Holiday baking season is FULLY upon us and there is nothing I love more than a healthier holiday dessert. Here are 12 of my favorites. Not only are they all gluten and refined sugar-free, but they are simple and easy to make. Perfect for your Christmas gatherings, holiday parties, or just to treat your friends and neighbors this holiday season!
Holiday Desserts That Are Quick & Easy
I like to keep these wholesome dessert recipes simple and stress-free. Once you’ve got a few go-to ingredients like maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, baking staples like coconut oil and vanilla extract, and nourishing flours such as almond and tapioca, you’re ready to make some magic happen! And while the classic versions always have their place, I truly believe that choosing higher-quality ingredients allows you to enjoy a decadent treat that also keeps you feeling your best; aka no sugar crash here 😉
Healthy holiday cookies
Bakery-Style Cinnamon Roll Cookies (gluten-free)
These easy Bakery-Style Cinnamon Roll Cookies are everything you love about cinnamon rolls but in cookie form. They are soft and chewy, stuffed with a cinnamon coconut sugar filling and topped with dreamy cream cheese glaze! They are accidentally gluten-free and refined sugar-free, but you’d never know!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Banana Pudding Stuffed Cookies
These banana pudding stuffed cookies combine everything we love about classic banana pudding with the comfort of a soft, chewy bakery-style cookie! They come together easily with a real pudding center (no boxed mixes) and wholesome ingredients but taste like they’re straight from heaven!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Monster Cookies
These easy gluten-free monster cookies are the perfect healthy dessert! Packed with creamy peanut butter, chewy oats, and loaded with chocolate chips and colorful candies, these cookies have it all while being flourless, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free! They are indulgent, yet made with just a few wholesome ingredients! Use christmas colored candies for a holiday, festive vibe!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Snickerdoodle Creme Pies
These Snickerdoodle Creme Pies are even better than store bought. The texture is the same as the classic Little Debbie creme pies, super soft, moist, chewy. The snickerdoodle cookies are great on their own, but even more special sandwiched with the perfect creme filling. They are made with wholesome ingredients, refined sugar free, and paleo friendly. They may be my favorite recipe i’ve ever made!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Caramel Pecan Cookies
These caramel pecan cookies taste like a pecan Twix bar in cookie form! These gluten-free caramel pecan cookies start with a shortbread base, filled with pecan caramel, and are then coated in white chocolate and are naturally dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and made with wholesome ingredients you can feel good about!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Gooey Caramel Pecan Cookie Skillet
This gooey Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie with caramel pecans is incredible – warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie is topped with ice cream and a 5 minute healthier pecan caramel sauce. It’s perfect as a holiday dessert, for get-togethers and parties, or anytime you’re craving a decadent treat. This cookie skillet can be made dairy-free and is gluten-free and refined sugar-free (paleo-friendly!)
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Snickers Cookies
Not your typical healthy holiday cookie, but who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate!? Shortbread base, caramel filling, crunchy peanuts, enrobed in a chocolate coating.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Festive Sugar Cookie Cups
Festive Sugar Cookie Cups make an adorable treat for any holiday! They have an almond flour sugar cookie base, cashew butter caramel filling, and are topped with white chocolate and holiday sprinkles! They can be made vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free but nobody will ever know! (There’s a nut-free, oat flour version, too!)
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Healthy Holiday Cakes & BAKED GOO
Christmas Tree Cake
Impress guests this holiday season with this adorable Christmas Tree Cake recipe! It’s festive, surprisingly easy to make, and perfect for everything from holiday parties to cozy family celebrations. With soft cake layers, fluffy frosting, and fun decorations, this cake looks adorable without being complicated!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Brownie Pudding
Decadent and insanely delicious, this brownie pudding is heaven in dessert form. With a soft brownie top and a warm, molten chocolate pudding beneath, it’s the best of both worlds in every bite. This version is inspired by Ina Garten’s classic, but made gluten, dairy, and refined sugar-free, without sacrificing any of that rich, indulgent magic!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Gingerbread Cream Cheese Frosting
These Gluten-free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Gingerbread Cream Cheese Frosting are tender and flavored with warming spices. The perfect easy fall, Christmas, or Holiday dessert! These cupcakes can be made dairy-free and refined sugar-free as well!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
cinnamon Streusel Dessert PIzza
Cinnamon streusel dessert pizza may be one of the best desserts of all time. Effortless, quick & insanely delicious, this is a treat everyone will love! Made with healthy ingredients, it’s vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free, but really tastes like the real deal.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Easy Pumpkin Cake Roll
This easy gluten-free pumpkin roll is a fall dream! This moist, tender pumpkin sponge cake rolls up beautifully with a luscious, silky cream cheese filling. It’s the kind of fall treat you’ll crave making again and again! You can keep it dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and packed with wholesome ingredients—and the best part? It rolls like a dream without a single crack.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Pumpkin Streusel Bread
