Skip to content

Top Navigation

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
SUBSCRIBE
Pin FB

Explore Cooking Light

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 31-Day Healthy Meal Plan

      Our 31-day calendar of meals and tips shows you how to cook more and love it with fun, family-friendly meals that come together quickly and deliciously. Read More
    • Dinner Tonight: Quick and Healthy Menus in 45 Minutes (or Less)

      Hundreds of delicious recipes, paired with simple sides, that can be on your table in 45 minutes or less. Read More
    • Our Favorite Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

      Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? Read More
  • Recipes

    Recipes

    See All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Recipe Makeovers
    • Quick & Healthy
    • Diabetic
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cooking Light Live
  • Cooking 101

    Cooking 101

    See All Cooking 101
    • Essential Ingredients
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Meet the Chef
    • Cooking Resources
    • Budget Friendly
    • Smart Choices
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living

    Healthy Living

    See All Healthy Living
    • Weight-Loss
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Nutrition 101
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. entertaining
  3. Low-Sugar Christmas Candy

Low-Sugar Christmas Candy

December 05, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Photo: Brian Woodcock
'Tis the season to indulge, but don't let the abundance of holiday treats get you down. You can control your sugar intake and enjoy a few festive sweets with these homemade low-sugar goodies. We avoid sugar alternatives by using creative—and often cleaner—ingredients such as honey, maple sugar, dates, and unsweetened cocoa powder to lend just the right amount of sweetness. These Christmas candies are also perfect for gifts and holiday parties, so stop craving and start baking.
Start Slideshow

1 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Date and Almond Truffles

Credit: Photo: Nina Choi
View Recipe: Date and Almond Truffles

This dessert is for those at the table who want just a little something sweet. Store truffles in an airtight container for up to five days.

1 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Refined Sugar-Free Buckeyes image

Credit: Photo: Hannah Burkhalter; Prop Styling: Hannah Burkhalter
View Recipe: Refined Sugar-Free Buckeyes

Buckeyes are a classic holiday dessert. Chocolate and peanut butter are a can't-be-beat combo, but most recipes for this confection are loaded with confectioners' sugar. We gave this sweet treat a sugar-free makeover by using dates instead of sugar and cream cheese instead of butter to keep the luscious texture and delightful flavor you have come to expect from a classic Buckeye candy.

2 of 9

3 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Brown Sugar-Spiced Nut Mix

Credit: Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Brown Sugar-Spiced Nut Mix

Achieve a bronze-like patina on these candied nuts by keeping a close watch near the end of their roasting time. Too long and they'll overdarken and take on a bitter flavor.

3 of 9

Advertisement

4 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Almond Cherry Oat Balls with Vegan Caramel Drizzle

Credit: Photo: Hannah Burkhalter; Prop Styling: Hannah Burkhalter
View Recipe: Almond Cherry Oat Balls with Vegan Caramel Drizzle

These nutty dessert balls are naturally sweetened by dried cherries, honey, and a vegan caramel drizzle. You have found the perfect alternative to processed-sugar laden cookies and desserts. Trade in the old for a flavorful, lightly sweet and satisfying treat.

4 of 9

5 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Honey Taffy

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Honey Taffy

Both kids and adults will enjoy stretching the honey into taffy, and the longer you stretch the honey, the easier and more pliable the taffy becomes. To avoid a sticky situation, make sure any surface you set the taffy on is thinly coated with cooking spray. You can also wear latex gloves (coated with canola oil) to make the pulling a little easier.

5 of 9

6 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Coconut-Date Truffle Bites

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Coconut-Date Truffle Bites

Pop a couple of these chocolatey bites in your mouth for a sweet and satisfying afternoon pick-me-up.

6 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Caramel Drizzled-Spiced Nuts

Credit: Photo: Jamie Vespa; Prop Styling: Hannah Burkhalter
View Recipe: Caramel Drizzled-Spiced Nuts

End the holiday meal with a dessert everyone can enjoy, like this spicy-sweet nut mix. This treat has no refined sugar and is drizzled in a simple, 4-ingredient vegan caramel. Clean eating is possible—even at dessert!

7 of 9

8 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chocolate-Caramel Bark with Quinoa

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chocolate-Caramel Bark with Quinoa

This season, there's no need to stress or spend hours in the kitchen. Serve this simple sweet treat at your next party or wrap it up beautifully for your friends. The first ingredient in this dark chocolate bark (psst, it’s quinoa) gives this treat loads of crunch. It’s a whole grain, which definitely makes this sweet even sweeter.

8 of 9

9 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cocoa Hazelnut Truffles

Credit: Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Cocoa Hazelnut Truffles

These guilt-free treats are nutrageously good. (And two decadent truffles come in at just 120 calories!) To cut more calories and grams of sugar, pick up a lower-sugar chocolate-hazelnut spread. Nutella, the most common spread, contains 21 grams of sugar in two tablespoons. A better alternative, Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, has just 7 grams. Switching butters won't make a texture difference, but the taste may be even better as the nutty hazelnut notes will really get to shine.

9 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 9 Date and Almond Truffles
    2 of 9 Refined Sugar-Free Buckeyes image
    3 of 9 Brown Sugar-Spiced Nut Mix
    4 of 9 Almond Cherry Oat Balls with Vegan Caramel Drizzle
    5 of 9 Honey Taffy
    6 of 9 Coconut-Date Truffle Bites
    7 of 9 Caramel Drizzled-Spiced Nuts
    8 of 9 Chocolate-Caramel Bark with Quinoa
    9 of 9 Cocoa Hazelnut Truffles

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    MeredithCooking Light is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Cooking Light may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Cooking Light. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.cookinglight.com

    View image

    Low-Sugar Christmas Candy
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.