Ideas for low calorie Christmas desserts or cookies

HLSalter
HLSalter Posts: 260
in Recipes
I want to make sure that I don't go completely crazy at Christmas with all the yummy but very fattening food so I was hoping someone might have some healthy recipes so that I can still enjoy something sweet.

I was thinking about making oatmeal & cranberry or raisin cookies but thought I would see if anyone else had more exciting ideas :)
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Replies

  • JoanaMHill
    JoanaMHill Posts: 265 Member
    You can't go wrong with Jell-O, in my opinion. Mix it up for squares and then use cookie cutters and you can even have some fun shapes!
  • HLSalter
    HLSalter Posts: 260
    You are going to think I'm so weird but I actually cannot stand Jelly. Thank you anyway though :)
  • JoanaMHill
    JoanaMHill Posts: 265 Member
    Well I also found this:

    http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/irresistible_cookies_for_100_calories_or_less?slide=1#leaderboardad

    A bunch of cookies at a hundred calories or less each. Of course if they're as good as they claim it might be hard to only eat one, but at least you can feel less guilty about it :)
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    I usually use foodgawker for recipe ideas.
    How about chocolate truffles? There are ways you can lighten those up, and they're rich but the portion size is small so they might satisfy you. I'm planning on making some to gift this Christmas.
  • tigerlinly
    tigerlinly Posts: 219 Member
    my mom makes a low fat/low calorie banana pudding we have alot of diabetics in our family
    low-fat/sugar banana pudding

    1 container low-fat/fat-free sour cream
    ½ container fat-free cool whip
    2 family size containers fat free instant vanilla pudding or banana cream pudding (or 1 of each)
    fat free vanilla wafers
    bananas
    Mix pudding, sour cream & cool whip together add to wafers & bananas & serve chilled
  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
    in for the ideas here :)
  • Docpremie
    Docpremie Posts: 228 Member
    I made both of these for Thanksgiving day desserts, as an alternative to more calorie-laden pies. My family was all over them! I couldn't keep my BIL out of the tarts! They were really good!!! I made a 4x recipe, hoping to have leftovers for me enjoy over the long 4 day holiday weekend, when I got up on Friday morning, they were ALL gone!

    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/11/mini-pecan-phyllo-tarts.html

    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/10/pumpkin-cheesecake-shooters.html
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    140kcal peppermint fudge brownies:
    http://www.traceysculinaryadventures.com/2013/12/lightened-up-peppermint-fudge-brownies.html
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    You are going to think I'm so weird but I actually cannot stand Jelly. Thank you anyway though :)

    I can't stand it either! Glad I'm not the only one!

    I make chocolate-dipped pretzels- get a big bag of pretzel rods (the fat ones) and a bag of chocolate chips (or white, my favorite). Just melt the chips in the microwave, and dip in the pretzels. My absolute favorite is white chocolate with some crushed peppermints sprinkled on top. Pretzels are only 45 calories for a large one, and if you aren't too generous with the chocolate (it's on the outside, so you don't need much!) a tsp. is only about 25-30 calories.

    And my favorite, sugar-free egg nog:
    1 pkg sugar free instant vanilla pudding (4-serving size)
    5 cups skim milk (Unsweetened almond milk works great for this, and is only 40 calories a cup)
    1/3 cup Splenda (or equivalent sweetener of your choice)
    1 tsp nutmeg
    1 tbs. vanilla
    1-2 tbs. rum extract (optional)

    Blend and chill for at least 2 hours. Top with more nutmeg, or whipped topping (Reddi whip is 15 calories, and totally optional)
  • glitterstreet
    glitterstreet Posts: 144
    Meringue cookies made with egg whites and some sweetener are super low calorie.You can add some food dye to make it christmassy. http://lowcaloriecooking.about.com/od/desserts/r/meringuecookies.htm. I can't remember where the exact recipe can be found but the link is pretty similar, I think SparkPeople may have it.
  • AllyCatXandi
    AllyCatXandi Posts: 329 Member
    Cookies are tough to do low-fat, but I've made white chocolate & macadamia ones with some success. Here's the link -
    http://beesbaking.wordpress.com/2013/12/08/macadamia-white-chocolate-cookies/

    I've also used applesauce and sweetener to make a lower-calorie version of date and walnut slice -
    http://beesbaking.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/date-walnut-slice/

    You can also make a chocolate and cherry 'mousse' by blitzing silken tofu, cocoa powder, and cherries in a processor until smooth. Add a bit of almond extract and sprinkle some coconut on top and you have a lower calorie cherry ripe-themed dessert. After it's been chilled for a few hours, of course.

