Forget the fruit cake: Two dessert recipes for the ultimate healthy Christmas

Traditionally dessert on Christmas Day involves stuffing yourself with slabs of custard-covered fruit cake, or downing a whole box of favourites in front of the TV and wondering why your family doesn’t love you.

Thankfully, there are healthier options.

Zoe Bingley-Pullin, nutritionist and star of Good Chef Bad Chef, shares two of her favourite recipes to make sure Christmas dessert doesn’t break the scale.

Yoghurt panna cotta with pomegranate and almonds

Ingredients

½ cup Vitasoy Almond Milk Unsweetened

1 vanilla pod, deseeded or ½ tsp vanilla essence

2 tsp agar agar

1½ cups sheep’s yoghurt (unsweetened)

1 pomegranate, deseeded

½ cup almonds, roughly chopped

1 tbsp agave

Mint sprigs to garnish

Method

Place the milk in a pot on the stove and gently heat with the vanilla seeds. Stir in the agar and let it dissolve.

Allow it to cool then whisk in the yoghurt and agave. Pour into individual moulds and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

 In a small bowl mix together the almonds and pomegranate seeds, then garnish with a sprig of mint.

Frozen mint cacao chia balls

Serves: Approximately 20 balls.

Time: 10 minutes plus freezing time.

Ingredients

¾ cup organic cacao powder

¼ cup fresh mint, very finely chopped

1 cup of coconut oil, melted

¼ cup cashew spread or ABC spread

¼ cup agave nectar

100g almond meal

100g coconut flour

dash vanilla essence

1 tsp. cinnamon or chilli powder

1/2 cup chia seeds, for rolling

Method

Mix all of the ingredients together. Roll into ball and then cover with the chia seeds. Place on a lined baking tray and place in freezer overnight or until frozen.

Note: Remember coconut oil melts when it gets warm, so best kept in the freezer or fridge. You can change or add ingredients to your taste.