3 Healthy-ish Vegan Holiday Treats
Hey love bugs! The holidays can be a time of great cheer, but also a time of over-indulging. And with 2020 being well...2020 I know you’re ready for some yummy holiday treats!
BUT let’s not sabotage all our great home workout results.
The following recipes are holiday inspired with a vegan and healthy twist. And I ain’t gonna lie to you, I did not make these recipes up myself. I found these online and will give credit where credit is due. :)
I hope you enjoy and let me know if you end up trying any of these in the comments below!
Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles from Blooming Nolween
Okay, so imagine those yummy gold wrapped truffles you always see around the holidays, but veganized and with only three ingredients! I took some liberties and swapped hazelnuts for brazil nuts. It’s probably not as “christmas-y” to use brazil nuts, but I use what I have and like and so should you!
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate
90ml full fat canned coconut milk
1 handful hazelnuts chopped (I used brazil nuts)
Steps:
Chop dark chocolate finely and place it in a bowl.
Pour coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat and heat until steam rises from the surface. Be careful not to boil it, or it will be too hot and will burn the chocolate.
Pour hot coconut milk over chopped chocolate and cover with a lid. Let stand without stirring for 3 minutes. Then gently stir the mixture until smooth and glossy (takes roughly 2 minutes).
Place the mixture in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours or until solid.
Once chocolate ganache is solid, scoop out small balls with a tablespoon and insert one hazelnut in the center. Quickly roll into balls using your hands.
Roll in chopped hazelnuts and place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat the process until there is no chocolate ganache left.
Place truffles back in the fridge for 1 hour or enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving for more creaminess. Enjoy!!
Keto & Vegan Christmas Rum Balls from Keto Millennial
I remember making rum balls when I was a child at my best friend Kelsey’s house with her mother. I had no idea what rum was and I remember these tasting funny. Now as an adult and a vegan, I was so excited to make this version of a Christmas classic that brings back fond childhood memories. And the best part, each serving only contains 0.7g net carbs!
Ingredients:
2 TBSP Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
2 TBSP Coconut Oil, melted
1 TBSP Sweetener (I used Cane Sugar)
2 TBSP Almond Flour
6 TBSP Desiccated (dried) Coconut + 1 TBSP for rolling
1-2 TBSP Rum
Steps:
Add all the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. (cocoa powder, sweetener, almond flour, desiccated coconut) And mix everything together.
Add in the rum and melted coconut oil.
Using your hands, roll out 8 balls (about 12 g each) and then roll each of them in a small amount of desiccated or shredded coconut. Place onto a tray or a plate.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Serve them fresh from the fridge.
Notes
If your mix is too wet for rolling, add more desiccated coconut into the mix. If it's too dry, add a tiny bit more melted coconut oil or water.
2 tbsp of rum in this mix produces quite a strong tasting rum ball, I prefer using just 1 tbsp.
If you don't have desiccated coconut, you can also use shredded coconut, just blitz it in your blender or food processor for about 10 seconds.
Nutritional information is based on 8, 12-gram rum balls 1 serving = 1 ball.
Desserts with alcohol in them tend to taste best after 1-2 days of making them. If you eat them right after making them, you might notice a very strong alcohol taste.
Skillet Roasted Cinnamon Maple Pecans from Beaming Baker
This recipe only takes 5 minutes, requires only 5 ingredients, and is probably the healthiest of the bunch! You can’t go wrong with spicing up some nuts. :)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (I used cane sugar)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 cups unsalted, raw pecans
Steps:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together coconut sugar, cinnamon and maple.
In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, add coconut oil and the coconut sugar mixture. Stir until melted and smooth.
Add pecans and increase heat to medium. Stir until pecans are thoroughly coated. Switch to stirring occasionally, allowing pecans to soak in the sugar mixture. Watch the pecans closely. Stir until the sugar mixture is almost completely soaked up and the pecans are sticky like taffy. This will take 3-5 minutes.
Pour pecans onto the prepared baking sheet, creating an even, spread out layer. Set the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Break apart into desired size. Enjoy!
Did you make any of these recipes, take a pic and share with me on instagram using the hashtag #nextdoorvegan and tag @nextdoorvegan_. I’d love to see them!
