7 Sugar-Free Christmas Treats

Christmas is a time to spend time with loved ones, enjoy the festivities, gift others and most importantly… indulge in some good food. However, not every single meal or snack we eat during the festive season needs to be jam-packed with calories. This article is your guide to 7 sugar-free Christmas treats we’re sure the family will love!

Healthy Christmas Trifle Recipe

From The Merry MakerSisters

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE LAYER

• 2-cups blanched almond meal
• 1 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz.) coconut oil or butter
• 1/2 cup rice malt syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder (gluten-free)
• 1 tsp. 100% vanilla extract

JELLY LAYER

• 2 cups brewed raspberry tea
• 5 tbs. Petipro Gelatin (the gelatin that ‘gels’)
• 1 tbs. rice malt syrup or honey (optional)

FOR THE CHOC CREAM LAYER

• 1 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight in water, then drained works best)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup rice malt syrup or honey

EXTRA TOPPINGS

• Fresh berries
• Coconut flakes

Method

1. Start with the cake! Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F) and line a 20 cm (8 inch) spring form cake tin with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl combine the almond meal, coconut flour and baking powder.
3. In a blender or mix master, whiz the coconut oil and rice malt syrup together.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla, and coconut milk and mix well. (Don’t worry if it looks a little ‘curdled’).
5. Pour this into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix together.
6. Transfer into the lined tin and bake for 40 minutes or until lightly brown.
7. Allow cooling completely.
8. While the cake cooks, make your jelly!
9. In a small saucepan combine the tea and rice malt syrup.
10. Sprinkle over the gelatin and mix together.
11. Allow standing for 5 minutes.
12. Place the saucepan onto medium heat and continuously stir for 5 minutes until smooth.
13. Pour the mix into a 20 cm (8 inch) square large silicone mold or lined slice tin.
14. Place in to the freezer for 20 minutes or until set.
15. While this is happening get onto the choccy cream and slice your berries!
16. The choccy cream is easy, whiz everything in your blender until super smooth!
17. Now it’s time to layer everything up!
18. We did: cake, choc cream, fruit, jelly, cake, cream, and fruit, topped with coconut flakes!

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Paleo Cherry Ripe

From Delicious

Ingredients

• 21/2 cups (375g) dried cherries
• 100ml lemon juice
• 1/3 cup (115g) honey, plus 1 tbs extra
• 2/3 cup (165ml) coconut oil
• 1 cup (70g) shredded coconut
• 1 cup (100g) almond meal
• 3/4 cup (75g) cacao powder, plus extra to dust
• 1 cup (50g) coconut flakes, toasted
• 1/2 cup (70g) slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
• 30 fresh cherries, halved, pitted

Method:

1. Place dried cherries, lemon juice, 1/3 cup (115g) honey and 1/3 cup (80ml) coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened and melted.
2. Transfer to a food processor with shredded coconut, almond meal and 1/4 cup (25g) cacao, then whiz until combined.
3. Transfer to a large bowl and stir through coconut flakes and slivered almonds.
4. Grease and line a 21cm square baking pan with baking paper and press mixture into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours.
5. Heat the vanilla, extra 1 tbs honey, remaining 1/3 cup (80ml) coconut oil and 1/2 cup (50g) cacao in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until a smooth icing.
6. Slice into 15 bars using a hot knife. Dip bars in the icing and garnish with fresh cherry halves.
7. Set aside for 15 minutes, then dust with extra cacao to serve.

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Sugar-Free Ginger Bread Cookies

From Wholesome Yum 

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups wholesome blanched almond flour
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp. ground ginge
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. gluten free baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• ½ cup natural sweetener
• 3 tbsp. butter softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg and baking powder.
2. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sweetener for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat in the almond flour mixture until dough forms.
3. Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
4. Preheat to 180 degrees C. Line cookie sheet with baking paper.
5. Place the ball of dough between two large pieces of baking paper. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes and transfer them to the baking paper. When you’ve cut out all the shapes you can, re-form the remaining dough into a ball, roll it out again and repeat until you’ve used up all the dough.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden on the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet before handling. 

