Healthy Christmas 2025: 5 guilt-free recipes you need to add to festive menu; from oats cookies to whole wheat cake

ALSO READ: Christmas 2025 decor: 5 easy ideas to make your home festive-ready this holiday season

HT Lifestyle connected with experts who shed light on the growing trend of people embracing healthier treats during the holiday season.

This necessitates a makeover for the festive table, as the way we celebrate holiday food is gradually changing for the better. It is no longer about mindless indulgence. Nowadays, it is about going for ingredients that also support good health.

Swati Shukla, Head – Food and Farms, Godavari Biorefineries, brand Jivana, identified a growing trend in celebration menus, not just during Christmas but also at wedding events, where there is a noticeable demand for healthier options alongside heritage foods. So which ingredients are now being labelled as red flags and which are considered green flags?

Swati told us that jaggery is taking the centre stage as it is the healthier andmore traditional option to refined sugar. It also has great health benefits, containing iron and magnesium. Jaggery is making a comeback in weddingsweets and Christmas bakes. Likewise, refined flour is being replaced with whole-grain flour like wheat and millets. Swati also highlighted that even cooking methods are shifting, as instead of deep frying, healthier methods like baking, air-frying or steaming are preferred in most of the holiday treats.

Holiday recipes are usually decked with cheese, sugar, oil and all the red flag ingredients. But what if you could actually prepare tasty recipes while eliminating them and replace with healthier swaps?

Chef Nikita Varma shared 5 healthy recipes that cut out unhealthy ingredients:

1. Whole wheat Christmas cake

Value: No refined flour

Ingredients

For fruit mix (soak min 2 hours )

• 1 cup dried mixed fruits

(raisins, almonds, apricots, tutti-frutti )

• ½ cup orange juice

• ¼ cup hot water

• 1 tbsp honey

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 1 clove powdered or a pinch of allspice

• Zest of 1 orange (optional but amazing)

Dry ingredients

• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour (atta)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 2–3 cloves powdered

• Pinch of salt

Wet ingredients (with eggs)

• 2 large eggs (room temperature)

• ½ cup oil (neutral oil)

• ¾ cup brown sugar or jaggery powder

• ¼ cup milk (room temperature)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• Add all chopped dried fruits into a bowl. Pour orange juice + hot water. Add honey + spices + orange zest.
• Mix well, cover and soak for at least 2 hours.
• Sift together Whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove powder and salt.
• In a big bowl, beat the eggs for 1 minute until slightly frothy.
• Add brown sugar and whisk until combined.
• Add oil and whisk again & add vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 2–3 batches.
• Mix gently — don’t overmix (whole wheat can toughen).
• Add the soaked fruits along with all the leftover soaking liquid. Fold in nuts if using.
• Preheat oven to 165–170°C. Line your cake tin with parchment paper.
• Bake for 45–55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centre.

2. X Mas Special Hung Curd Dip

Value: No cream, no cheese

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups thick, well-refrigerated hung curd

• 1 tbsp cream cheese

• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

• ¼ cup caramelised onions

• 2–3 chopped cloves of garlic (sautéed lightly with onions)

• Very little salt

• Crushed black pepper

• Finely chopped coriander or parsley (for rolling the tree)

• Pomegranate seeds for decoration

Method:

• In a bowl, combine hung curd and cream cheese. Blend until smooth but thick.
• Mix in rosemary, caramelised onions, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
• Transfer the mixture onto a chilled plate or cling film. Form a cone/tree shape using your hands.
• If it feels soft, refrigerate for 20–30 minutes before shaping.
• Cover the entire surface with finely chopped coriander/parsley to give it a Christmas-tree look.
• Add pomegranate seeds as ornaments. Place a tiny carrot star on top
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the structure sets perfectly.

Serve with: Crispy pita chips, lavash, toasted baguette slices, or veggie sticks.

3. No-bake walnut oats cookies

Value: No butter, no sugar

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

• 1 cup oats (rolled or quick oats)

• 4 Dates Paste

• 10 crushed walnuts

• A pinch of cinnamon

• 1 tsp peanut butter (optional)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1–2 tbsp milk (only if needed for binding)

Method:

• Warm the coconut oil on low heat until just melted, add the cocoa powder, date paste & whisk it smoothly, and switch off the flame.
• Add the oats into the warm cocoa mixture, mix well, and let them soften for 1–2 minutes.
• Add crushed walnuts, a pinch of cinnamon, vanilla extract, and peanut butter (optional). If the mixture feels dry, add 1 tbsp milk; if too sticky, add a little more oats.
• While the mixture is still warm, shape it into cookies using your hands and let them rest for 10–15 minutes to set.

4. Healthy coconut snowmen

Value: No oil, no sugar

Ingredients:

• 1 cup desiccated coconut

• 5tbsp honey

• 4tbsp almond flour

• A pinch of cardamom

• Tiny toppings for decoration, like chia seeds or chocolate chips for eyes

Method:

• Blend the dates into a paste (if using). If using honey, skip blending.
• In a bowl, mix desiccated coconut + honey + almond flour + cardamom.
• Combine until it becomes a soft dough. If too sticky, add more coconut. If too dry, add a tsp of milk.
• Divide the mixture and roll into small and large balls to form snowman heads + bodies.
• Roll each ball in extra desiccated coconut for a snowy look.
• Stack the big ball, then the small ball, and gently press to stick. (If needed, use a toothpick)
• Decorate with chocolate chips/chia seeds.
• Refrigerate for 20–25 minutes to make them firm.

5. Almond cranberry biscotti

Value: Whole wheat

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup whole wheat flour

• 1/2 Cup almond flour

• 1tsp baking powder

• A pinch of salt

• 3tbsp melted butter

• 1/3rd cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4th cup cranberries

• 1/4th cup chopped almonds

• 1tsp orange zest (optional)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 170°C and line a tray.
• Mix whole wheat flour, almond flour, baking powder & salt together.
• Whisk egg, sugar, melted butter, vanilla & orange zest.
• Combine wet + dry, fold in cranberries and almonds.
• Shape into an 8-inch log, about 1 inch thick.
• Bake 25–28 mins, then cool for at least 10 mins.
• Slice diagonally, ½ inch thick.
• Bake slices again at 160°C for 10 mins each side. Let it cool to crisp.

Serve with tea or coffee