The Christmas season is back, and it’s time to enjoy the festivities with low-calorie Christmas desserts. Vibrant decorations, tasty food, and a lot more await you. From Nankhatai to rose cookies, several dishes are made specially for the occasion. You can also modify the recipes of these low-calorie Christmas desserts to make them more nutritious.

What you need to know:

Marzipan
Date rolls
Nankhatai
Oatmeal cookies

Marzipan

Marzipan is typically made using almond paste and sugar. You can also make it healthier and protein-rich by using less sugar.

Ingredients

3 cups of powdered sugar
2 large egg whites
½ spoon of almond extract
1 pound almond paste

Method

Begin by collecting all the necessary ingredients.
Take the almond paste and chop it into pieces about the size of quarters. Place these chunks into the bowl of a large mixer. Alternatively, a food processor will work just as well.
Let the mixer run until the almond paste and powdered sugar combine into a fine, sandy texture.
Gradually introduce the egg whites into the mixture, keeping the mixer on low. If you like, add almond extract for extra flavor. Continue until the mixture forms a cohesive ball and detaches from the sides of the bowl.
Dust your countertop or cutting board generously with powdered sugar, then transfer the mixture onto it. Knead it until it becomes smooth and devoid of any dry spots.
You can use the marzipan right away or store it for future use.
Enjoy it as a delightful addition to your favorite cake or a scrumptious nutty snack.

Date rolls

Date Rolls are non-stuffed dates baked in a biscuit crust. You can use whole wheat or sugar substitute to turn date rolls into a delicious Christmas dessert.

Ingredients

¼ cup almond
¼ cup raisins
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
¼ cup cashews
2 tablespoons of pistachios
2 tablespoons of walnuts
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
2 cups of pitted dates, about 30, roughly chopped
½ tablespoon butter or ghee

Method

Take all the chopped nuts and place them in a pan.
Dry roast them over medium heat for about 30 seconds.
Next, add sesame seeds to the pan and roast them for a few more seconds.
Transfer the roasted nuts and seeds to a bowl, setting them aside.
In the same pan, add butter and chopped dates. Cook them over low heat for approximately 2 minutes, ensuring they become soft while continuously mixing with a spatula.
Add raisins, roasted nuts, and a dash of cardamom powder into the date mixture as they soften. Cook for an additional minute, then remove the pan from heat.
Place the date mixture onto a sheet of cling wrap, then roll it into a log shape. Refrigerate the log and slice the date mixture into servings when needed.
Serve these delightful dates and nut slices cold for a tasty treat.

Nankhatai

Nankhatai is a shortbread biscuit made with semolina, flour and ghee. You can make it even healthier by using whole wheat flour and adding nuts.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fine rava
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup ghee
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons slivered pistachios or nuts of your choice

Method

Take ½ cup of sugar and then grind them into fine powder. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Add ghee to the heated sugar mixture.
Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and the sugar mixture into nankhatai dough.
Now add the flour, baking soda and besan into the mixture.
Sift the dry ingredients aside.
Add curd to the creamed ghee and sugar mixture and mix them.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and add 2 spoons of rava.
Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
Mix the flour with creamed ghee.
Break down the entire mixture into large-sized balls. Keep them in a baking tray.
You can also add pistachios or almonds on top of the dough.
Bake the nankhatai at 180°C for 25-30 minutes. Bake it until the dough is golden brown.
Once it cools, store it in an airtight container, and you can consume it anytime.

Oatmeal cookies

Oatmeal cookies are chewy, healthy snacks made with whole wheat. You can also add resins or chocolate chips to add more flavors.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups of oats
¾ cups of wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ cup butter
⅔ cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

Combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
Mix the butter and brown sugar in a different bowl and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix on medium heat for 30 seconds.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
Chill the dough in a refrigerator for 2 hours.
Heat the oven and shape the dough into circular shaped cookies. Place them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven.
Bake them for 10-12 minutes until they look golden on the edges.
Cool them, and you are all set to munch on them.

We discussed low-calorie Christmas desserts you can consume to stay fit and healthy during Christmas. You can also reduce or replace sugar with sugar substitutes to avoid ill effects. You can add nuts to the mix to increase the sweets’ protein, good fats, and fiber levels.

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