Now that I have a one year old who wants to eat everything that I eat, I try and be careful about the amount of sugar we consume. I know a lot of parents try to reduce their families’ sugar consumption but during the holidays it is almost impossible. Sometimes, I think we should rename Christmas (and all the other holidays) Sugar Fest. That is why I decided to share with you 5 of my favorite dessert recipes that have no or a small amount of sugar. Sugar will always be present at Christmas parties and don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan but I think that mixing healthier treats with all of the sweets makes a small difference in our end of the day crashes and tantrums.

• Nobody will ever know that those chocolate and peppermint truffles have no refined sugar. They are exquisite and they are ridiculously easy and fast to make!! unsweetenedcaroline.com
• These gingerbread cookies do have sugar in them but considerably less than the average ones. Decorating cookies is a great tradition to have with the entire family but very often, kids (and adults) spend most of this time eating candy. If you want to avoid that or just reduce the amount of candy on the table but still have lots of choice for decorating, you can add unsweetened coconut flakes, dried cranberries, roasted nuts and seeds (red and green pistachios, sunflower seeds, white and black sesame seeds, almonds, pecans, etc.) And if you want to go all out, you don’t need icing, just brush some honey on the cookie for the toppings to stick to. cookieandkate.com
• If you like Thumbprint cookies you should try these Bomba Rosa cookies made of raspberries, dark chocolate and coconut. Simple and sugar free. madamelabriski.com
• You can also make your own chocolates. This recipe asks for 2 ingredients only; semi-sweet chocolate and grilled almonds but you can be creative and mix in any kind of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and more. It’s very easy and fun to make with the kids too. bakerbynature.com
• I couldn’t forget one of the dainties I prefer, coconut macaroons. These ones are often very sugary but this recipe is sweetened with maple syrup only - it makes me feel better when I eat 2-3 in a row. Ha! minimalistbaker.com
• And why not a cake for the numerous Christmas time dinners. unsweetenedcaroline.com