3 Healthy Baked Goods You Need to Try This Winter
By Kayla Orange
There's nothing better than spending the day in a warm, cozy kitchen baking your favorite treats on a cold, blustery winter day. Cookies, cakes, bread, and the like come to mind. But so does sugar, fat, calories, and unwanted weight gain.
If you're an avid baker who enjoys baking for yourself and loved ones but would like to try some recipes for healthier baked goods, keep reading. We've gathered three recipes that you and your caregiver can try that are so tasty and full of flavor no one would ever guess they're also healthy!
Before trying any of these recipes, please check with your healthcare provider to ensure you don’t have any dietary restrictions.
Ginger Loaf Cake
There's just something about baked goods prepared with spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg that are comforting and festive. This Ginger Loaf Cake hits all the right notes. With the addition of whole wheat flour, applesauce, oats, and Greek yogurt, it's the perfect healthy alternative to the traditional gingerbread that's so popular during the holidays. This tasty, homemade spice cake can be made in advance, frozen, and given as a gift at Christmas – or any time of year for that matter.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup Greek yogurt
For Icing
⅔ cup Powdered sugar
1 ½ tbsp Almond milk
¼ tsp Vanilla
Link to full recipe and ingredients: https://www.hellospoonful.com/healthy-ginger-loaf-cake
Pecan Bars
Pecans add a warm, rich, nutty flavor to desserts and are equally delicious when eaten alone. Considered a "super food," pecans are full of protein, fiber, and many vitamins and other nutrients essential to good heart and brain health. Adding pecans and other nuts to baked goods is a great way to glean all of their health benefits and enjoy a tasty winter treat. So, place a batch of these pecan bars on a platter for your holiday guests and watch them "magically" disappear!
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup almonds
1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates
pinch of salt (Himalayan pink salt)
1-3 tablespoons of hot water
1/2 cup almond butter
pinch of salt (Himalayan pink salt)
Link to full recipe and ingredients: http://pureella.com/raw-pecan-bars/
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
This winter-themed baked good is quite similar to "snickerdoodles," as the basis of these chewy sugar cookies is its delicious cinnamon flavor. The recipe starts with a simple sugar cookie dough made from several non-traditional ingredients that support an AIP and Paleo diet. The addition of cinnamon, which has long been recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties, also gives these cookies unique health benefits. Luckily, you don't have to follow a Paleo or AIP diet to enjoy these delicious sugar cookies. But, knowing that they include ingredients that can help reduce inflammation is an excellent reason to give them a try!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup tapioca starch
2 tbsp cinnamon plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp grass-fed gelatin 1 tbsp room temperature water
2 tbsp hot water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut butter for frosting
Link to full recipe and ingredients: https://whatgreatgrandmaate.com/aip-paleo-sugar-cookies/
Royal Care Home Services
With winter in full swing, it's the perfect time to enjoy a holiday-themed baked treat with your caregiver and loved ones. Royal Care offers professional home care services with compassionate, highly-skilled caregivers to support a healthy, happy lifestyle. If you're interested in senior home care services, visit us at www.royalcare.nyc/services to learn more.