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Heart Healthy Summer Recipe: Dessert Parfait

If you’re in search of a healthier sweet treat to enjoy this summer, look no further than this heart-healthy parfait. It’s rich and decadent yet surprisingly light, making it the perfect indulgence for warm days!

two layered yogurt and fruit parfaits in glasses
Updated June 10, 2024

If you're anything like us, desserts are your downfall. The sweet treats, the ice cream, the cookies, the cakes - they call to you. They say: hey, one little bite won't hurt, right? But then one look, one bite, and boom—game over.

We get it y'all. Desserts are our sweetest weakness. But with this parfait, you can have your cake and literally eat it, too.

By swapping to angel food cake, you're choosing a dessert that is naturally low in fat, especially saturated fat, which is better for heart health. With the substitution of fat-free pudding and whipped cream, this dessert stays light and reduces the intake of unhealthy fats that can raise cholesterol. Plus, the berries are loaded with antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease. And while the dessert is sweet, most of the sweetness comes from fruit and a touch of chocolate.

So eat your heart out, you deserve this.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box angel food cake mix
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 package fat-free vanilla pudding
  • 1 can fat-free whipped cream

Directions:

  • Cook the angel cake mix according to box instructions, let cool, and then cut into cubes.
  • Slice the strawberries into fourths to make them easier to eat in the parfait.
  • Begin to layer parfait. Start with angel food cake, lining the bottom of your container of choice. Then add strawberries, pudding, chocolate chips, mix of blueberries and raspberries, whipped cream, and repeat. The fun thing about this is you can layer however you want!
  • Add a serving spoon and enjoy!