20 Healthy Holiday Treats (and some news!)

Ok, so before I get into the cookies and stuff, can I just drop all humility for a moment and share with you some really amazing, totally overwhelming news? The 2014 Canadian Weblog Awards announced their winners last night, and…WE WON! This seems like the perfect time for a big fat OMG! That’s right, (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean took first prize in the Food & Drink category and second prize in the Family & Parenting category. Holy wow.

Guys, I started this blog a couple of years ago having no idea how to design and build a blog or take a food photo (like honestly, my photography skills were cringe-worthy at best). I started it as a creative outlet from my long lawyering days and  to spare my poor friends the daily “Guess What I Made for Dinner!!” emails. There have been (many) days when I’ve asked myself whether it’s REALLY worth the time and soul-baring embarrassment, when I’ve shed a few (or lots) of tears over 759 spam comments, hacked files, recipe fails and accidentally-deleted photos, and when I’ve considered just packing it all in and taking up stamp-collecting.

But today is definitely not one of those days. I am honoured, chuffed and totally thrilled that two years in, I can call this (mostly) happy little corner of cyberspace my *award-winning* food blog. Squee!

And now onto the stuff you actually came here to read: 

MORE healthy Christmas treats! I know I’m totally overdoing it with this healthy Christmas goodie thing. As if Black Bean Sweet Potato Fudge Bars and Good-For-Ya Gingerbread Cake were not enough, I’m back this week to share a whole bunch more healthy holiday treats from some of my favourite bloggy folks. I’m determined not to spend the entire month of December in stretchy pants and a sugar coma.

Dark chocolate cake packed with beets, apple crumble bars doused with an applesauce-based salted caramel, maple syrup sweetened chai-spiced cupcakes topped with real whipped cream, chocolate truffles made from avocado, and peppermint brownies made of black beans. Ya sure they are healthy (or healthier at least) but just as importantly—they sound delicious, right? And they look pretty great, too.

Here are 20 awesome alterna-treats for the festive season. If you’ve got others to recommend, please share them in the comments below!

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars, from Love Me Feed Me

Chai Cupcakes with Maple Whipped Cream, from Naturally Ella

Dark Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake, from Simple Bites

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chocolate Fudge Bars, from (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean (aka, ME!)

Pecan Cranberry Cookies (4 ways), from Our Fresh Kitchen

Peppermint Black Bean Brownies, from The Healthy Maven

Paleo Chocolate Truffles, from The Primal Desire

Pumpkin Pie Squares, from Oh She Glows

Raw Gingerbread Cookies, from The Healthy Maven

Good-for-ya Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cake, by (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean

Almond Linzer Cookies, from Fearless Dining

Christmas Spice Balls, by Good Baby Kitchen

Easy 5-Ingredient Peppermint Fudge, from Whole New Mom and Don’t Waste The Crumbs

Mint Chocolate Cookie Cups, by Southern In-Law

MORE!!

5 Ingredient Hazelnut Cookies, from Eye Candy Popper

Quinoa Gingersnap Cookies, from Eating Bird Food

No-Bake Chocolate Macaroons, from Oh She Glows

World’s Healthiest Shortbread Cookies, from Feeding My Addiction

Healthy No-Bake Cranberry Jam Tarts, by Coconut and Berries

Healthy Biscochos (Mexican Wedding Cookies), by Tried and True