Healthy Holiday Dessert Recipes | Irvine Spine & Wellness Center

Once again, it’s that time of year when you are looking for great healthy holiday dessert options! If you are anything like me, you like a good sweet treat but you don’t want to ruin your healthy lifestyle. This blog will provide you with healthy holiday dessert choices that everyone will love.

Easy & Healthy Holiday Dessert Recipes

Healthy Anginetti Cookies (from thecleaneatingcouple.com)

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil melted + cooled to room temp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 flour

For the Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
Sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare lined baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners
In a bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and sugar until combined.
Add in the cottage cheese, greek yogurt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
Slowly add in Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-1 Flour until the batter is combined. It will be thick and somewhat chunky due to the cottage cheese.
Drop the cookies in 1.5 tablespoon balls on the lined baking sheet (You can gently roll them in circles for a prettier presentation)
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, watching carefully for the last few minutes not to burn them.
Allow cookies to cool completely before icing.
When ready to ice, whisk together powdered sugar + milk. Gently dunk the tops of the cookies in the icing mixture and sprinkle with sprinkles of choice. Allow icing to harden (about an hour) and store in an airtight container.

Mug Cakes

Mug cakes are one of the easiest, most satisfying desserts you can make during the holidays or year-round. These are two healthy holiday dessert recipes you can make in a snap!

Shakeology Mug Cake (from MelanieMitro.com)

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp baking powder
1 scoop Shakeology
1 tbsp sweetener of your choice {optional}
dash of salt
1 egg
optional mix-in: peanut butter and/or cocoa powder
2 or 3 tbs water/milk

Directions:

In a mug mix the Shakeology, baking powder, salt, cocoa and sweetener.
Next, mix in an egg and 2-3 tablespoons of water/milk. If you want it to be more moist then add a little more water.
Mix until the dry ingredients are wet.
If you’d like to add peanut butter, put one dollop in the center and push it down a bit.
Microwave for 90 sec. ( I prefer to do 55 seconds because I like mine a little more gooey on the inside.)
When it is done the edges will pull from the sides.

Mocha Mug Cake (from thepioneerwoman.com)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. chocolate chips
Whipped cream and chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans, as a topping

Directions:

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso, baking powder, and salt in a 12-ounce microwave-safe mug. Stir well with a fork. Add the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and stir until smooth, making sure there are no lumps of flour or cocoa in the bottom of the mug. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Make sure you don’t overcook the cake or it will be dry.) Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then top with whipped cream and chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Gift a Healthy Holiday Treat

A fun and healthy holiday dessert you can gift to others.

Maple Gingerbread Popcorn Recipe (from realfoodrealdeals.com)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels generate 15 cups once popped
3 tbs. coconut oil
3 tbs. maple syrup
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Pop the popcorn. I use this air popper, but any popping method will work.
Place the solid coconut oil in a large roasting pan or on a cookie sheet that has sides. Put the pan in the oven until the oil melts.
Remove the pan from the oven and add the maple syrup and spices. Stir to combine.
Add the popped popcorn to the pan and stir so that the popcorn is evenly coated.
Bake for 6-8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Once it starts to brown a little, it’s done.
Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Vegan-Friendly Healthy Holiday Dessert Recipe

Here is a recipe for my animal lovers, or folks choosing veganism for health reasons, or both!

Vegan Peppermint Cream Pie (from darngoodveggies.com)

Ingredients:

For The Crust:

1 cup almond meal
¾ cup oat flour
¼ cup cacao powder
⅓ cup melted vegan butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt

For the filling:

3 (15) oz cans of full-fat coconut milk (two cans chilled in the fridge overnight)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Crushed candy canes and cacao nibs for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Before getting started, make sure to chill 2 cans of coconut milk in the fridge overnight.

For The Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, stir together all of the crust ingredients until well combined.
Pour into your pie dish and press it into the sides and bottom of the pan to create a compact even layer.
Bake for 22 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

For The Filling:

Add the cornstarch and ¼ cup of the room temperature coconut milk into a saucepan and whisk until there are no lumps.
Add the remaining room-temperature coconut milk and sugar into the pan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to simmer and thicken. You will know it is done when the mixture is jiggly and you can see ribbons form when you drizzle the spoon over the top of the mixture. Remove from the heat and stir in the peppermint extract.
Pour the custard into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the custard to keep it from forming a skin. Transfer to the fridge to cool and set, for about 4 hours.
Next, grab one chilled can of coconut milk, and without shaking, open the can. Scoop out the thick cream on top and place it in a bowl. Avoid any liquid; only use the thick cream. Using a hand mixer, whip the coconut cream into soft peaks. Place in the fridge to set for 4 hours while the custard is chilling.
Once the custard has set and cooled, fold in ⅓ of the coconut whipped cream.
Add in the remaining whip and fold until combined. Pour into the pie crust and place back in the fridge for 2 more hours.
While the pie is setting in the fridge, whip up the last can of chilled coconut milk into whipped coconut cream like in the previous step. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.
When ready to serve, top the pie with coconut whipped cream and optionally garnish with crushed candy canes and cacao nibs. Slice and enjoy!

If you feel like you are wanting more recipes, tips, and tricks on mental health, mindset, relationships, and a roadmap to living your healthiest life, I have many more tips and tools for your toolbox where those came from. Thanks for reading. I hope this information was useful and finds you in a space of the heart.

Love and Light Always, Sarah

– Sarah Savino is my recommended Wellness, Mindset, and Nutrition Coach who resides in Colorado but has a community of clients she guides and manages nationally. She has frequent retreats that her clients are encouraged but not required to attend and she is someone who knows first hand how it is to be overworked and overweight. She is a living truth that once within the right community and with the right guide, everything is possible. She can be reached:

Dr. Shakib, your Irvine Posture Chiropractor