Healthy holidays: Sweet recipes to impress your guests

The holidays mean many things—gifts, spending time with loved ones, carols, and, of course, baked goods. In fact, one of children’s most cherished traditions is leaving out baked goods for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve in thanks for the gifts they’ll receive the next morning. 

But, just because it’s baking doesn’t mean the treats can’t be lighter on calories and more nutritious. From cookies to brownies, you’re sure to find a favourite to enjoy with your loved ones this holiday season in our list of scrumptious desserts below!

Keto Magic Cookies

These fun bite-sized cookies are perfect for sharing around the fire or for holiday get-togethers. With a calorie count of just 130 per cookie, these diet-friendly treats are the perfect alternative to heavy cookies. The recipe yields 15 and takes 10 minutes to prep and just 25 minutes to make, meaning you can have the perfect dessert in less than 30 minutes! You can add any festive flavouring your heart desires to these cookies, so they can be as holiday-fitting as you please.

Healthy Almond Thumbprint Cookies

These Christmas cookies are an excellent alternative to the classic thumbprint cookies we all know so well. Instead of using refined flour, these cookies utilize almonds, which have more nutritional value. These cookies require 25 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of cooking time. Plus, they feature homemade jam (which you can substitute with a store-bought brand) and an “easy icing drizzle.” Not only are these treats much healthier, but they are fun to make—a perfect family activity for cabin-fever days. The recipe yields 24 cookies.

Black Bean Cake

If you’re looking for a chocolatey taste without the fear of sugar over-indulgence, this black bean cake from Better Homes and Gardens is the ideal substitute. With this recipe, you can satisfy your chocolate cravings and get some protein! It uses coconut oil, which gives you healthy fatty acids that are beneficial to your cardiovascular well-being. It takes an hour and 50 minutes to cook to completion and will leave you with a scrumptious dessert to serve up to 12 people—a perfect addition to any holiday gathering! 

Sweet Potato Brownies

We’re all suckers for a silky, delicious brownie, and this recipe is excellent for those who want to keep eating healthy and still get their fix! Plus, this recipe calls for using sweet potatoes, providing more minerals and vitamins. With a baking time of 25 minutes and a prep time of 20 minutes, you can have a nutritious (but delectable!) dessert in under an hour. This recipe will provide you with 16 steaming brownies perfect for sharing or for a late-night indulgence. 

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Bark

This healthy twist on classic peppermint bark will make the perfect addition to your holiday spread! The salt of the pretzels mixed with the sweet bitterness of the dark chocolate makes for the perfect juxtaposition of flavour. This recipe has a 15-minute prep time, requires chilling for an hour, and provides a yield of approximately 24 pieces.

Peppermint ‘Nice’ Cream

If you love ice cream but suffer at the hands of its dairy, this is the perfect wintery recipe for your holiday season. This ice cream is entirely vegan and low-calorie, leaving its consumers feeling guilt-free and festive. This ice cream is banana-based but with a taste that’s completely undercover. A regular bowl of ice cream has about 210 calories, but this recipe has just 121 per serving! 

If you’re looking to satiate the holiday baking sweet tooth without all the empty calories, whip up one of these delicious treats. Your friends, family, and loved ones are sure to thank you (and likely won’t be able to tell the difference)!