The holidays are a time for celebration, which naturally comes with sugary sweets, family potlucks, and never-ending food. If you’re looking to watch what you eat during the holiday season, you might need a few extra recipe ideas to take to your next get-together. This article will cover our favorite healthy holiday dessert ideas to help you enjoy some sweet treats without the extra calories.
Food Network Kitchen’s Pumpkin Cheesecake
Cheesecake is usually a rich, decadent dessert made with full-fat cream cheese, eggs, and plenty of sugar. The Food Network’s revamped recipe substitutes one-third less fat cream cheese and adds Greek yogurt for a lower-calorie, higher protein option. Compared to a store-bought pumpkin cheesecake, this recipe has half the calories, one-third of the fat, and 25% less sugar. If this is your first time making a cheesecake recipe at home, be sure to read the instructions and make a tester (if you have time).
Keto Gingerbread Cookies
If you follow a ketogenic diet, you work hard to keep your carb count in check. While you may feel like sweets are off-limits, recipe developers have created plenty of keto-friendly approaches to your holiday favorites. The Keto Gingerbread Cookie recipe from The Big Man’s World uses only 6 ingredients:
- Blanched almond flour
- Gingerbread spice mix (containing ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg)
- Unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- Baking powder
- Keto brown sugar or another granulated sweetener
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs
Decorate your gingerbread cookies with a keto royal icing, made with egg whites, a powdered sugar substitute, and lemon juice.
Peppermint Meringues
For a low-calorie, gluten-free holiday treat, try Good Housekeeping’s Peppermint Meringues. Made with only egg whites, sugar, peppermint extract, and cream of tartar, these meringue kisses take just 30 minutes to prep. Be sure to dye the whipped meringue red and mix with white for a candy cane-striped look. Bake them low and slow at 200°F for 60 to 75 minutes for a crisp texture outside with a chewy meringue on the inside. Add them to your Christmas cookie boxes for family and friends or enjoy as a treat yourself!
Cranberry Dark Chocolate Biscotti
Biscotti means “twice baked” in Italian, and these cookies stay true to their word! The second bake leaves biscotti crispy and crunchy, perfect for dipping into your cup of morning coffee. Pinch of Yum’s Cranberry Dark Chocolate Biscotti combines tart dried cranberries, a dark chocolate drizzle, and orange zest for the perfect blend of holiday flavors. The creator, Lindsay, also uses whole-wheat flour and honey as a natural sweetener to keep this dessert on the healthier side.
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
A Thanksgiving favorite, pecan pie can be found on tables across the country. Health experts love sweets as much as the rest of us, but they enjoy them even more when they’re healthier. A dietitian from National Jewish Health created a pecan pie recipe that took second place in the National Pie Championships. The secret? Less butter and brown sugar filling, but with a kick of cinnamon and Kentucky bourbon.
Their homemade pie crust is also made with canola oil instead of butter or lard. This recipe is easier to work with and make, making fiddly pie crusts a thing of the past.
Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms
Vegans often feel left out during holidays, as desserts are often loaded with butter, eggs, and milk. Nora Cooks’ Vegan Peanut Butter Blossom cookies are a great alternative for a holiday classic. Nora uses vegan butter, almond milk, and vegan chocolate with delicious peanut butter flavor. She also suggests freezing the cookies for about 10 minutes after adding the chocolate on top to prevent melting. Bring these to your next holiday potluck to win over your vegan friends.
Healthy Snowball Cookies
For another holiday cookie box classic, try a healthier version of snowball cookies. Eating Bird Food’s recipe uses only 6 ingredients and can be easily changed to a vegan version:
- Almond flour
- Butter, ghee, or vegan butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Salt
- Chopped pecans
- Vanilla extract
One cookie contains only 130 calories with 5 grams of sugar.
Fruit Cake
When you’re a lover or a hater, fruit cake is universally known as the quintessential holiday dessert. Mayo Clinic’s Fruit Cake recipe uses plenty of fruit, minimal sugar, whole-wheat flour, and chopped nuts. For a plant-based alternative, you can use an egg substitute. One slice of cake contains 229 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and only 5 grams of fat.
This version of fruit cake is also diet-friendly, especially for those following a heart-healthy or diabetic diet. Low in sodium and high in fiber, the Mayo Clinic’s recipe is perfect for anyone with a few extra restrictions but still looking to enjoy a sweet holiday treat.