    I agree with the person who suggested meringues - as the main ingredient is egg whites and they can be made very festive. Alternatively, you could use a meringue base to make a wonderfully fruity pavlova.

    As for more sweet ideas...fruit and sugar-free marshmallows dipped in chocolate tend to be relatively low.

    Good luck to you! :bigsmile:
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I think if it's only one day it's totally fine to eat the real deal goodies. You can't get fat from a meal or two.
  • rostraqueen
    rostraqueen Posts: 22
    Healthy Food Guide magazine has a recipe for a lower-calorie Christmas cake in it this month :)
    It's pretty similar to a normal xmas cake, but uses low-fat spread instead of butter and has nuts on top instead of covered in marzipan and icing. It's still a treat, so to speak, but better than normal xmas cake!
  • ag27404
    ag27404 Posts: 47 Member
    These have turned into one of my favorite Christmas cookies - low fat, low sugar and very tasty!

    http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sparkling-cranberry-gems-recipe
  • mamma_nee
    mamma_nee Posts: 809 Member
    On the holidays I make myself a ricotta cheescake with no sugar - no crust - I hate artificial anything and I do not like to waste calories on sugar - I then cook up whatever berries (are in season ) or a ripe peach and use a scoop of that over the top right before eating and it satisfies my sweet tooth nicely. The natural sugars from the berries is enough for me .

    - I will sometimes add some unsweetened dark chocolate in there as well, just to change it up and get the goodness from the dark chocolate .
  • HLSalter
    HLSalter Posts: 260
    Wow so many ideas, I'm liking the sound of chocolate truffles, peppermint chocolate brownies or the cranberry cookies. Thank you!
  • Nancy_hc
    Nancy_hc Posts: 123 Member
    Rice crispy treats!! People always forget about this childhood favorite. And you can use food coloring or top with M&Ms to make them festive.

    Also... you can do angel food cake with a fruit topping. I like to just buy the frozen mixed fruit (berries) and simmer it on the stove top with some water - it makes its own syrup!. very yummy.
  • C1C2C3
    C1C2C3 Posts: 119 Member
    I want to try these cinnamon cookies, according to the recipe they are about 50 calories per cookie, but I am sure they could be lightened a little bit more. http://www.food.com/recipe/cinnamon-cookies-48241

    I just made these chocolate truffle cookies yesterday: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-truffle-cookies/
    Recipe said that 36 cookies would be 112 calories per cookie. I used 4 T regular butter and 2 T light butter instead of 6 T regular butter, also cut the sugar from 1 cup to 3/4 cup. came to 70 cookies at 50 calories per cookie! The cookies were between 1/2" to 3/4" balls before they were baked and were the perfect "two to three bite size" cookie! Small is better in this case, they are very rich and sooo chocolately!

    As I do not cookies and desserts for just myself, I want what I bake to taste like the "real deal" to those who are not watching calories. So alot of times I choose regular recipes but "lighten" them and no one ever knows. ;-) The main things I do are to cut back on the sugar (you can almost always cut back at least a 1/4 cup, depending on the recipe), use light butter when possible and always use the small cookie scoop. I would rather have two small cookies than one big cookie! :-)
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
    These taste like Christmas to me :)

    http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/12/17/vegan-raw-gingerbread-men/
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    These taste like Christmas to me :)

    http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/12/17/vegan-raw-gingerbread-men/

    Like!!!
  • yochris1
    yochris1 Posts: 2
    I make "health" cookies. They aren't very sweet, and the flavour depends on what you decide to put in.

    Basically you mash up a couple of ripe bananas and then just chuck into the bowl a mixture of seeds and nuts, dessicated coconut, a few raisins and you can add a tablespoon of a healthy oil (sesame, olive, walnut). They just need to stick together so you can make walnut sized balls and then flatten them into cookie shapes. Bake on greaseproof paper in a slow low oven until they crisp up on cooling.

