Healthy Christmas desserts: three delicious and nutritious ideas
02 December 2025 | Comment(s) |
Lucille Stirnemann
The festive season usually means sweets, cream, butter and excess. However, it is entirely possible to combine pleasure and health at Christmas and New Year. By favouring healthy ingredients rich in fibre, natural sugars, fruit and nuts, and reducing saturated fats and refined sugars, you can enjoy a delicious end-of-year dessert while taking care of yourself. In this article, we will first set out the guidelines for healthier desserts, then suggest three festive, indulgent but nutritious recipes.
Guidelines for healthier Christmas desserts
Before diving into the recipes, here are a few guidelines to help you make your choices:
- Choose nutritious ingredients: fruit, nuts, dark chocolate, Greek yoghurt, oats. These ingredients provide fibre, healthy fats and antioxidants.
- Reduce added sugars and saturated fats: traditional desserts (butter, full-fat cream, refined sugar) can cause blood sugar spikes or excessive calorie intake.
- Use smart substitutes: wholemeal flour or oats, cocoa instead of milk chocolate, honey, maple syrup or agave syrup instead of white sugar, etc. Bananas can also replace sugar in a delicious banana bread.
- Keep the festive spirit alive while controlling portion sizes: even a "healthy" dessert is still a dessert. It is advised to manage portion sizes or enjoy the dessert sparingly. By following these guidelines, you can prepare healthy Christmas treats that fit into a festive menu without overeating, are healthy and will please everyone.
Our three healthy recipes for Christmas
Recipe 1: Yoghurt and pomegranate parfait with homemade granola
Why this recipe?
This healthy Christmas dessert focuses on freshness and red fruits (pomegranate), protein-rich Greek yoghurt, and homemade granola, which is less sweet than a classic topping.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 400 g plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 pomegranate (seeds)
- 80 g rolled oats + 30 g flaked almonds (for the granola)
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- A few mint leaves for decoration
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Mix the oat flakes, almonds, cinnamon and honey, spread on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown, then leave to cool.
- In small glasses, place half of the Greek yoghurt, then a layer of pomegranate seeds, then the granola, then more yoghurt.
- Finish with a small layer of pomegranate and a mint leaf.
- Serve chilled.
Tip: In this healthy Christmas recipe, you can vary the fruit (raspberries, blueberries) or replace the almonds with pecans for extra crunch.
Recipe 2: Avocado and chocolate mousse
Why this recipe?
This healthy Christmas dessert recipe includes avocado for a creamy texture and cocoa for a delicious flavour, while avoiding heavy cream or excessive sugar.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 ripe avocados
- 100 g melted 70%-cocoa dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- A few raspberries or orange zest for garnish
Preparation
- Blend the avocados until smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate, maple syrup, cocoa, vanilla and salt. Blend again.
- Divide between small glasses and leave to set in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- When serving, add a raspberry or orange zest for a festive touch.
Tip: For a vegan version of this healthy Christmas recipe, use only maple syrup and make sure the chocolate is vegan.
Recipe 3: Spiced roasted apples, walnuts & vanilla yoghurt
Why this recipe?
This healthy dessert without refined sugar is based on fruit (apple), Christmas spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) and vanilla yoghurt as an accompaniment for a lighter touch. This is an equally delicious alternative to heavy pies and rich pastries.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 4 apples (Gala variety)
- 30 g crushed walnuts
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, agave syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon + a pinch of nutmeg
- 200 g plain yoghurt or vanilla Greek yoghurt
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the apples in half, remove the cores and place them in a baking dish.
- Drizzle with a little maple syrup, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, and scatter over the walnuts.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the apples are tender.
- Serve warm with vanilla yoghurt.
Tip: You can replace some of the yoghurt with whipped coconut cream for a vegan version of this healthy festive dessert.
Healthy Christmas desserts: pleasure and health go hand in hand
Opt for healthy Christmas desserts by choosing natural ingredients, without refined sugars and saturated fats, to avoid overeating that tires your body. Thanks to these three healthy and ultra-indulgent recipes, you now know that it is possible to savour the magic of the festive season without compromising your well-being
Choose desserts that delight your taste buds and your health. Merry Christmas!
FAQ – Healthy Christmas desserts
How do you make a healthy Christmas dessert?
Choose natural ingredients (fruit, nuts, dark chocolate), reduce refined sugars and replace butter with alternatives such as avocado or yoghurt.
What Christmas desserts are free from refined sugar?
Try a chocolate and avocado mousse, a yoghurt and pomegranate parfait or spiced roasted apples. These recipes use natural sugars such as honey or maple syrup.
What are some easy healthy recipes for Christmas?
Yoghurt parfaits, cream-free chocolate mousses and roasted fruit are quick and easy options for a nutritious and healthy dessert.
