Dessert has never been my downfall. Now that we are doing Atkins, I actually want it. Does anyone have any good ideas for healthier desserts?

so far, we've used ricotta cheese with artificial sweetener and bottled flavorings.

I know this will be a very unpopular response, but I think "healthy dessert" is an oxymoron. With the exception of fresh fruit served with cheeses like they do in Europe, I don't think dessert is even supposed to be healthy. My philosophy is to eat a small or half portion of a great, satisfying dessert occasionally to avoid feeling deprived. I've found that when I'm really feeling deprived of foods that I'm craving, I tend to cheat in a huge way (like eat a dozen or so cookies or half a carton of ice cream). Does anybody else feel this way, or am I just nuts?

I do try to add healthy ingredients to my desserts when appropriate (like a little whole wheat flour, ground flax, or another healthy grain), but I've found cutting the fat in baked goods and substituting low-fat items just makes the final product tough or substandard; those types of desserts aren't really worth eating anyway.

I make Oatmeal Raisin cookies where I substitute about a quarter cup of oat bran for the same amount of the oatmeal. I use 'Smart Balance' butter blend to make it a healther fat content, finally I substitute about a quarter-cup of Brain Booster Omega 3 powder for the same quantity of flour. No one in my family has ever commented on the cookies tasting any different. I don't know whether they qualify as being good-for-you, but they are certainly healthier than the original recipe, which actually in terms of desserts isn't so bad to begin with given the oats and raisins present.

P.S. Hmm.... I just noticed you commented on using Atkins, so I don't think this recipe is really what you are looking for. I simply view it as better for ones health than a lot of what we eat for desserts.