This is seriously the best healthier pumpkin streusel bread ever and is the most delicious fall dessert! Perfectly spiced, ultra moist, and tons of streusel topping make this dairy and gluten-free bread irresistible! The best part? It can be made in one bowl and comes together in under 15 minutes!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Cookie Tiramisu Cheesecake
This Cookie Tiramisu Cheesecake a healthy twist on a classic Italian dessert! Creamy espresso & cacao-infused cashew cream, crispy chocolate chip cookies, topped with a chocolate shell make this Chocolate Chip Cookie Tiramisu irresistible. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free, yet still delivers all the creamy, coffee-infused decadence of traditional tiramisu. Best part? It’s effortless!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Apple Crumble Cheesecake
This healthier, baked Gluten-Free Apple Cheesecake is everything you need in an easy holiday dessert. It starts with a crunchy, cinnamon crust, creamy cinnamon apple cheesecake filling, and is topped with crumble. It comes together with more wholesome ingredients and is super customizable to fit your dietary needs! Because this apple cheesecake needs a few hours to set, it’s great as a make-ahead dessert!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Healthy Apple Crisp
The best Gluten & Dairy-Free Apple Crisp with caramel sauce is naturally sweetened, perfectly spiced, and topped with a crispy golden oat crumble. It tastes just as comforting as the classic version, but it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, perfect for Fall time, the holidays, or anytime you’re craving something cozy.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
These gluten-free Pumpkin spice scones with maple glaze are the most delicious fall treat and the easiest scones you will ever make! Coming together in one bowl, they couldn’t be easier. Perfectly sweet and spiced, the maple glaze takes them over the top! They’re a match made in heaven with your coffee or tea. They’re gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and grain-free (paleo friendly)!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
HEALTHY NO-BAKE CHRISTMAS DESSERTS
Pumpkin Cheesecake Jars
These Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes combine all the cozy flavors of pumpkin pie with the creamy goodness of cheesecake, perfect for any occasion! Single serving pumpkin cheesecakes are perfect whether you’re hosting for the holidays, a get-together or just craving something sweet, these mini cheesecakes are so easy to make and look beautiful! Best part? These can be made gluten-free, dairy-free/vegan, and are refined sugar-free!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
S’mores Cheesecake Cups
These healthier individual S'mores Cheesecake Cups are made with layers of creamy cashew cheesecake filling and crumbled cookies, then topped with a crunchy chocolate shell. They're not only tasty but also so pretty, making them perfect for parties or as a special after-dinner treat! They are vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and grain-free!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
No-Bake Pecan Pie Bites
These pecan pie bites are made with only a handful of whole-food based ingredients and are the best tasty treat!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches
Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches are the perfect refreshing treat for the transition from summer to fall, made with a combination of a pumpkin spice whipped topping mixed with protein powder (optional), stuffed between graham crackers – enjoyed straight from the freezer with no bonfire required! This high protein dessert comes together with just a few, simple ingredients!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Healthy christmas fudge & candies
100 Grand Bars
Homemade gooey caramel is enrobed in a crunchy Rice Krispies chocolate coating to form Homemade 100 Grand Bars that are even more delicious than the store bought version! These homemade 100 Grand Bars are not only fresher, but honestly, they’re better than the original. Bonus? You’d never know these are made with simple, wholesome ingredients!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Healthy Twix Bars
Perfect for the chocolate caramel lovers! Shortbread base, gooey caramel, enrobed in chocolate!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Butterfingers
These healthy homemade Butterfingers are the perfect easy, treat to curb your sweet tooth! This recipe is a whole-food based take on the classic, but just as satisfying, and you only need a handful of ingredients to throw them together! They’re vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar free!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Pecan Twix Bars
These healthy pecan Twix bars are a healthier version of the nostalgic candy we all love! They are vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free with a layer of shortbread, gooey nut butter caramel, crunchy pecans, and a chocolate coating.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Take 5 Bars
These homemade, Healthy Take 5 Bars hit every note: chewy caramel-like dates, creamy peanut butter, crunchy pretzels, roasted peanuts, and a smooth chocolate coating. They taste incredibly indulgent; however, they’re actually made with simple, wholesome ingredients — plus, there’s no dairy or refined sugar!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Healthy Almond Joys
Nothing better than a chocolate decadence during the holidays! These are perfectly sweet, easy to make, and minimal ingredients!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Incredibly easy to make and impossible to resist, these peanut butter oatmeal fudge bars are a healthier no-bake version of the famous Starbucks oatmeal fudge bars and only require 5 ingredients!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
Healthier desserts won’t get any easier than this 5 ingredient peanut butter chocolate fudge! Creamy, naturally sweetened, and made with just a few ingredients, it can’t be beat! It’s naturally vegan and gluten, dairy, and refined sugar-free!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE
If you guys try any of these healthy Christmas dessert recipes, i’d love to hear in the comments below! Be sure to tag me on instagram @danishealthyeats, I love to see your versions! Happy baking!
