50 Lightened-Up Desserts Perfect for Spring

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50 Lightened-Up Desserts Perfect for Spring2/50 Chunky Banana Cream Freeze 5 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved GRACE NATOLI SHELDON FOR TASTE OF HOME Total Time 15 min Servings 6 servings (3 cups) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Everyone loves ice cream, but we all know it doesn’t make a great after-school snack. Until this! With its sweet banana-almond flavor and chunky texture, this appealing banana peanut butter “ice cream” is a crowd-pleaser. People who ask me for the recipe can’t believe how easy it is to make. —Kristen Bloom, Okinawa, Japan 3/50 Meringue Shells with Lemon Curd

It’s sweet and tart, crunchy and fluffy

5 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 10 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: We love a dazzling dessert of meringue shells filled with sunny lemon curd. It’s sweet and tart, crunchy and fluffy. Top this lemon curd dessert with whipped cream and berries. —Kris Brill, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 4/50 Rosemary & Thyme Lemon Pudding Cakes 1 Review Test Kitchen Approved Rosemary & Thyme Lemon Pudding Cakes Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 50 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: These simple little cakes

are absolutely divine and are perfect with hot tea

are absolutely divine and are perfect with hot tea. Think English tea party! Your guests will love them. — Crystal Jo Bruns, Iliff, Colorado 5/50 Peach Tart 2 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Peach Tart Recipe photo by Eric Kleinberg for Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 10 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: When ripe peaches finally arrive at local fruit stands, this is the first recipe I reach for. The tart is perfection—a delightful way to celebrate spring’s arrival! You can make the tart with other varieties of fruit, too. —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah,

Ontario 6/50 Makeover Traditional Cheesecake 3

Ontario 6/50 Makeover Traditional Cheesecake 3 Reviews Makeover Traditional Cheesecake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 2 hours 10 min Servings 16 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Though softer than a full-fat cheesecake, this lightened-up dessert has all of the original’s delectable flavor. It’s sure to make any special event more festive. —Anne Addesso, Sheboygan, Wisconsin 7/50 Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Cake 1 Review Test Kitchen Approved Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 50 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I lightened up this quick

and easy dessert by making a few substitutions

and easy dessert by making a few substitutions. Because the treat is so sweet, no one will know it’s healthy, too.—Roxanne Chan, Albany, California. 8/50 Orange Buttermilk Cupcakes 6 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved GRACE NATOLI SHELDON FOR TASTE OF HOME Total Time 40 min Servings 9 servings Go to Recipe 9/50 Ginger-Glazed Grilled Honeydew Test Kitchen Approved Ginger-Glazed Grilled Honeydew Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 25 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: If you’ve never grilled fruit like this before, you’re in for a real treat! I love the idea of cooking

everything from appetizers to desserts on the grill

everything from appetizers to desserts on the grill. This grilled honeydew recipe is sweet and really light. —Jacqui Correa, Landing, New Jersey 10/50 Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 50 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved GRACE NATOLI SHELDON FOR TASTE OF HOME Total Time 1 hour 5 min Servings 16 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: A pleasingly moist cake, this treat is the one I requested that my mom make each year for my birthday. It’s dotted with sweet carrots and a hint of cinnamon. The fluffy buttery frosting is scrumptious with chopped walnuts stirred in. One piece

Using a slow cooker liner makes cleanup a breeze

of this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is never enough—it’s better than all the other carrot cakes I’ve tried! —Kim Orr, West Grove, Pennsylvania 11/50 Crock-Pot Lava Cake 47 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Slow-Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe photo by Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home Total Time 3 hours 15 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Everyone who tries this dessert falls in love with it. Using a slow cooker liner makes cleanup a breeze. —Latona Dwyer, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 12/50 Lemon Pound Cake 47 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Lemon

This lemon pound cake is one of my favorites!

