Sweet Without the Sugar - Indulge in the Best Sugar Free Holiday Desserts

Does it always have to be the case that we gain weight around the holiday season? The short answer is, “Nope.” That’s something we’re often led to believe, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re the host of this season’s soireés, you can design a menu that’s chock full of keto-friendly and sugar free options. Many of your guests won’t even know you’re pulling a fast one on them!

Similarly, if you’re the guest of honor, you can offer to bring the dessert and see how many people sample your guilt-free delectables. Below you’ll find 14 sugar free holiday desserts that will light up the season and not your scale.

1. Sugar Free Strawberry Cheesecake

Not only is this a delightful prospect because it’s sugar free cheesecake, it’s also no bake. The secret to this recipe is the sugar free instant pudding. If you’ve ever had sugar-free Jell-O or any other version of instant pudding, you’ll know it gets pretty darn close to the mark.

Some of the other main ingredients for this surprising recipe include graham crackers, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream cheese.

You’ll want to slice your strawberries into thin little slivers. But, outside of that, this low-effort recipe only takes about an hour and a half to complete, from start to finish.

2. Chocolate Almond Cups

Ready to go wild? These sugar free Christmas desserts are also dairy-free and vegan friendly. What a way to impress your audience if you have a lot of health-conscious folks in the house.

These are incredibly easy to whip up, with only a 15-minute bake time. They also don’t require any oven time. What you’ll do is combine the ingredients in a muffin pan, freeze the ingredients, then add the topping and chill them again.

As for those ingredients, you’re looking at some almonds, almond butter, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, maple syrup, cacao powder, and a few other staples. Just imagine the oohs and aahs you’ll receive when you serve this with a gourmet pot of coffee or freshly-brewed pot of tea.

3. Keto Creme Brulee

Guilt-free creme brulee? This must be a cruel trick, right? Not so fast: some things in life aren’t too good to be true!

This elegant French staple only requires four ingredients: egg yolks, vanilla extract, whipped cream, and Stevia (or any other form of low-calorie, natural sweetener).

Just imagine: you’re packing all that decadence into a keto-friendly, gluten-free, and sugar free dish. If that’s not what the joy of the season looks like, we don’t know what is.

4. Paleo Snickers

Keto, paleo… you’re checking a lot of boxes as you move through this list. Again, no one’s going to believe these are basically diabetic Christmas desserts.

The main ingredients in this dessert are peanuts. So, of course, be sure none of your guests have any allergies. But, the key ingredient that tips the scales into the realm of health is the rice malt syrup.

You may have to take some time scouting the ingredients in your local health food store. But, it’s worth every minute of the mission. Some of them include raw cacao, natural peanut butter, vanilla bean paste, and unsalted butter.

In the end, you’ll have a decadent pan of square-cut miracles that each of your guests will happily savor by the fire.

5. Peanut Butter Cookies

If you thought four ingredients was astonishing, how about three? Peanut butter, like chocolate, pairs so well with that after-dinner cup of coffee (sans the sugar, of course).

All that’s required for these sugar free Christmas treats is a sucralose sweeter (again, like Stevia or Swerve), natural peanut butter, and eggs. Not only are these sugar free cookies delicious, they’re also virtually carb-free.

The end result is one of those surprising confections that’s a perfect blend of soft and chewy on the inside and crispy and crumbly on the outside.

The recipe boasts a mere 20-minute cook time and we doubt any of your guests will even notice these are sugar free, carb-free, and utterly guilt-free. What a way to end the night.

6. Pumpkin Parfaits

‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice and all things nice. And, since it only comes around once a year, why not meet the moment with small glasses filled with pumpkin parfaits? Not only are they an adorable way to use your set of martini glasses, they’re also a nice nod to the season.

It’s likely this is the fastest recipe on the list. (And we thought 20 minutes was pretty fabulous.) In a mixing bowl, all you need to do is combine pumpkin puree, sugar free instant pudding, evaporated milk, and skim milk. Et voila!

You can pour this gorgeous autumnal delight into your serving bowls of choice and let it stand in the refrigerator until you’re ready to wow the crowd.

7. Ginger Loaf Cake

Staying in line with the season, a gorgeous little ginger loaf cake would pair nicely with those quick and easy pumpkin parfaits.

The end result is a moist, soft, and tender pound cake that doesn’t come with all the calories of your traditional all-butter pound cake.

Here, you’ll need a few staples like flour, baking soda, ground ginger, sea salt, date syrup, grated carrots, and walnuts. Everyone will agree they’re biting into a flavor explosion that’s shockingly health-conscious.

