Dietitian-Approved Holiday Dessert Hacks

Listen, we would never tell you to not eat the pie, or the cookies, or say to skip the eggnog. But we all know holiday indulgences can easily slip into excess. This, again, is fine (“everything in moderation, including moderation,” the old adage goes), but if you want an alternative to the copious portions of sugar, butter, and cream this season tends to offer, we have some delicious, dietician-approved dessert hacks to lighten your load and enrich your nutritional intake in the most delicious way possible.

Dietitian-Approved Holiday Dessert Ingredients

1. Avocado

It may not sound like a dessert ingredient but hear us out: avocado makes a creamy, dreamy, and heart-healthy swap for high-fat dairy in your favorite sweet treats. When baking cake or cupcakes, replace every cup of butter with 1 cup of avocado puree, reduce your oven temperature by 25 percent and cook it a little longer for an even rise. Avocados have such a mild taste; you won’t even know they’re in there. By making that simple substitution you’re also swapping cholesterol-raising saturated fats for cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats, and adding a little dose of fiber on top. Not interested in baking? Avocados can be used for a delicious chocolate pudding too!

2. Beets

Again, not your first thought when you think of dessert, but beets contain nitrates that help lower your blood pressure by improving your blood flow. They’re also chock full of fiber, lutein that improves eye health, and folate and betaine that lower inflammation – along with your risk of heart disease. Beets’ deep red color and earthy sweetness make them perfect for hiding in chocolate-based desserts like brownies or chocolate cake, and when steamed, their binding texture can replace fattier ingredients while retaining the moisture of your bakes. Add ¾ cup of steamed beets to your chocolate brownie or cake recipe in place of oil or butter for the best results. Looking for a quick, red velvet-inspired recipe? Look no further.

3. Canned Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin is an affordable and easy substitute to all your cinnamon and spice cakes. Replace the oil in your recipes with equal amounts of pumpkin puree. For butter, use three-quarters the amount of pumpkin puree, i.e. if a recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, use only ¾ cups of pumpkin puree. The beta-carotene, fiber, and vitamin C provide added nutrition that butter and oils could never provide!

4. Pureed Prunes/Dates

These dried fruits make an excellent substitution for butter and sugar. To create this substitute, mix one cup of pitted prunes or dates with six tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Replace every cup of butter or oil with half the amount of prune puree and you’ll cut calories down from 1627 to 418. This easy swap also adds 12g of fiber to your dessert, plus natural sugars that will let you decrease the amount of sugar your recipe calls for. Because prunes and dates are dark in color, this swap is best used for darker treats like chocolate cake, brownies, and spice cakes.

5. Greek Yogurt

The live cultures, protein, and calcium in Greek yogurt make it an excellent substitution to butter, margarine, or sour cream in baking. You can replace the butter completely with equal amounts of Greek yogurt or replace 1 cup of butter with half a cup of Greek yogurt. Be sure to choose plain yogurt to keep the sugar content low

6. Quality Ingredients

Selecting the best ingredients available to you makes a huge difference in taste and flavor, making your baked goods even more satisfying. Instead of a generic chocolate chip, look for mini dark chocolate chips with a high cacao percentage. You’ll get more chips per bite without adding more to the batter. Replace vanilla extract with vanilla bean pods and ingredients like lemon juice, with fresh lemon juice and zest to add more depth to your baked goods.

Your Healthy Dessert Resource

Are you new to baking and looking for healthier dessert options? Our curated recipe hub, nourish by nutribullet™ has hundreds of delicious and nutritious treats to satisfy any holiday sweet tooth. Whether it’s chocolate chia seed pudding for a party or homemade almond milk to use in better-for-you batters, these recipes deliver big on flavor and freshness, every time.