Stay on the Nice List This Year With These Not-So-Naughty Treats
by RYAN MILECZAK
The holidays are a time full of temptation for anyone trying to eat healthy. All it takes is a single “just one can’t hurt” and before you know it, you’ve secured your place on the naughty list. But what if you could be just a little naughty, and still stay on the nice list?
Good news: You can! With our list of healthy holiday recipes, you can still stick to your eating goals without missing out on the holiday delights. Whether it’s swapping wheat flour for almond flour, replacing sugar with sugar substitutes, or just avoiding nasty processed ingredients, there are myriad ways to make your favorite seasonal treats as healthy as can be.
Let’s take a look at our favorite healthy holiday recipes.
Healthy Homemade Eggnog
Adapted from A Sweet Pea Chef
Ingredients
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk substitute of your choice)
- 6 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup honey (or sub for 2 tsp liquid Stevia)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg, plus more for topping
- ½ tsp grated cinnamon
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Begin by blending or whisking together the almond milk, egg yolks, sweetener, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepot until well combined. Cook over medium heat and add in the cloves. Cook, stirring frequently until it begins to thicken and froth. Do not allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Take off the heat once thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract and remove the cloves. Let chill for at least an hour and enjoy with a sprinkle of nutmeg over top.
Keto-Friendly Gingerbread Cookies
Adapted from Gnom Gnom
Ingredients
Cookies
- 4 cups almond flour
- 1 cup brown sugar substitute (Swerve or similar)
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp unsulphured or dark molasses
Royal Icing
- 1 cup Stevia baking blend or similar
- 1 tbsp egg white powder or meringue powder
- 2 tbsp water plus 2 tbsp
Instructions
First, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, cloves, allspice, and salt. Then, cream butter with an electric mixer for two minutes, add in sweetener and molasses, and cream for another 10 minutes until fluffy. Add egg to the creamed butter mixture until just incorporated but not smooth.
Mix together wet and dry ingredients, adding the wet to the dry in two parts. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
Once ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll out dough ¼” thick between two pieces of parchment paper and cut out with cookie cutters. Gather up scraps and reroll to cut more cookies, repeating no dough is left.
Place cookies on your prepared baking trays and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
To make royal icing, whisk together sweetener and egg white powder. Add 2 tbsp of water and whisk until smooth, then add remaining 2 tbsp a little at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Pipe onto cooled cookies and allow 30 minutes to set.
Healthy Apple Crisp
Adapted from The Ambitious Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 lb apples, peeled and sliced ¼” thick
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, plus 1 tbsp
- ½ tsp cinnamon, plus ½ tsp
- ¼ tsp ginger, plus ¼ tsp
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ tsp salt, plus ¼ tsp
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8 baking dish. Toss apples with 1 tbsp coconut oil, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp salt, and ⅓ cup brown sugar. Set aside.
Next, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl to create crisp topping. Toss apple mixture with ⅓ of the topping mixture and pour into a baking dish. Top with remaining crisp topping, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes until golden brown