Pound Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 25 min Servings 16 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Citrus trees grow abundantly in California, and I’m always looking for new recipes which use the fruit from the orange and lemon trees in my yard. This lemon pound cake is one of my favorites! My mother passed this recipe down to me. —Richard Killeaney, Spring Valley, California 13/50 Chocolate-Topped Strawberry Cheesecake 16 Reviews Chocolate-Topped Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 45 min Servings 12 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe

They remain my husband’s favorites—whenever I make them to give away, he always

Creator: Creamy and airy, this gorgeous dessert is the perfect special something for a summer dinner party. I love the mix of smooth strawberry cheesecake and crumbly chocolate crust—and how elegant it looks on the table. —Kathy Berger, Dry Ridge, Kentucky 14/50 First-Place Coconut Macaroons 138 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved First-Place Coconut Macaroons Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings about 1-1/2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: These coconut macaroon cookies earned me a first-place ribbon at the county fair. They remain my husband’s favorites—whenever I make them to give away, he always

asks me where his batch is!

asks me where his batch is! I especially like the fact that this recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin 15/50 Grilled Angel Food Cake with Strawberries 1 Review Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 15 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: One night I goofed, accidentally using the balsamic butter I save for grilling chicken on my pound cake. What a delicious mistake that my entire family loved! For a patriotic look, add a drizzle of blueberry syrup. —Tammy Hathaway, Freeman Twp, Maine

My mother’s family owned peach orchards in Missouri

16/50 Buttermilk Peach Ice Cream 1 Review Contest Winner Buttermilk Peach Ice Cream Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 45 min Servings 16 servings (2 quarts) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My mother’s family owned peach orchards in Missouri. I currently live in Tennessee, a top consumer of buttermilk. This summery ice cream combines my past and present. —Kim Higginbotham, Knoxville, Tennessee 17/50 Sour Cream Bavarian 7 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 15 min Servings 8 servings (1-1/4 cups sauce) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Are you ‘sweet on’ someone who’s counting calories?

Show them you care with this light and refreshing dessert

Show them you care with this light and refreshing dessert. It’s sinfully creamy and so pretty with the tart raspberry sauce. No one would ever guess that it’s fat-free! —Judi Janczewski, Berwyn, Illinois 18/50 Berry Cobbler 12 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Triple-Berry Cobbler Recipe photo by Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home Total Time 45 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I combined several recipes to come up with this one. It’s very versatile. Sometimes I use other fruits depending on what is available or on hand. —Edna Woodard, Fredericksburg, Texas 19/50 Perfect

Plum & Peach Pie Test Kitchen Approved Perfect Plum & Peach Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour 5 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I created this recipe for in-season summer fruit. The plums give the pie a splash of color as well as flavor, and the crumb topping is both easy and excellent! —Rachel Johnson, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania 20/50 Cookies ‘n’ Cream Berry Desserts 2 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Cookies ‘n’ Cream Berry Desserts Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 10 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe

From the Recipe Creator: This sweet berry dessert makes an especially pretty final course in the spring. With berries, a creamy topping and a sprinkle of meringue cookies, it always earns praise. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia 21/50 Lemon Meringue Muffins 20 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 50 min Servings 1 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: These muffins taste like a favorite pie of mine. The meringue adds a unique flavor.—Nancy Kearney, Massillon, Ohio 22/50 Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blondies 6 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved DAN ROBERTS FOR TASTE OF HOME Total Time 35 min Servings 16 servings

We were craving brownies one night, and these cakelike treats hit the spot

Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I converted these blondies to be gluten free so that my family could enjoy a comforting dessert. We were craving brownies one night, and these cakelike treats hit the spot. They are a fantastic spin on gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. —Becky Klope, Loudonville, New York 23/50 Peach Blueberry Cobbler 9 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Peach Blueberry Cobbler Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 1 hour Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Everyone loves a peach blueberry cobbler. This one is the perfect, scrumptious treat! If

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• These dinner ideas are perfect for impressing guests or enjoying special occasions.

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