Ideas for low calorie Christmas desserts or cookies

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  • yochris1
    yochris1 Posts: 2
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    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
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    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
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    You can make cake. use egg white and substitute oil with unsweetened applesauce
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    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
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    Tagging for ideas too.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    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
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    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
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    Bump
  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,394 Member
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  • p1ppers
    p1ppers Posts: 40 Member
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    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).
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    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).

    I like your style of cooking.
  • elephant_in_the_room
    elephant_in_the_room Posts: 145 Member
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    I made a 'healthy' version of a type of cookies which I usually do for Chrstmas. Hazelnut balls.

    500g wholemeal flour ( or substitute some with white flour or some very finely ground oat flour.)
    200g low-calorie baking sweetener of your choice (sugar substitute)
    200g ground hazelnuts
    250g cholesterol-lowering margarine
    1 egg
    1 sp vanilla

    Optional: cinnamon

    Mix into a firm dough, knead a little, roll into long rolls, cut off little pieces and roll into balls.
    Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
    Stick halved hazelnuts on top with some eggwhite. That also flattens the balls a bit.

    Bake for 10-15min at 180-200C (350-380F), or until just turning lightly brown.

    If you make this amount into 65 balls, they will have 61 calories each.

    Which is on the low side for Christmas cookies, but all Christmas cookies are in the 50-150 cal apiece range, even the not-particularly-health conscious ones. So when someone here posts ones with100cal per piece, that doesn't strike me as particularly low. Size of the cookies and then amount consumed are much more important than ingredients, calorie-wise.

    So what would be important about a cookie is that it won't make you crave for more. These ones I posted here, with the sweetener I used, make me feel full after only one of them. The sweetener was Erythriol (sp?) with monk fruit. The Erythriol makes them crunchier than sugar and dissolves only in the mouth, where it has a cooling effect. So, Christmas cookies that cool your mouth. They also make you feel full because it doesn't get readily digested (that's why it's low calorie).

    Enjoy, merry Christmas everyone!
  • jelalani
    jelalani Posts: 2 Member
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    I just wanted to tell you guys, that many(or most) low-fat/fat-free products are packed with sugars, and other unhealthy stuff, so they are worst than products that contain natural amount of fat. Some interesting sites for you on this topic:

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/6-dangerous-foods-in-disguise.html
    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/02/sugar-leads-to-obesity.aspx

    and for recipes:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/345245-healthy-snacks-low-in-sugar-carbs-calories/
    http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/sweet-treats-under-150-calories-00412000069459/
    http://www.food.com/slideshow/25-weight-watchers-desserts-113
    http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/low-calorie-dessert-recipes#slide-1

    Thanks for your recipes, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
  • action_figure
    action_figure Posts: 511 Member
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    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 :)

    Search for some of the threads on protein powder cheesecakes. Imma totally make myself one.
  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
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    Gonna make these for my cookie plate, & will have apple spice muffins.

    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/12/to-die-for-coconut-cookies.html#more
  • Zenjaeie
    Zenjaeie Posts: 95
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    Try my 40 calorie Nutella Fudge recipe with dippers- marshmallows, fruit, anything! :)
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1154369-40-calorie-nutella-recipe-yes
    Also, if you swap a couple DROPS of peppermint extract for the hazelnut, it's mint chocolate dip! A little more Christmas themed, if you want that :)
  • rachaelwilliamstallon125
    rachaelwilliamstallon125 Posts: 2
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    pavlova isnt overloaded with calories as long as you dont put too much creme your fine, a 40 gram piece is only 117 calories

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