How to Bake Healthier Holiday Treats

I challenge you to cook healthier this holiday season!  During December many people are participating in cookie exchanges and baking for holiday parties.  People don’t always like change, but be the first to bake healthy and show everyone how the treats still taste good!  I love baking healthy treats for my kids and friends, people are always asking me for the recipes.  Trust me on this one, you’re waistline will be happy!

Baking tips and tricks to bake healthier:
1. Cut out half the sugar your recipes calls for and add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
2. Substitute sugar with stevia, applesauce, or agave.  Watch out when cooking with these because they will shorten your baking time.
3. Swap heavy cream for evaporated milk, or whole milk for skim milk.
4. Replace butter with a banana.
5. Replace canola oil with greek yogurt.  Add ¾ cup for every 1 cup oil.
6. Substitute 2 egg whites for each whole egg.
7. Substitute eggs completely with chia seeds that are full of omegas!
8. Replace all-purpose flour with oats.  Grind them down to flour consistency.
9. Replace half all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour.
10. Make your own fruit puree.
11. Replace cream cheese with 1/3 less fat cream cheese or greek yogurt

You will not notice the difference with these simple replacements and you don't have to feel bad for indulging in the holiday goodies!

Enjoy!