cherries to help reduce added sugar. Next, we’re using a mix of white whole wheat flour and baking powder instead of cake mix. And finally, the butter gets cut in half. 

Rather than using a whole container of whipped topping, you can cut back further by adding dollops of whipped cream to each serving — I personally like Truwhip which has just 30 calories per 2 tablespoons. 

While it’s not quite as easy as just dumping everything into a pan, this version is a healthier option that’s still simple to make.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen sweet cherries, pitted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour*
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
• Whipped topping (optional) 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
2. Combine cherries with white sugar and lemon juice, tossing to combine. Pour cherries into a 9×9 baking dish. 
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt and butter until it’s combined and holds together loosely. 
4. Sprinkle flour topping over the cherries and bake for 45 minutes, or until cherries are bubbling and the top is a light golden brown. Option to add a dollop of homemade or store-bought whipped cream. 

*For a little extra texture, you could also use half oats, half flour. 

Nutritional comparison

Serving size: 1/10 of recipe 

Traditional recipe: 447 calories, 13g fat, 7g saturated fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 312 mg sodium, 78g carbs, 1g fiber, 23g sugar, 2g protein 

Healthier version: 202 calories, 5g fat, 3g saturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 51 mg sodium, 36g carbs, 4g fiber, 22g sugar, 3g 

*Adding 2 tablespoons of Truwhip to each serving will add 30 calories, 2g fat, 3g carbs, and 2g of sugar per serving. 

I hope you enjoy these healthier versions of a few Thanksgiving-classics! We’d love to hear your tips and tricks for making your go-to recipes a little healthier. Simply leave a comment below!

And don’t forget to use your Lose It! app to help keep you on track this holiday season!