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As we all know, the holidays are full of sweet treats and tempting goodies. However, festive baking doesn’t have to be heavy and loaded with butter and sugar if you don’t want it to be: here are five recipes for healthy versions of holiday favourites! Now it’s that much easier to indulge guilt-free this season.
Healthy Gingerbread cookies
Gingerbread is a holiday staple, and this recipe for sweet little gingerbread people is free of refined sugar, gluten, and dairy! It’s also vegan for those looking for more plant-powered recipes. You can roll out this dough and use your favourite cookie cutters to make your gingerbread people or all sorts of other festive shapes. It’s the same fun process as regular gingerbread cookies, but a much healthier version.
Chocolate Mint Truffles
Love fudge? Peppermint patties? Andes mints? Then you’ll love these chocolate mint truffles! This recipe is paleo, no bake, and done in just 5 minutes. Instead of processed chocolate and sweetened condensed milk as in traditional truffles, this recipe is made with walnuts, dates, coconut, and cocoa powder. No grains, dairy, or refined sugar … and they’re vegan too! You can even get the kids involved with rolling the truffles out – fun and delicious.
Maple Glazed Gingerbread Loaf
This recipe is like the holiday version of banana bread: made with whole wheat or spelt flour, applesauce, molasses, and simple maple syrup glaze, it’s full of nutrients and big Canadian flavours. Make a batch and have slices for breakfast, or you could even give it as a gift it looks so pretty and smells so amazing!
Coconut Macaroons dipped in Dark Chocolate
These sweet little mounds of coconut and chocolate look beautiful on any dessert plate and suit just about any dietary needs. They’re gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and vegetarian, but you could make them vegan too by substituting aquafaba for egg white. For an even more festive look, you can top them with some colourful holiday candy. Find the recipe here.
Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters
This recipe could not be easier! Just 4 vegan ingredients come together to make delicious and satisfying chocolate almond clusters. No special tools or fancy techniques – just melting chocolate, combining with almonds, and spoon onto a baking sheet. Top with a pinch of sea salt and turbinado sugar and you’re done. Pro tip: use high quality chocolate and almonds here, because they’re the star of the show!
We know you’ll #TreatYoSelf to some delicious goodies this holiday season, but you can #TreatYoSelf and your friends with some healthy Christmas-y treats too! You might not even notice the missing butter and sugar. Enjoy!
Kelowna born and raised, Keddy Pavlik of TheTreatLife has been passionate about the local food scene basically since birth. If she's not in the kitchen, you can probably find her at the farmer's market or taking pictures of food. Photo Credit: Jordana Dickson.
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