So the holidays are finally here! Christmas markets are working long hours, shopping malls are crowded with folks going for last minute Christmas shopping while others are just chilling with their family and friends. However, apart from the good mood, fun times with our loved ones and cozy evenings, Christmas time brings us a lot of extra calories every year… and it has always been like that! It’s Christmas and many would agree that you should forget about counting calories and fats for this one special evening. In fact, Christmas dinner usually isn’t unhealthy. The real problem is that people at Christmas often overeat and that is something you should definitely avoid!
Christmas turkey roast and vegetables are something you should enjoy without any guilt, but if you don’t want to give up on your healthy diet and want to make a healthier Christmas dinner, you could experiment with some healthier desserts. There are some incredibly delicious recipes for Christmas treats which are tasty and healthy at the same time and you should definitely try them!
Vanilla-almond Cut-out Cookies
These easy-to-make cookies are as delicious as easy to make.
You’ll need:
- A cup of ground almonds
- 3/4 cup of unrefined sugar
- 1 1/3 cup of whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup of white flour
- 3/4 cup of cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1-2 tsp. of fresh vanilla
How to make:
Heat up the oven at 150-
175°C. First of all grind the sugar and almonds. Afterwards, you should mix it up with flour and a pinch of salt, and add the oil, water and vanilla. You’ll get dough from which you can make whichever Christmas shapes you want. Bake it 10-15 minutes.
Lean Cocoa and Chocolate Dark Cake
Those who can’t imagine a dessert without chocolate should definitely try this healthy alternative to traditional dark cakes. It’s easy to make and you won’t have to spend hours cleaning the kitchen afterward.
You’ll need:
- 1/2 cup of Stevia herb powder (a sweet herb that’s a much healthier alternative to sugar)
- 10-15 tsp. of honey
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 cups of 100% cocoa powder
- 1 cup of butter
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 2 tsp. of fresh vanilla
- 3 cups of low-fat milk (or you can use soy or almond milk)
- 1/2 cup of Chia seeds (drenched in water a few hours before use)
- Cold-pressed coconut oil
How to make:
Just put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix it until you get a compact mass that you can easily shape. 
Take Coconut oil and oil the baking pan. Don’t use too much, just enough for the cake to be cut out easily after baking, without sticking to the sides of the pan. Bake it on 180°C for half an hour.
Vegan Walnut Streusel Cake
A perfect Christmas cake option for all you vegans out there! It can be a bit tough to make for the first time if you’re not that experienced in the kitchen, but hey, you can’t learn if you don’t try, right? So give it a shot!
You’ll need:
- 1 1/4 cups of whole-wheat flour
- 1 1/4 of white flour
- 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 2 tsp. of unrefined brown sugar (or stevia herb)
- 1 – 2 cups of soy or almond milk
- 1 fresh yeast
- 1 fresh lemon
Topping:
- 1 1/4 cups of ground walnuts
- 3/4 cups of unrefined brown sugar (or stevia herb)
- Soy or almond milk
How to make:
Mix 2 tsp. of sugar, grind the yeast and pour a bit of hot milk. Leave it at a warm place and afterward mix it with flour. Add salt, sugar, chopped lemons and milk and mix it until you get a smooth dough. Live it at a warm place to rise.
While the dough rises, you can make the topping. Pour hot milk over the walnuts and add sugar.
Spread the dough, fill it with topping and roll it into a streusel shape. Bake half an hour on 200°C.
