Nougat, Ferrero-style balls and pastry tree: 3 healthy Christmas recipes

There is no shortage of sweets at Christmas, and most of them are sugar and little else. These three recipes start from nut creams, dark chocolate and very little sweetener. They work for the Christmas Eve table and as a snack after training.

Christmas nougat with almond and dark chocolate

A no-bake nougat bar made with almond cream, ground almonds and a chocolate coating. It needs half an hour in the fridge to set.

Ingredients: 50 g of JustLoading almond cream, 100 g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa), 50 g of ground almonds and 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup. To flavour it, a pinch of cinnamon or some orange zest and a pinch of ground ginger.

1. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave in short bursts. If you like, stir in the cinnamon or orange zest while it melts.
2. In a bowl, mix the almond cream, ground almonds, honey and ginger until you have an even paste.
3. Pour a layer of chocolate into small moulds, preferably silicone, add a spoonful of filling and cover with more chocolate.
4. Leave the moulds in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
5. Turn them out and decorate with flaked almonds, cocoa powder or orange zest.

If you prefer a different aroma, try cloves or nutmeg instead of the ginger.

How long does homemade nougat keep in the fridge?

Several days, ideally in a closed container. That makes it worth preparing a batch for visitors over the holidays, since it comes out of the fridge ready to serve. If you want the flaked almonds to stay crunchy, add them just before the nougat goes to the table.

Can I make healthy nougat vegan?

Yes. Swap the honey for maple syrup and check that the dark chocolate contains no milk. The almond cream and ground almonds are already plant-based, so the rest of the recipe stays exactly the same and takes just as long to prepare.

Healthy Ferrero-style chickpea and cocoa cream balls

Chocolate balls with a hazelnut in the centre, like the ones in the box of chocolates, but with a base of cooked chickpeas and cocoa, hazelnut and date cream.

Ingredients: 60 g of JustLoading cocoa, hazelnut and date cream, 200 g of cooked chickpeas, 1 bar of 85% chocolate, a handful of chopped almonds, 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup and whole hazelnuts, one per ball.

1. Blend the chickpeas with the cream and the honey until the mixture is smooth. Leave it for 20 minutes in the freezer.
2. Melt the chocolate bar in a bain-marie and chop the almonds.
3. With a teaspoon, take small portions of the mixture, put a hazelnut in the centre and roll into balls.
4. Dip them in the melted chocolate and then roll them in the chopped almonds.
5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating.

How do you make healthy Ferrero-style balls without an oven?

You blend cooked chickpeas with the cocoa, hazelnut and date cream, chill the mixture for 20 minutes in the freezer and roll it into balls with a hazelnut inside. Then you coat them in melted dark chocolate and chopped almonds and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes.

How long do healthy Ferrero-style balls keep?

They keep well for a week in the fridge, stored in a closed container. That lets you make them a few days ahead and always have a sweet snack to hand, for after training or with a coffee over the holidays, without having to cook anything else.

Can I make the Ferrero-style balls with other nuts?

Yes. For the coating you can use chopped pistachios or walnuts instead of almonds, and the rest of the recipe stays the same. If you want them vegan, swap the honey for maple syrup and choose a dark chocolate with no milk or dairy ingredients.

Puff pastry Christmas tree with cocoa and hazelnut cream

The showiest of the three and the quickest: two sheets of puff pastry filled with cream, cut into strips and built up into a tree.

Ingredients: 40 g of JustLoading cocoa, hazelnut and date cream, 100 g of puff pastry sheets, 50 g of beaten egg for brushing and 1 teaspoon of sweetener.

1. Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a flat surface and spread it with the cream until it is covered.
2. Put the second sheet on top and press down lightly so that it sticks.
3. Cut the pastry into long strips and arrange them in an “S” shape to make the tree. Put a toothpick in the base for stability.
4. Cut a star from one of the leftover strips using a cutter and place it on top.
5. Brush the tree with beaten egg, sprinkle on the sweetener and bake in an oven preheated to 210 °C for 15 minutes, until golden and crisp.

For a more festive touch, mix a pinch of cinnamon into the sweetener. If you want it more decorated, add nuts or chocolate chips on top.

What temperature do you bake the puff pastry tree at?

At 210 °C in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Before baking you brush it with beaten egg and sprinkle on the sweetener, which is what gives it its colour and a slightly glossy finish.

Can I make the puff pastry tree gluten-free?

Yes, using gluten-free puff pastry from specialist shops. The other ingredients are the same: cocoa, hazelnut and date cream, egg and sweetener. If you are cooking for someone with coeliac disease, check on the labels that everything you use is suitable before you start.

Which cream to use in each recipe

Which JustLoading cream does each recipe use?

The nougat uses almond cream, while the Ferrero-style balls and the puff pastry tree use cocoa, hazelnut and date cream. You can make the recipes exactly as written with them. If you swap creams, the flavour and texture will change, so try it before making a large batch.

You will find more recipes with the same creams in our recipes section, and the full range in nut butters.

If you have any doubts about your particular case, speak to a healthcare professional. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet.