Whether you’re sipping on eggnog, munching on cookies by the fireside, or digging into your favorite pie, December (for many) is synonymous with sweet treats.
I am of the belief that enjoying good food is an important part of life, and to me, the holidays wouldn’t feel complete without a few Christmas cookies.
However, I know firsthand the difficulty of finding holiday treats to enjoy if you have a food allergy, intolerance, or sensitivity. When you’re newly navigating dietary restrictions, it can feel impossible to safely enjoy the foods of the season since most cookies and cakes contain gluten, dairy, eggs, and any number of other common allergens.
However, it is entirely possible to make allergy-friendly treats that are easy and delicious, and I’ve saved you some work by rounding up some recipes that you might want to experiment with this holiday season.
Even if you don’t personally have any dietary restrictions, it can be helpful to have a few allergy-friendly recipes in your back pocket to make sure everyone has something they can eat at your next gathering.
Additionally, while I wouldn’t call these recipes healthy per se, I would consider most of them to be health-conscious. In other words, these recipes are still dessert, but I have chosen recipes that are at least somewhat more nutritious than your average holiday treat. Most of these recipes are significantly lower in refined sugar than your average dessert recipe, and they avoid artificial ingredients. So, if you have a goal of eating healthier or scaling back on refined sugar this holiday season, these recipes might be a nice starting place.
Also, I would like to be upfront that not every recipe here is free of every common allergen.
My personal dietary needs require me to avoid gluten at all costs and to limit dairy where I can, so this selection of recipes reflects those specific dietary restrictions. However, I will try to write up modifications to make these recipes nut-free (if possible), soy-free (if they aren’t already), and egg-free. My apologies if your food allergy or sensitivity is not covered by these recipes.
Here is a list of holiday recipes that are on my list to try out this year:
Vegan Eggnog:
Find the recipe here: Creamy Vegan Eggnog Recipe (Dairy-Free, Egg Free) - Shane & Simple (shaneandsimple.com)
Features: Gluten free, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free, vegan, soy free, peanut free, tree nut free (modification)
For those eggnog lovers trying to avoid dairy, eggs, or refined sugar, this recipe looks delightful. I love the simple ingredients and the customizability. If you can’t have tree nuts, you can substitute the cashew milk for something nut-free like oat milk, dairy milk or cream (if you can tolerate dairy), rice milk, or seed milk.
One quick note: I believe that the coconut milk is meant to give the recipe an eggnog-like creaminess, so if you decide to omit the coconut milk, you might want to replace it with something else creamy. Otherwise, the recipe should still taste good, it just won’t have that thicker eggnog-like consistency.
Healthier Hot Cocoa
Find the recipe here: https://www.wellplated.com/healthy-hot-chocolate/
Features: Gluten free, dairy free (with modification), egg free, vegan (with modification), soy free, peanut free, tree nut free, low refined sugar
You won’t regret trading in your powdered cocoa mix for this homemade goodness. In my opinion, homemade hot chocolate tastes 1,000 times better than the store-bought equivalent, and it is fairly quick and easy to make. Plus, by making your own, you avoid a number of highly-processed and artificial ingredients found in many cocoa mixes.
To make this recipe dairy free and vegan, make sure you use non-dairy milk and vegan chocolate chips. Ditto for soy allergies– check on your brand of chocolate since some chocolate chips contain soy.
I have found that oat milk works great as a base for hot cocoa (just make sure it’s a gluten-free oat milk if your diet requires it). Most nut milks would also taste delicious if you’d like a substitute for dairy.
If you’re really feeling fancy, top it with some homemade marshmallows, like these:
While I have not yet tried this gut-friendly marshmallow recipe out myself, it has been on my list for a long time.
Gluten-Free Almond Cookies
Find the recipe here: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/almond-flour-crescent-cookies/
Features: Gluten free, dairy free (with modification), egg free, vegan (with modification), soy free, peanut free
Making this recipe has become one of my Christmas traditions. I have made these cookies literally every year since I went gluten free in college, and I adore them. There is a decent amount of powdered sugar in this recipe, so I wouldn’t exactly call it a health food, but the recipe is simple, easy, and delicious.
Though the recipe calls for butter, I have tried it with traditional butter, vegan butter, ghee, and coconut oil, and I honestly thought each version of the cookie turned out fine, so choose the option that works best for you.
One downside of this recipe is that it does not produce very many cookies, so I usually double the recipe if I’m making a small batch and quadruple the recipe if I’m making it for a crowd.
Unfortunately, I can’t think of a good way to make these cookies free of tree nuts since almond flour and pecans are key ingredients, so you’ll likely need to skip this one if you have a tree nut allergy.
Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
Find the recipe here: https://freshwaterpeaches.com/dairy-free-dark-chocolate-peppermint-truffles/
Features: Gluten free, Dairy free, egg free, vegan, soy free, peanut free, tree nut free (with modification), low refined sugar
These truffles look easy and delicious, and they are naturally free of most common allergens. As with the hot chocolate recipe, I encourage you to check your chocolate chip ingredients if you are avoiding dairy or soy. Many chocolate chip brands contain small amounts of dairy and/or soy, and many brands are processed in facilities with other allergens, so if that is a problem for you, make sure to choose an allergy-friendly brand of chocolate (“Enjoy Life” is a good option).
If you cannot have coconut products, I would try substituting coconut flour for another light gluten-free flour like rice flour, cassava flour, or arrowroot flour. Coconut milk could be substituted for any other dairy-free milk.
Additionally, if you are trying to go refined sugar-free, you could replace the chocolate chips with 100% pure dark chocolate.
Paleo Gingerbread Cookies
Find the recipe here: Paleo Gingerbread Cookies |Paleo Recipes (themerrymakersisters.com/paleo-gingerbread-cookies/)
Features: Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, peanut free, tree nut free, no refined sugar, paleo, vegan and egg free (with modification)
While I have not yet tried this recipe, it looks like a fairly healthy take on classic gingerbread. Low in sugar and high in healing spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, this recipe definitely fits the bill for healthy-ish dessert.
To make this recipe egg-free, use a flax egg instead of a chicken egg. Likewise, if you are trying to make this vegan, use a flax egg and substitute honey for another sweetener like maple syrup.
Do you have a favorite allergy-friendly holiday dessert? Feel free to share in the comments below. Happy holidays!