    If you want them sweeter you'd need to add honey or brown sugar.

    They should be nice little munchies of goodness and flavour. If I want to dress them up I put melted chocolate in a little icing tube (make from a triangle of greaseproof paper) and zig zag chocolate stripes over them. You can put baking powder in the recipe, but they never rise much. I s.guess they are more like little granola biscuits than a regular biscuit. I once worked out the calories and it is definitely less than a regular biscuits.
  • 2bassets
    2bassets Posts: 193 Member
    I buy a chocolate cake mix and use diet coke or pepsi in it. No eggs, no oil. Be sure to only make them in cupcake liners. They are delicious!
  • bmaibes
    bmaibes Posts: 3 Member
    You can make cake. use egg white and substitute oil with unsweetened applesauce
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    Healthful, but not "low fat" (Please, don't get me started, low-fat doesn't = healthy ... )

    Deglet or Medjool Dates (pitted)
    Almonds (raw, non roasted)
    Dried, unsweetened coconut

    Blend in the food processor, roll into balls ... Optional: add some cocoa powder for chocolaty flavor (substitute walnuts for the almonds, German chocolate cake balls) ...

    Tamari (or regular salted) roasted almonds
    Medjool Dates (Pitted)
    Walnuts
    Optional: Cocoa Powder

    Food processor, roll, boom, done ...

    Dried Figs
    Walnuts
    Cocoa Powder

    "

    Peanut butter
    Dried Tart Cherries
    Dates

    "
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    Tagging for ideas too.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    The white meringue cookies are pretty, versatile and very low calorie

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/meringue-cookies-forgotten-kisses-recipe/index.html

    This foodnetwork recipe includes chocolate and walnuts but they are still only 44 calories per cookie. At Christmas, my mom would mix in bits of candy cane and would add a drop of peppermint oil. You can play with different colors and flavors. If you don't want all those leftover yolks, grocery stores sell egg whites in the carton.
  • gmthisfeller
    gmthisfeller Posts: 779 Member
    This is an after-meal dessert for the adults. No alcohol...but...

    Cranberry-Jalapeño Granita (135 calories per serving -- Serves 4)

    2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
    1/3 cup sugar
    4 (5-inch) mint sprigs (about 1/2 ounce)
    1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    Directions--

    Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Strain cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; discard solids. Cool to room temperature; stir in lime juice. Cover and freeze for about 45 minutes. Stir cranberry mixture every 45 minutes until completely frozen (about 3 hours). Remove mixture from freezer; scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.

    Nutritional Information--

    Amount per serving

    Calories: 135
    Calories from fat: 1%
    Fat: 0.1g
    Saturated fat: 0.0g
    Monounsaturated fat: 0.0g
    Polyunsaturated fat: 0.1g
    Protein: 0.1g
    Carbohydrate: 34.5g
    Fiber: 0.1g
    Cholesterol: 0.0mg
    Iron: 0.3mg
    Sodium: 3mg
    Calcium: 7mg
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Bump
  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,395 Member
    Bump
  • p1ppers
    p1ppers Posts: 40 Member
    I have a donut pan, so tonight I took a spice cake mix and added a can of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup natural applesauce (6 pack of the no sugar added kind about 50 calories each) and a cup of water. I then added some extra spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon and put this batter in a donut pan and baked it for a spice donut. It made 22 donuts and they came out to 110 calories plain. I then topped them different ways, like powdered sugar, sugar and cinnamon, glaze of powdered sugar and water, glaze of chocolate chips and milk (for 6 donuts I used 2T choc chips and 1 tsp milk for 10 sec in microwave). No matter which way I went, it came out to 125 calories max for a donut and I have to say THEY WERE AWESOME and 1 with a cup of coffee was enough for me for a snack.

    I'm guessing any flavor cake mix will work and your choice of toppings are only limited by your imagination. I'm thinking some redi-whip with nuts, choc chips, candy cane, graham cracker...............hmmmm..

    You could probably freeze these plain and then top when ready to thaw and eat. Or it's possible you could bake (my pan does 6 donuts) one batch and then set the batter in the refrigerator for a few days and then do some more. I'll try that next time (it works for cookie dough).

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