Healthier Christmas Treats
I know the holidays can be hard for those of us with fitness goals. The truth is, you’re going to find yourself in difficult situations where you’re faced with the decision to either stay on track with your nutrition and goals … or allow temptation to get the best of you.
Oftentimes, it’s because we have friends and family whispering in our ears, telling us things like “Relax, it’s just one cookie” … or “The holidays only come around once a year.” … or “One dessert isn’t going to kill you!”
The truth is, a lot of us can enjoy these desserts in moderation and still see great results. But at the end of the day, these treats can still derail our progress if not kept in check. So, we wanted to put together some healthier Christmas treats that will help satisfy your sweet tooth without completely throwing you off track this holiday season!
Give these recipes a try, and let me know what you think!
CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES
Servings: 12 (1 Cookie = 1 Serving)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 8 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
For the Cookies:
2 Scoops of Level-1 Vanilla Ice Cream
1/2 Cup of All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp of Baking Powder
1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup of Granular Sugar Alternative
1/2 Cup of Light Butter
For the Icing:
1 1/2 Cup of Powdered Sugar Alternative
2 Tsp of Cream of Tartar
1 Large Egg White
1/2 Tsp of Water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream the light butter and sugar alternative for the cookies in a mixer or bowl.
3. Next, add the Level-1, flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients together until a smooth dough forms.
4. Take the dough and form 12 evenly-sized balls with your hands. Space them out evenly across your baking sheet, then flatten the balls to 1/4″ thickness.
5. Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake the cookies for 8 minutes at 350℉.
6. While the cookies are baking, start the icing by combining all the icing ingredients in a bowl and whisking them until smooth. If the icing seems to be too thick, add a little bit of water at a time until you get a good consistency. NOTE: The icing should still be quite thick.
7. Once the cookies are done baking, allow them to cool for 15 minutes before applying the frosting by piping it on or using a spreading knife. You may also add some sprinkles if you’d like.
8. Enjoy or store in an airtight container for up to a week! No refrigeration needed.
NOTE: If you’d like to get more festive, you can use food coloring for the icing and Christmas-themed cookie cutters. Just be conscious of how these changes can alter the macros per serving.
MACROS PER SERVING:
Calories: 67
Protein: 5
Carbs: 5
Fat: 3
HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Servings: 12 (1 Serving = 1 Cookie)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 15 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar Alternative
1 Scoop of Level-1 Chocolate Marshmallow
2 Whole Eggs
1 Egg Yolk
1 Cup of All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup of Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp of Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp of Salt
6 Tbsp of Light Butter
3/4 Cup of Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
6 Sugar-Free Marshmallows (Normal Size … not Mini)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the marshmallows in half and place them in the freezer to harden. (This will prevent the marshmallows from completely melting while baking).
2. Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, add the eggs, the egg yolk, and the brown sugar alternative. Beat them together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
4. In another bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Whisk them together until fully combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding them together with a spatula. This is your dough.
6. Place the butter in a separate small bowl and microwave it until fully melted.
7. Next, add the melted butter and chocolate chips to the bowl of dough and stir them in until completely combined.
8. Scoop about 3 tbsp worth of the cookie dough into your hand. Make a small indent in the center of the dough for your frozen marshmallows.
9. Place one of the frozen marshmallow pieces in the center of the dough and then enclose it with dough. Repeat steps 8 and 9 until you’ve used all your dough and marshmallows to form 12 total dough balls.
10. Place your cookies roughly 2 inches apart from each other on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350℉.
11. Let the cookies cool for 15 minutes until you serve them or store them in an airtight container for up to a week. No refrigeration needed!
MACROS PER SERVING:
Calories: 214
Protein: 7g
Carbs: 24g
Fat: 10g
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Servings: 15 (1 Truffle = 1 Serving)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Fridge Time: 20 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup of Brownie Batter Nut Butter
1/4 Cup of Sugar-Free Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder
1 Scoop of Milk Chocolate Level-1
1/2 Cup of Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the nut butter and syrup together in a mixing bowl.
2. Once combined, add in the cocoa powder and Level-1. Mix the ingredients together until a thick dough forms. It will take some effort to get the dough as smooth as possible.
3. Take a tbsp-sized portion of dough into your hand and create a ball by rolling it together in your hands.
4. Continue to mix your dough until all 15 balls are made. Make sure they are all evenly-sized, then place them in the fridge to set for 20 minutes.
5. While the balls are in the fridge, place the chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl and microwave them until fully melted. Normally this takes 2 minutes. Remove them every 30 seconds to stir.
6. Once the balls are chilled, dip each one in the chocolate, coating it halfway.
7. Place in the fridge for a couple hours or until the chocolate has hardened. You can store them in the fridge for up to 7 days in an airtight container or enjoy them on the spot!
MACROS PER SERVING:
Calories: 103
Protein: 5g
Carbs: 5g
Fat: 7g
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Servings: 12 (1 Serving = 1 Cookie)
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Bake Time: 12 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup of Cinnamon Roll Nut Butter
2/3 Cup of Granular Sugar Alternative
2 Scoops of Level-1 Cinnamon Cookie Batter
2 Eggs
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix until you achieve a cookie dough consistency.
3. Scoop out 2 tbsp-sized balls (12 total) and flatten them on the baking sheet. If you’d like, you can press a cross hatch/criss-cross design in the cookie with a fork (this is strictly for aesthetic purposes). Make sure the cookies are spaced at least 2 inches apart from one another.
4. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. They should come out soft with a golden edge.
5. Give the cookies 5-10 minutes to cool before serving! You can store them in an airtight container for up to a week … no refrigeration necessary!
MACROS PER SERVING:
Calories: 171
Protein: 11g
Carbs: 7g
Fat: 11g
REINDEER CHOW
Servings: 6 (1 Serving = 1/6 Portion)
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
3 Cups of Rice Chex Cereal
1/2 Cup of Brownie Batter Nut Butter
1/2 Cup of Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
1 Cup of Confectioners Sugar Alternative
1 Scoop of Milk Chocolate Level-1
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large mixing bowl, dump the cereal in and set aside.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the brownie batter nut butter and chocolate chips together. Put them in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, checking every 30 seconds to stir.
3. Pour the fully melted chocolate chips and nut butter mixture over the cereal and stir to combine. For an even coating, you can do a little bit at a time, stirring as you go.
4. Pour the Chex mixture into a large ziplock/plastic bag. Next, add the powdered sugar alternative and protein powder to the bag as well.
5. Close the bag tightly and gently shake and roll it around to coat the cereal.
6. Allow 5-10 minutes for the chocolate to cool before enjoying. You can store this Reindeer Chow in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, no refrigeration necessary!
MACROS PER SERVING:
Calories: 297
Protein: 13g
Carbs: 23g
Fat: 17g
COLLAGEN BLONDIE BROWNIES
Servings: 9 (1 Serving = 1 Brownie)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
5 1/2 Scoops of Salted Caramel Collagen
1/2 Cup Stevia
1/4 Tsp of Salt
1/2 Cup of Liquid Egg Whites
7 Tbsp of Honey Butter Nut Butter
1/2 Cup of Christmas M&M’s
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a 8″x8″ baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the Collagen, flour, stevia, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Next, add in the egg whites and nut butter. Mix until fully combined and a batter starts to form.
4. Add the M&M’s to the batter, mixing them in well.
