7 Holiday Treats Without the Guilt!
The holiday season sneaks up fast, and before you know it, we’ve gone from fruity smoothies to pumpkin spice everything to green-and-red goodies galore. But don’t resign yourself to the inevitable holiday weight gain — instead, use these recipes to stay mostly within your healthy eating program (it is the holidays after all!) and enjoy some reduced-guilt holiday cheer.
Pistachio Pomegranate Dark Chocolate Bark
Drain dates and place in a food processor or blender container. Add coconut oil, salt, vanilla extract and cocoa powder and process until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine date mixture with nuts and pomegranate seeds.
Spread mixture over a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and freeze to set, about 4 hours. Once set, chop into bite-size pieces. Store in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts (per serving = ¼ cup): calories 270, fat 24 g, protein 2 g, sodium 74 mg, carbs 16 g, fiber 3 g, sugar 9 g
BEST. BRUSH. EVER.
Mixed Berry Sorbet
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 (5.3-oz) container plain whole-milk Greek yogurt2 cups frozen mixed berries
4 tbsp milk of choice (more if needed)
¾ tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Add yogurt, berries and vanilla to a blender cup.Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing each time until well-combined. Continue until mixture is thick and creamy.
Nutrition Facts (per serving = 2/3 cup): calories 93, fat 3 g, protein 6 g, sodium 209 mg, carbs 12 g, fiber 2 g, sugar 9 g
Maple-Walnut Chocolate Truffles
Makes: 15 chocolates*
Ingredients
¼ cup cacao butter¼ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp raw walnut pieces
Directions
Melt cacao butter over medium heat in a small saucepan.Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup and vanilla extract. Then mix in cocoa powder.
Pour mixture into silicon molds or cups. Place a few walnut pieces in the center of each chocolate. Allow to cool, then place in the freezer or fridge to set.
Nutrition Facts (per serving = 1 chocolate): calories 46, fat 4 g, protein 0 g, sodium 1 mg, carbs 3 g, fiber 0 g, sugar 1 g
*Number of candies may vary according to the mold.
Chewy Grain-Free Gingerbread Granola
Makes: 20 servings
Ingredients
½ cup raw almonds½ cup raw pecans
½ cup raw hazelnuts
1/3 cup raw pepitas/pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup ground flaxseed meal
¼ cup coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp molasses
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 275 F.In a food processor or blender, pulse almonds, pecans, coconut and hazelnuts into small pieces. Do not over-blend.
Heat coconut oil, maple syrup, molasses, spices and salt over medium heat in a large saucepan, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Place processed nuts in a large bowl and pour warm coconut oil mixture over top. Add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flaxseed meal and stir to combine.
Spread mixture evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool and harden.
Cranberry Walnut Biscotti
Makes: 24 cookies
Ingredients
2 cups whole-wheat all-purpose flour*1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 egg whites, room temperature
1 whole egg, room temperature
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and butter and mix with a stand or hand mixer on medium, 1 minute.
Stir in cranberries and walnuts by hand until well-combined.
Form dough into 2 long, flat logs and place on baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until slightly browned and firm.
Cut logs into ¼-inch slices to make cookies. Arrange cookies on 2 baking sheets and return to oven.
Nutrition Facts (per serving = 1 cookie): calories 85, fat 3 g, protein 2 g, sodium
103 mg, carbs 14 g, fiber 1 g, sugar 7 g
Apple Walnut Crisp
Ingredients
4 cups Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and diced
1 cup walnuts, chopped
¾ cup rolled oats
¼ cup whole-wheat all-purpose flour*
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
3 tbsp butter diced into small pats
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9- inch-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
combine oats, flour, brown sugar, sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until apples are fork-tender and topping
is lightly browned. Allow to cool before serving.
Nutrition Facts (per serving = 1/3 cup): calories 167, fat 12 g, protein 3 g, sodium 87 mg, carbs 15 g, fiber 2 g, sugar 7g
Chocolate-Covered Fudge Brownies
Makes: 15 servings
Brownie Ingredients
½ cup sweet potato, mashed½ cup chocolate protein powder of choice
½ cup smooth nut butter of choice
¼ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
Topping Ingredients
¼ cup cacao butter nibs or chips
¼ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.In a blender or food processor, combine brownie ingredients until smooth. Should form a thick batter.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Note: The brownies won’t rise much. Allow to cool completely in pan.
Once brownies are cool, combine all topping ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Immediately pour melted chocolate over brownies. Place in the fridge to set, then cut into 9 squares. Store in fridge or freezer.
Nutrition Facts (per serving = 1 brownie): calories 128, fat 8 g, protein 8 g, sodium 31 mg, carbs 6 g, fiber 2 g, sugar 2 g
Smart Swaps
Flip your fave holiday recipe on its head by trading some questionably healthy ingredients for more goal-friendly ones.
1. Mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons water in place of one whole egg. This makes a recipe vegan-friendly and adds a boost of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Works well in muffins, cakes and breads.
2. Swap regular butter and oil for your favorite nut butter (in the same quantity) to ramp up the healthy fats and dial down the trans and saturated fats. Try this in cookies, cakes, muffins and sweet breads.
3. Use plain, nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream to slash calories and fat while increasing protein. Think: coffee cakes and cupcakes.
4. Try almond flour and coconut flour in place of white or wheat flour to go gluten-free, increase fiber and slash carbs. Great for breads, cookies, pastries and crusts.
5. Blend pitted dates or ripe bananas into batters to add sweetness and fiber without the added sugar. Try this in cakes, cookies, breads and brownies.
Written by Shoshana Pritzker RD Cdn for Oxygen Magazine and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.