25 Waistline Friendly Holiday Treats

Treat yourself this holiday season without the guilt with these 25 Waistline Friendly Holiday Treats...

The holiday season is definitely upon us, my friends. It seems to get ushered in each year with the start of the Black Friday sales and keeps right on going until the New Year. 

And while it is definitely one of my favorite times of the year, it is also that one time of year when I can be guaranteed to gain a least a few pounds before that ball drops on New Year's Eve. 

Honestly, it is hard not to.  With all the home baked cookies, and holiday dinners, and extra cocktails, and homemade fudge... well, we can all see how it adds up pretty quickly. 

But the holiday season is also no time for self deprivation.  I am all about moderation. So while I will still be treating myself to a few of my holiday guilty pleasures, I will also be balancing it out a bit with some of these waistline friendly holiday treats that I gathered to share with you all. Think of this as the "nice list" of Christmas sweets. ;) 

From quick desserts for one to homemade truffles to creamy dessert dips, you are sure to find a lower calorie, less guilt treat to curb those naughty holiday cravings a bit... 

Cranberry Gingerbread Mug Cake

Soft gingerbread and tart cranberries come together in this low calories dessert for one... 

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

I am picturing it all now... The busy holiday season is quickly approaching on the not so distant horizon.

I see lots of holiday cookie baking, and gift wrapping, and online shopping in my near future.

I see lots of wonderful memories about to be made. Cozy evenings snuggled up on the couch with my family and a warm mug of cocoa watching the twinkling of the lights of the Christmas tree.

But I am also seeing lots of extra calories and fat grams and not enough time for a good workout (ahem... time to #drinkTEN ). And a some stressful, frazzled evenings. And moments when all I want to do is hide in a distant room of the house and catch my breath for a moment... alone. 

Ahhhhhh... 'tis the season, folks! ;)

Before the hustle and bustle and wonderful craziness of the season are upon us, I decided to come up with a perfect little dessert for one that can be made in minutes, is low calorie and low fat (less guilt!), and has some of my favorite flavors of the season. 

And believe it or not, the recipe inspiration for my newest mug cake came from a little trip to my local Kroger to pick up some of my favorite TEN beverages...

Guilt-Free Snickerdoodle Mug Cake

This Guilt-Free Snickerdoodle Mug Cake is a comforting, low calorie, perfectly portioned for one microwave dessert!

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Pure Via®, but all my opinions are my own.

As I mentioned to you all in yesterday's recipe post, I am tackling the holiday sweets monster head-on now.  I figure a head start will give me somewhat of an advantage and hopefully help me keep the annual holiday weight gain in check.  

I do still plan to bake lots of the holiday goodies that my family loves, but I will also be keeping a few lower calorie, low fat dessert recipes in my arsenal to keep me from devouring half a pumpkin pie or a half dozen of frosted sugar cookies. 

I am a firm believer in not trying to dodge my sweet tooth cravings. That will eventually lead to a sugar and butter induced binge for me.

But what I can do is trick my sweet tooth into thinking that it is indulging in a sweet treat... ;)

On a recent shopping trip to my local Walmart, I picked up a box of Pure Via 40 Count Packets and knew right away that these would become a very important weapon in my arsenal against the holiday weight gain. Pure Via is made from the pure, sweet extract of the stevia leaf. That means no artificial processing or preservatives, folks. It is all natural, non-GMO, and the best part? ZERO calories! :)

Red, Light, & Berry Dessert Dip

With just 4 simple ingredients, you can make this light & fruity three-layered dessert dip in minutes. And it just happens to have a natural color palette of red, white, & blue- perfect for the Fourth of July...

Need a last minute sweet treat for a Fourth of July barbecue or get-together this weekend?

I know it is tempting to just run into the bakery of your local grocery store and pick up some ready made red, white, and blue cupcakes or cookies, but just hold up for a sec. ;)

Because I have a super easy & quick dessert dip for you that you can literally whip in under 15 minutes.

Yes, folks. Fifteen minutes. But probably less.

And bonus? It is low fat and low calorie! No need to wreck the healthy eating and sweating you have been doing at the gym for swimsuit season in just one weekend. :)

Fresh berries, nonfat vanilla yogurt, and light whipped topping combine to make this super simple layered dessert dip....