It’s Christmas time again, and all the best of the yummiest, naughty treats and desserts are paraded in every storefront and on every family table. If you have a condition that prevents you from eating the less healthy holiday desserts, this period can become simply torturous. And even if you are just someone that tries to stay in the good books with your gut, this festive period can easily cause a relapse. Something that almost always results in physical discomfort and emotional regret. But you don’t have to feed the bad gut bacteria over the holidays. Because these days there are many new recipes for healthy treats. All of which generally use only good wholesome ingredients that won’t harm your body or mind. Yet are nonetheless so incredibly delicious. You just have to remember to think outside of the box.
Chocolate Mousse with Avo
My favourite thing about this recipe is that it is so quick and easy to make. You almost have no excuse not to indulge in it! And I promise, with the right amount of blending and a perfect mix of cocoa and sweetness, you will not taste even a hint of the avocado flavour.
The original recipe for the avo chocolate mousse is dairy-free, sugar-free and vegan. However, as long as you have your avos and cocoa, you can play around with the other ingredients. Honey is a great sweetener to use instead of stevia. And if you can have dairy, a fresh cream that is from a free-range and hormone-free source makes a divine substitute for the coconut cream.
Baked Fruit Crumble
Gluten is not the worst thing to eat for many people. However, the simple truth is that our bodies would be happier without heavily processed cake flours. This delicious baked pear and apricot crumble uses almond flour. With a little added crunch provided by a dash of seeds and rolled oats (gluten free, as nature intended it). Making it gluten free and generally leaving tummies feeling better than if it were made with cake flour. Even my activated-gluten-loving friends and family couldn’t believe how yummy this was. And had to admit that it didn’t leave them feeling lethargic and heavy afterwards.
Aside from the gluten, this recipe is also free from any added sugars. Yet it is full of sweetness, thanks to the wonders of natural fruit sugars. I have often wondered about the need to add sugar to your traditional apple crumble recipe. I mean, have you tasted how deliciously syrupy cooked apples are?
This is also another healthy holiday dessert recipe that you can play around with. Almost any fruit can be used. The oats or seeds can be left out entirely. Or you can use different seeds. I suspect some pumpkin seeds would work a charm. And I know from my own experimenting that linseeds add a subtle yet wonderful hint of vanilla.
Homemade Ice Cream
After talking about chocolate mousse and pear crumble, it’s only natural that the next item on the list would have to be ice cream! As a child (and adult) this was my top favourite thing in the food world! But with all my digestive struggles I could never risk eating bought ice cream. Because, simply put, one has no way of knowing exactly what the ingredients are. And one thing is for sure, even if you are eating a naughty treat here and there, in my mind, it is of the utmost importance that we still know what it is that we are eating. Without transparency, there can be no mindfulness.
So, after over a year of learning about new amazing foods that I could make and eat without damaging my system, I suddenly woke up one morning and thought “Hold on, surely I can make ice-cream too?”. So I tried this sugar-free vanilla ice-cream, and guess what, it was everything I wanted it to be and more!
Homemade Sugar-free, Dairy-free Custard
This was one of those super healthy holiday dessert recipes that really blew my mind! As I mixed all the ingredients together I simply couldn’t understand how it was going to end up tasting like custard. But I was amazed at the final result. Once warmed up to a creamy liquid, this custard tasted just like my grandmother’s warm homemade custard that was poured over fruitcakes, ice-creams and other delicious desserts over Christmas time.
And although the flavour of this sugar-free, dairy-free custard is so amazing, the ingredients are all very healthy. Especially if you are using free-range and organic products. To top it off, there is little to no cooking and it only takes about 10 minutes to make. So you are giving your body a raw nutrition boost of note! Just bear in mind that all of this yummy custard will need to be consumed within 24 hours. So avoid making too big a batch.
As an extra tip, you can double up your treats by using the leftover egg whites to whip together with some sweetness and make meringues.
Toffee Apples That You Won’t Regret Eating
These ridiculously sweet but totally rewarding healthy take on a toffee apple are a must for anyone craving a sugary Christmas treat. The ingredients are super simple, and only dates are used for the sweetness. So you don’t have to worry about any added sugars or, for that matter, any of the nonsense that most of the less than healthy holiday desserts are pumped full of.
Anyone who loves a toffee apple will be so grateful to try one of these more wholesome versions. And for those that want to try but maybe don’t have as much of a sweet tooth, you can easily make mini versions by scooping out little balls of apple and dunking them in this decadent date puree.
What’s more, is that this recipe opens a whole new horizon of sweet dishes. Because the slightly salted vanilla-infused date blend can be used as a sauce to enhance any dish, sweet or savory!
Sometimes We Just Need a little Reminder
When you are looking at that giant piece of cake or volumes of sweet flavoured ice cream, remind yourself that you don’t actually want it. Because actually, there are much yummier options that are easy to make and will leave your mind and body feeling great!