Do you love holiday treats but tend to avoid them in order to stick to your diet and avoided the dreaded holiday season weight gain? Do you find yourself indulging in delicious desserts but regretting it later? This time of year, homes are filled with the wonderful scents of holiday baking. Lucky for you, you don’t have to decide between delicious treats and the fit body you’ve worked so hard for. Here are some awesome recipes to satisfy your holiday sweet tooth without paying for it later.
Gingerbread Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 servings vanilla protein powder (Try vanilla flavored protein powder from some of our favorite brands like Cellucor and Muscletech)
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix until well incorporated.
- Scoop out approximately 18 balls with a small cookie scooper. Roll balls for even sizing.
- Place balls on plate and freeze for 10 minutes before serving if eating immediately.
- Store frozen and thaw for 5 minutes before serving.
Christmas Protein Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 Large Whole Eggs – or 4 Large Egg Whites
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
- ½ Cup Milk Substitute – or Milk
- 1 ½ Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder (Try vanilla flavored protein powder from some of our favorite brands like Cellucor and Muscletech)
- 1 Cup Coconut Flour – 120g (or Oat Flour)
- 5.3 Ounces Greek Yogurt – Fat Free Vanilla (or Cottage Cheese)
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- Green Food Coloring
- Red Food Coloring
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients into a bowl aside from your Green and Red Food Coloring
- Mix everything together until thick (if it’s super thick then add a bit more milk)
- Take out another bowl and put half of your mix into it
- Add some Green Food Coloring into that half of your mix and mix it in
- Add some Red Food Coloring to the other half and mix it in
- Take out a baking sheet, place your silicone cups onto it (or just use a cupcake pan), and coat them with some non-stick cooking spray
- Evenly distribute your mix into them making sure that they are all level
- Bake on 350F/176C for 25-30 minutes
- Once they cool top them with some whipped cream and sprinkles!
If you’re not one for baking but still looking for some delicious snacks to satisfy your sweet tooth, try checking out some our options like Optimum Nutrition’s protein almonds that come in delicious flavors like chocolate espresso, cookies and cream, and chocolate truffle! We also carry Muscle Pharm protein candies that come in various flavors like peanut butter and milk chocolate. These treats will surely satisfy your desire to indulge in desserts this holiday season and still leave you feeling good about the nutritional value.
Jake Vetrovsky
