Here’s a simple, real food Christmas dessert that’s full of probiotics and easy enough for the kids to make!
Healthy Dessert for the Holidays
The holidays are full of desserts and treats. Whether from school, family, or parties, junk food and candy crawl out from the woodwork during the holidays.
At our house, we combat them by stocking simple real food treats at home.
Sometimes we freeze homemade cookie dough already rolled into balls, so they’re easy to bake. I almost always keep extra dark chocolate on the top shelf in my pantry (even though it’s so low-sugar that it’s keto-friendly, my kids have developed a taste for it). And we like this simple, easy, real food Peppermint Freezer Fudge.
Because it stays in the freezer, Peppermint Fudge keeps well and doesn’t tempt us to eat it every time we walk into the kitchen. But it’s also a delicious, simple, real food dessert. Even better, it’s full of probiotics and ingredients we feel good about!
This yummy real food Christmas fudge recipe is:
- Easy!
- Delicious
- Real Food
- Fudgey
- Creamy
- No weird ingredients
- Naturally-Sweetened
- Dairy-free option
- Vegan option
- Healthy fats
- Simple
- Kid-Friendly – kids love this special treat, and it’s so easy they can make it themselves if they know how to operate a blender.
Why Is This Fudge a Healthy Christmas Dessert?
It’s Naturally Sweetened
In this recipe, we use maple syrup. We think it tastes best with the peppermint flavor, but you can use honey or stevia or even powdered sugar if you want to! Just taste test it before freezing so you know you have the right mint-to-sweet balance.
Probiotics in a Fudge Recipe?
Yes! This recipe is based on Kelly’s Probiotic Fudge Bars from Kitchen Stewardship®’s eBook, Smart Sweets. Creamy, tangy, whole milk yogurt is the base of this recipe.
Cocoa Powder is a Superfood
You can use any cocoa powder for this recipe, but cacao powder would make a fantastic “superfood” substitute.
Healthy Fats Help You Feel Satisfied
Kelly’s original recipe uses cream and egg yolks to make this fudge creamy and luxurious. You can use coconut milk and a few tablespoons of avocado instead, or just use whatever you have on hand. For us, that’s usually almond milk, which makes it delicious but doesn’t always add enough fat for that creamy texture.
Choose Peppermint Extract or Crushed Peppermint Candies
If you use the optional peppermint extract, the crushed candies aren’t necessary. However, we like the fudge best without the extract and then decorated with peppermint candies. They make a fun and pretty decoration on the top, and you don’t need the extract to make it pepperminty!
We find naturally-colored and organic peppermint candy canes online or at a health food store.
Print
Healthy Peppermint Freezer Fudge
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 18 pieces 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: Blender
Description
A simple, real food Christmas dessert that’s full of probiotics and easy enough for the kids to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt (or yogurt cheese)
- 2 egg yolks (optional)
- 3/4 cup cream
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
- pinch of kosher sea salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase)
- 2–3 tbsp crushed peppermint candies (about 1 candy canes’s worth)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except peppermint candies in a blender. Blend thoroughly.
- Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies evenly in the bottom a loaf pan (silicone is great for easy removal!). Pour fudge “batter” into the pan and place the whole thing in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Optional: After 2 hours, sprinkle with additional crushed candy, then pop it back into the freezer.)
- Remove from the freezer and let it thaw for a few minutes. Then turn the fudge over onto a cutting board. Cut into squares and eat immediately. Store leftovers in a container in the freezer.
Notes
- Peppermint Fudgesicles – Pour the batter into popsicle molds!
- Dairy-Free Peppermint Fudge Variation – Feel free to substitute the yogurt and cream with plain dairy-free yogurt, kefir, and coconut milk. If you use all coconut milk, you won’t need to use as much sweetener.
- Vegan Peppermint Fudge Variation – Follow the dairy-free substitutes then use a few tablespoons of avocado instead of egg yolks.
- Budget-Friendly Variation – You can make this recipe as expensive or inexpensive as you like. Good quality eggs and cream can be pricey, but you can save money by substituting avocado or sacrificing some of the creaminess by using milk or almond milk instead of cream.
- Note: Because this is a frozen dessert, you shouldn’t let it sit out too long or it gets melty and messy. I like to cut it into bite-size squares so it’s easy to eat straight out of the freezer. You can also make the fudgesicle variation!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 64
- Sugar: 7.1g
- Fat: 2.9g
- Carbohydrates: 8.9g
- Protein: 1.1g
Keywords: Christmas, holiday, fudge, freezer, healthy, real food, peppermint, allergy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free
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Freezer Fudge Variations
This recipe is so simple, there are many ways you can adjust it to your preference!
Dairy-Free Peppermint Fudge
Feel free to substitute the yogurt and cream with plain dairy-free yogurt, kefir, and coconut milk. If you use all coconut milk, you won’t need to use as much sweetener.
Vegan Peppermint Fudge
Follow the dairy-free substitutes then use a few tablespoons of avocado instead of egg yolks.
Budget-Friendly Variation
You can make this recipe as expensive or inexpensive as you like. Good quality eggs and cream can be pricey, but you can save money by substituting avocado or sacrificing some of the creaminess by using milk or almond milk instead of cream.
Peppermint Fudgesicle
We like to freeze this fudge in a container (a silicone baking dish makes it easy to remove the fudge after it freezes) then cut it into bite-size pieces, but you can also pour it into popsicle molds and make peppermint fudgesicles!
Don’t Like Peppermint?
If someone in your family doesn’t like peppermint, simply leave out the candies and peppermint extract and enjoy it as a simple freezer fudge.
Were you referring to the probiotic fudgsicles from my site? I couldn’t remember?!
Kelly