Fondue Dippers

Ligher ingredients put a fresh spin on a party favorite.

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Classic fondues may be ooey, gooey, and oh-so-tasty, but calorie-wise, they’re kind of scary. Traditional recipes for fondue savoyarde (cheese fondue) recommend preparing the dish with one-third to one-half pound of cheese per person (that’s about 800 calories and more than 40 grams of saturated fat without the addition of bread and other dippers). Dessert fondues made with chocolate and heavy cream aren’t much better.

It doesn’t have to be that way. By lightening up serving sizes (a half-pound is a lot of cheese), cleverly replacing full-fat dairy products, and offering an assortment of dippers that include fruits and veggies, you can serve meltingly delicious fondues that don’t overdo it on fat and calories.

Savory Dippers

Baguette, country bread, or rye bread

Sliced apples or pears

Soft pretzel pieces

Steamed asparagus

Steamed potatoes

Cauliflower and broccoli florets

Cherry or teardrop tomatoes

Baby gherkins

Sweet Dippers

Angel food or pound cake cubes

Plain or peanut butter-filled pretzels

Strawberries Fresh or dried pineapple cubes

Fresh or frozen (thawed) mango cubes

Banana slices

Candied fruit strips

Clementine, orange, and grapefruit segments

Biscotti or ladyfingers