Healthy Holiday Recipes
- Dec 9, 2017
- 6 min read
The holidays are here! (Do you hear the jingle bells?!) And what better time to gather with family and eat some really good food! But how do you stay healthy when you feel like you are surrounded by so many unhealthy choices?
Not to worry, I have compiled recipes that are healthy, savory and sweet to make your holiday most enjoyable while not feeling guilty for enjoying holiday treats!
I am apologizing in advance for making your mouth water and that most of these recipes are dessert driven. :)
(I will be adding to this post all month long, so be sure to check back often for more delicious recipes!)
Healthy Paleo Collagen Holiday Loaf
Ingredients 1 c cashew butter 1/2 c applesauce 1/2 c maple syrup 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root 1/2 c cassava flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer, Coconut 1/4 tsp salt 1 Tbsp lemon juice Gingerbread spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice) to taste
Glaze 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer, Coconut 2 Tbsp coconut milk 2 Tbsp raw honey 1 tsp arrowroot starch
Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a standard loaf pan and set aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl, add in cashew butter, applesauce, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract and fresh grated ginger root. Mix until well-combined. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together cassava flour, baking powder, Coconut Collagen Creamer, salt, and spices. 4. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well-incorporated. 5. Add in the lemon juice and whisk again. 6. Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. 7. For the glaze: add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high. Let the glaze sit for a few minutes to thicken. Best served on the holiday loaf when it has cooled slightly. 8. Serve immediately.
A note about Vital Proteins Collagen Creamers:
Collagen is the vital building block of our bodies including skin, hair, nails, bones, and joints. Our bodies cannot synthesize enough collagen on their own and our diets today contain minimal collagen.** Collagen helps restore the skin’s moisture, improving the elasticity, tone and vibrancy that’s already within you. Our products have been shown to support healthy digestion and restore gut health, helping you feel better and get the most out of every day. Vital Proteins helps you rebuild, recover and perform to the best of your body’s natural ability. We replace what modern food processing has removed from our diets by restoring and promoting collagen production – essential to muscle and ligament health.
Peppermint Protein Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
2 ¼ c almond flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
¼ c raw honey
½ c organic butter
1 c Andes Peppermint Crunch chips or Peppermint Morsels
Directions
1. Combine all dry ingredients- except the peppermint chips, in a large mixing bowl. Then combine all wet ingredients in a smaller mixing bowl using a hand mixer.
2. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients well. Fold in the peppermint chips.
3. Chill the dough in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. 10 minutes before removing dough from the fridge, preheat oven to 350* degrees. Then drop1 1-1.5 tablespoon size balls of dough on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
4. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will lightly brown on the bottom, not the top so keep an eye on them. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
5. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes 28 Cookies
Calories per cookie: 147
Carbs per cookie: 9 g
Protein per cookie: 6 g
Fat per cookie: 10 g
Sugar per cookie: 7 g
Peppermint Fudge No Bake Energy Bites
Ingredients
½ c raw almonds
⅓ c pitted medjool dates (about 6)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
¾ tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips
Directions
1. Put almonds in a food processor and chop.
2. Add the dates and blend well.
3. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract. peppermint extract, and coconut oil. Blend for several minutes until starting to combine. Add a couple drops of water if necessary to help it move.
4. Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few final times to combine well. You don't want to pulverize the chocolate though.
5. Take a heaping teaspoon of the mixture in your hand and roll into a ball. The coconut oil will soften and it will be very messy. The warmth of your hand will allow the coconut oil to help bind the bite. You will end up pushing it more together than actually rolling it. While it is still warm press into the peppermint.
6. Allow the finished bites to set in the fridge for 30 minutes to re-solidify the coconut oil.
Holiday Butternut Cranberry Bake
Ingredients
1 lb butternut squash (chopped/cubed, peeled)
1 large apple (peeled and cored)
1/2 lb fresh cranberries (227 g) bag
1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil in liquid state)
1/4 c maple syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 scant tsp ground cloves
Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a 1 gallon-sized ziplock bag or a large container with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Shake well to coat everything in spices and maple syrup.
3. Pour out into baking dish (Mine was 9x13) and bake at 350 F. for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
4. Note that if you have a smaller, deeper baking dish that this will take longer in the oven. The bigger and more shallow the dish is, the quicker this will cook. (I do not recommend a cookie sheet due to the cranberries)
5. Add salt to taste after cooking if needed.
Healthy Almond Milk Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
2 c Almond Milk (500ml)
3 tbsp Natural Cocoa Powder
2 tbsp Almond Butter
20 Raw Almonds
Directions
1. Get a sauce pan. Pour in almond milk and add cocoa powder. Slowly heat up the cocoa while whisking until smooth (you don’t have to be stirring it constantly. Just make sure the cocoa has melted before pouring into mugs).
2. Turn off the heat and stir in almond butter.
3. Finely chop almonds. Pour the cocoa into glasses and top with almonds.
4. Enjoy while warm!
Paleo Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
Crust
1 heaping c Pecans
¼ c Almond Flour
¼ c Shredded Coconut
8 Dates (should be soft)
¼ tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Molasses
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
Filling
1 ½ c Pumpkin Puree (some pumpkin purees are more watery than others-use one with as little water as possible the firmer the better)
12 Dates
½ c Coconut Oil
½ c Coconut Milk (canned)
1 ½ tsp Vanilla
1 ½ tbsp Honey
¼ tsp Allspice
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
Whipped Cream Topping
1 15 oz. can Coconut Milk (thick coconut cream on the top, only. Store remaining liquidy coconut milk the fridge for another use.)
½ tbsp Honey
Ground Cinnamon for dusting
Directions
Crust
1. Line an 8x8 baking dish with tin foil or plastic wrap.
2. Add the pecans, almond flour, and shredded coconut to bowl of a food processor. Process until the pecans resemble small, coarse crumbs.
3. Add the dates, ginger, cinnamon, molasses, and coconut oil to the nut mixture and process until the dates are chopped fine enough to hold the crust together. Scoop the dough into the prepared pan and press evenly over the bottom.
Filling
4. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend together until very smooth. This shouldn’t be too hard in a high speed blender (I use a NutriBullet), but you may need to puree for a bit longer in a regular food processor. The mixture should have no lumps and be a smooth, fluffy consistency.
5. Spoon the mixture over the crust and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
6. Once chilled, you should be able to lift the bars(carefully out of the pan by lifting them by the tin foil or plastic wrap and sliding onto the counter.
7. Cut into bars. Top each bar with a dollop of coconut cream topping and a dash of cinnamon.
Whipped Cream Topping
8. Place the coconut cream and the honey in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer until combined.
9. Spoon a dollop of cream over each pumpkin bar. Dust each bar with a dash of cinnamon.
10. Serve chilled.
Hope you enjoy these recipes. I would love to know if you tried them and how they turned out for you. If you have a favorite recipe, comment down below!
PS: Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer link, 1st Phorm Level 1 Protein Powder link are affiliate links. Crushed peppermint links are Amazon links. Thank you for supporting my passion for health and fitness.
XO,
Stacie
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