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Chocolate Lava Cakes

From Sweet as Honey

Ingredients:

• 200g 85& dark chocolate
• 120g unsalted butter or coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 60g natural sugar-free sweetener
• 30g cornflour
• 30g Buckwheat flour
• 1/4cup unsweetened coconut milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven fan-forced 180. 
2. Grease 4 individual ramekins 
3. In a saucepan under medium heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Stir constantly until fully melted. Remove from heat, set aside. 
4. In a medium-mixing bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks and natural sweetener until smooth. 
5. Add corn flour and buckwheat flour to the egg mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula to combine until smooth. 
6. In another saucepan, under medium heat warm the coconut milk. Don’t boil, stop when some bubbles form on sides of the saucepan. Set aside 1 minute, then pour the hot milk slowly onto the egg mixture while whisking vigorously to prevent the eggs from cooking. 
7. Whisk in the melted chocolate and butter until a smooth chocolate batter forms. 
8. Fill evenly the 6 ramekins with the chocolate cake batter
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a light crust is forming on the top of the cake and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes come out covered with running chocolate 
10. Do not over-bake or the heart of cakes will not be runny. 
11. Serve immediately 

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White Christmas Slice 

From The Merrymaker Sisters 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight and drained
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup pistachios chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened)
• 1 tbs. maple syrup or raw honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

1. Whiz the cashews, shredded coconut, coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla and maple syrup in a food processor until ridiculously smooth.
2. Transfer mixture in to a bowl.
3. Add the pistachios, cranberries and mix well.
4. Press in to a 20 x 20 cm silicone or lined tin and place into the freezer for about 2 hours or until firm.
5. Cut into squares and store in the fridge.

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Black Forest Cake

From The Merrymaker Sisters

Ingredients:

• 4 cups blanched almond meal
• 1-cup coconut milk (canned)
• 1/2-cup nut butter or tahini
• 150 g (5 oz.) coconut oil or butter softened
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz.) sugar free chocolate melted
• 3/4-cup rice malt syrup (or honey or maple syrup)
• 1/2-cup raw cacao powder
• 8 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder (gluten free)
• 1 tsp. 100% vanilla extract

FOR THE TOPPINGS

• 400ml cream
• 500 g (1 lb.) cherries (fresh or thawed if frozen)
• Extra sugar-free chocolate grated

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 x 20 cm (8 inches) spring form cake tins with baking paper. Remember you can halve the cake mixture and just make 1 cake.
2. In a large bowl combine the almond meal, cacao and baking powder.
3. In a blender or mix master on low speed, whiz the coconut milk, nut butter, coconut oil, rice malt syrup, eggs and vanilla together until smooth.
4. Pour this into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix together.
5. Add the melted chocolate and mix again.
6. Divide the batter into the lined tins and bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly brown.
7. Allow the cake to cool completely before turning out.
8. For the toppings, whip the cream until nice and fluffy (omg how good is whipped freaking cream?).
9. Place one cake on a plate, top with half the cream and half the cherries (we halved these cherries to make it a nice flat surface for the next cake!).
10. Carefully place the other cake on top, squish down a little.
11. Spread the rest of the cream on top of the second cake, followed by the rest of the cherries and freshly grated choccy!
12. OMG YUM! Enjoy!

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Ferrero Rocher Protein Balls 

From Delicious

Ingredients:

• 10 Medjool dates, torn in half, pitted
• 1/2 cup (125ml) hot espresso
• 1/4 cup (60ml) coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (250g) hazelnut meal
• 1 1/4 cups (220g) bukinis (roasted buckwheat from health food stores)
• 1/2 cup (60g) cacao nibs
• 1/2 cup (50g) cacao, plus extra to dust
• 1/3 cup (35g) chocolate protein powder
• 20 whole roasted hazelnuts

Method:

1. Combine dates, espresso (or substitute warm water), coconut oil and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to soak. Using a stick blender, puree until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, combine hazelnut meal, bukinis, cacao nibs, and cacao and protein powder. Add date puree and a pinch of salt, and stir until sticky and combined.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper and grease hands with a little coconut oil. Compress and roll mixture into 20 walnut-sized balls. Make an indent in the centre of each with your thumb; add a whole hazelnut, then reform ball around the hazelnut. Transfer to prepared tray and chill for 30 minutes to firm up. Dust with extra cacao to serve.

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