8. Low-Carb Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is good any time of year. But, it tends to have a nice, fall cozy vibe to it. While you’re working with those carrots in your ginger loaf cake, consider extending them to a low carb carrot cake alternative.

This recipe relies heavily on the seasonings in your pantry like ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, all-spice, and salt. And that’s just one of the reasons why this will end up being a crowd pleaser.

You’ll also delight your guests with the decadence that is cream cheese frosting. After just about 30 minutes of prep time, you can pop this eclectic mix of ingredients into the oven and then impress all the healthy eaters on your holiday guest list.

9. Chocolate and Date Pudding

Don’t you just love seeing chocolate and “sugar free” in the same sentence? It means you can actually have your cake and eat it, too.

Of course, dates aren’t everybody’s cup of tea. So, you might want to survey the crowd or have something else on standby (like the lemon curd tarts below).

But, if you think this dessert stands a chance, then it’s worth your while. After about ten minutes of prep time and one hour of bake time, you’ll pull a delicious tray of wholesome goodness out of the oven.

Some of the items you’ll need from your local market (or pantry, if it’s well-stocked) include buckwheat flour, almond meal, bicarbonate of soda, and coconut oil.

You know how some sugar free recipes can be hit-or-miss in terms of tasting like the real thing? This one definitely hits.

10. Almond Cinnamon Butter Cookies

Here we have another perfect pairing for that post-dinner cup of coffee or sip of brandy. The almond and cinnamon flavor is another nice nod to the season.

As you can see, when you’re dealing with sugar-free, you’ll also come upon a load of carb-free options, which is a nice feeling.

In 25 minutes, you can create a dozen cookies with a bit of almond flour, butter, Stevia, eggs, sugar free vanilla extract, and cinnamon.

It’s recommended to make these sugar-free holiday treats the night before and give them some time to rest in the refrigerator. But, isn’t it nice to know you have everything prepared the night before and all you have to do on the big day is decide which set of plates you’d like to use?

11. Honey and Lemon Curd Tarts With Blueberries

We’ve gone heavy on the chocolate, peanut butter, and pumpkin - and rightly so! But, let’s lighten up with something a little more refreshing and tangy.

Talk about pairing a dessert with a lovely pot of fresh-brewed tea. This is definitely the perfect match for such a spread.

For this recipe, you’ll need to pick up frozen puff pastries, blueberries, coriander, honey and lemon curd, eggs, and coconut oil. The end result is a thinly-sliced confection that will close out your five-course meal with a satisfying sigh of contentment.

12. Mango and Turmeric Yogurt

It’s true that this recipe might be pushing the boundaries of fan-favorite. But, why not try something different? Plenty of people enjoy turmeric in their meals and their tea. So, why not the dessert table?

These are incredibly simple to make. So, again, you’re not going to short-change yourself on time, even if they don’t fly off the table like hotcakes.

You can help anyone in a healthy frame of mind stay the course with these tiny cups of innocence. Oh, and did we mention they’re dairy free, as well?

Ingredients include mangoes, dairy-free coconut yogurt, turmeric, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste. Whip all that up in a blender, set it to rest in the fridge, and watch the reaction of the crowd to see who among them is pleasantly surprised.

13. Coconut Protein Balls

Stacked up on a beautiful serving dish, these little balls of fun make for a spectacular holiday centerpiece.

The ingredients are straightforward, as well. All you need is cashews, shredded coconut, dates, and vanilla whey protein powder. Can you imagine how many of your guests who are on the keto diet, or just focused on the gym these days, will be pleased with this offering?

In no more than ten minutes, you’ll have a dozen little delights to pile high on a plate and truly end your holiday meal with a triumphant bang.

14. Meringue Snowmen

We’ve talked about how pumpkin spice is a nice nod to the season. Imagine what a tray of snowman-shaped cookies will do!

Now, these aren’t entirely sugar free. So, we’re closing out the list with a little naughtiness here. But, Santa doesn’t arrive for a few more days. And, even still, since they’re meringue, they’re not quite as guilt-ridden as many of the classic cookie recipes out there in the world.

All that’s required is egg whites, cream of tartar, a half-cup of sugar, vanilla extract, and nonpareils. In the end, you’ll have such a delightful centerpiece that’s worth the small dose of sugar on this otherwise sugar-free list.

Sugar-Free Holiday Desserts That Are Dressed to Impress

These sugar-free holiday desserts stand a very good chance of stealing the show. They come dressed to impress with natural sugar, healthy doses of dairy, and even a little protein in the mix to satisfy everyone at the table.

Remember, there’s no reason to dive into the deep end if you’ve been dedicated to healthy living all year round. With so many smart recipes out there these days, you can rest assured that, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

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