Healthy holiday recipes transform any festive gathering – Photo courtesy of kajakiki / E+
Part of the joy of winter holiday gatherings comes from family-favorite dishes, many of which might only appear on your table once a year. To keep the classics on the menu and enjoy the spread freely, swap in these healthy holiday recipes at your feast. Your family and friends will thank you for it.
Vegan cornbread dressing is a highlight of a healthy holiday meal – Photo courtesy of Cinnamon Snail
Vegan cornbread stuffing
This vegan stuffing recipe intends to satisfy everyone at the holiday table. You bake it separately from the turkey for better food safety and to keep it vegan-friendly. Cranberries, alliums, nuts, and spices flavor the cornbread base, and Cinnamon Snail offers suggestions for making it gluten-free and without nuts.
Get the recipe: Best vegan cornbread stuffing »
Malt vinegar and sour cream give mashed potatoes a kettle chip flair – Photo courtesy of Byron Thomas
Salt and vinegar mashed potatoes
These mashed potatoes from Lord Byron’s Kitchen taste so delicious on their own that you don’t have to pour on gravy — but don’t let that stop you. Instead of heavy cream-based mashers, this recipe uses vinegar and sour cream for a lighter side dish. The combination keeps them smooth and creamy but imparts tangy undertones.
Get the recipe: Salt and vinegar mashed potatoes »
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Crispy air-fryer latkes are a healthy holiday food everyone will enjoy – Photo courtesy of Jewish Food Hero
Air-fryer potato latkes
It’s traditional to fry Hanukkah latkes in oil, but as Jewish Food Hero points out, you can enjoy the celebratory potato pancakes without that mess and smell. This healthy holiday recipe combines potatoes, eggs, and cornflakes, skipping the oil and flour or matzo meal that often make latkes dense and heavy.
An air fryer keeps the potato latkes crisp and light. Serve them with honey-sweetened applesauce and harissa-infused sour cream or your favorite toppings.
Get the recipe: Air-fryer potato latkes »
Mushroom gravy tastes so rich, you’ll drizzle it on everything – Photo courtesy of Love & Lemons
Mushroom gravy
After watching family members struggle to make velvety, consistent gravy from meat drippings, I’m convinced that everyone should switch to mushroom gravy. This recipe from Love & Lemons loads up on savory mushrooms while minimizing fat and sodium.
Tamari adds even more umami to the gravy. The mushrooms are sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil to keep the gravy vegan, and it’s easily adaptable to be gluten-free.
Get the recipe: Mushroom gravy »
Cranberry sauce can be made days in advance – Photo courtesy of Julie Laing / Twice as Tasty
Orange-infused cranberry sauce
About the easiest upgrade you can make to a holiday meal is homemade cranberry sauce. My version, which I share in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, has just five ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes. It sweetens fresh or frozen cranberries naturally, with orange juice and honey. I use leftovers as a base for cranberry salad dressing, explained on my Twice as Tasty blog.
Get the recipe: Orange-infused cranberry sauce »
This casserole comes out of the oven irresistibly fresh and colorful – Photo courtesy of Ali Ebright / Gimme Some Oven
Green bean casserole
Green bean casserole is a classic holiday favorite, but it doesn’t have to be a soggy side made from canned beans, condensed soup, and greasy fried onions from a can. Gimme Some Oven recreates the creamy filling with blanched fresh green beans and from-scratch mushroom Alfredo sauce.
The recipe even upgrades the oniony topping with briefly sautéed red onion, toasted panko breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese, which turn golden and crispy when baked. Customize it as desired with the recipe’s tips for gluten-free, vegan, and other variations.
Get the recipe: Green bean casserole »
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Pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin is one part of a healthy holiday meal – Photo courtesy of Jenn Davis / Two Cups Flour
Pumpkin pie from scratch
For the ultimate homemade holiday, make pumpkin pie with a scratch-made pie crust and fresh pumpkin puree. Two Cups Flour gives you everything you need to show off this classic dessert, including details on choosing and roasting the pumpkin as well as crust prep.
The pie filling includes cornmeal for thickness, and a blend of heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, and sour cream replaces the frequently used canned milk.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin pie from scratch »
Ingredient upgrades make these classic holiday cookies more wholesome – Photo courtesy of Cookie and Kate
Healthier gingerbread cookies
Round out a holiday Christmas meal with this wholesome version of gingerbread cookies from Cookie and Kate.
The recipe replaces the standard all-purpose flour, butter, and brown sugar with whole-wheat pastry flour, coconut oil, and coconut sugar — in limited amounts to keep the cookies from tasting overly sweet. It leaves plenty of room for decorating options, from sparkling sugar to intensely lemony icing.
Get the recipe: Healthier gingerbread cookies »