These are seriously the best lemon bars you’ll ever make — they’re healthy lemon bars that are refined sugar free and contain no refined flour! The perfect sweet treat! This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
As we all know, the holidays bring about A LOT of sweets — in the form of candy or chocolates or lattes or pies and so on. As someone who wants to eat healthy, it can become super disruptive to constantly be needing to turn down sweets, despite (obviously) wanting to enjoy a sweet treat.
The struggle is real, peeps.
So, what can we do?
A lot, actually 🙂
The very best way I’ve found to combat all the highly processed, super sugary foods out there this time of year is to take control and make my own holiday treats, but using whole, real ingredients.
That way, I know I’m still following my clean eating lifestyle and avoiding processed sugars AND I’m getting my sweet holiday treat on, too. It’s like a total win-win.
Plus, you can even bring your better-for-you-treats with you to holiday parties and no one would ever even know they’re healthy. True story 🙂
Like this pecan pie or these lemon bars, for example.
First off, these are the best lemon bars I’ve ever had. The fact that they’re healthy lemon bars is just gravy.
In order to make these lemon bars healthier, I use Bob’s Red Mill spelt flour and almond meal, raw honey, and coconut oil in the crust, as opposed to a combo of (loads of) butter, (loads of) white sugar, and (loads of) refined flour. Get the point?
I also cut out as much of the raw honey as possible – the idea was to give it sweetness, but not make it overly, sickly sweet.
The same goes for the lemon topping – I replaced all the white sugar with (less) raw honey and your typical all-purpose flour with a little spelt flour and arrowroot starch.
Needless to say, these tasty little squares were quickly a hit with anyone who tried them, which is always a great feeling, ya know?
Isn’t it the best to love a treat and THEN find out it’s healthy?!?
Seriously, though, I hope you enjoy these lemon bars for the holidays.
And I also hope this lets you see that it’s possible to make it through the holidays and still stick to your healthy eating goals. I know how easy it can be to let go, eat one bite of this cookie, that one cupcake, those two candy bars, this small latte, and so on…
It happens to the best of us.
Instead, try making these healthy lemon bars and do your mind, body, and tastebuds a favor!
In order to get the cleanest edges for your squares, I recommend allowing these best lemon bars to cool before cutting. After the bars are removed from the oven, they continue to cook some. Additionally, the crust needs time to completely cool to be sturdy enough to hold up the lemon filling. All of this requires time and patience. Cool the lemon bars in the pan completely.
Got runny lemon bars? Chances are you either (1) didn’t cook it quite long enough or (2) didn’t allow it to cool completely before cutting.
How Long Do Lemon Bars Last?Sadly, lemon bars don’t last forever. The best way to store them is in the refrigerator, either in an air-tight storage container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap. If stored properly, these healthy lemon bars will last up to 4 days, but you’re likely going to wait all of them by that time anyways!
Can You Freeze Lemon Bars?Yes! Lemon bars can be frozen and thawed for later use. To freeze them, completely cool the baked lemon bars and then slice into the squares. Freeze each square on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper first. After they are frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and then put them in large freezer bags. Frozen this way, they’ll last 3-4 months in the freezer.
To defrost, unwrap the lemon bars from their plastic wrap and then allow to thaw in the refrigerator. Keeping the bars wrapped in plastic wrap when they thaw will make the plastic stick to them.
These are seriously the best lemon bars you’ll ever make — they’re healthy lemon bars that are refined sugar free and contain no refined flour! The perfect sweet treat!
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend. This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
The post The Best Lemon Bars (That You’d Never Know Were Healthy!) appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.
Cheers to round two of cocktail week! Today, we’re warming up with hot toddies, which could not be easier to make. For this classic cocktail, you’ll just need hot water, whiskey, honey, and lemon.
Hot toddies are lovely slow sippers (perfect for playing cards with the family, Mara says) or night caps. Unlike mulled wine, wassail or warm cider, which can be overwhelmingly sweet, hot toddies are light and hydrating.
The secret to making the best hot toddy is simple—just tinker with the amount of lemon juice and honey until it suits your taste buds. I’ve provided some guidelines in the recipe below. I think you’ll be surprised by how much an extra teaspoon of lemon juice or honey changes the flavor.
If you order a hot toddy at a bar, you’ll probably receive a whiskey drink. Any good whiskey will do—I’ve enjoyed hot toddies made with Bulleit Rye, Jameson, and Wiser’s.
If you prefer, you can make your hot toddy with dark rum or brandy. You’ll find more ways to change up the drink in my recipe notes. Perhaps you can offer a hot toddy bar at your holiday party this year? I love that idea!
The post Classic Hot Toddy appeared first on Cookie and Kate.
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