A Sweet Sugar-Free Advent Calendar
The holidays are finally around the corner and with that all the warm and fuzzy experiences waiting for us. Sometimes living a low/sugar free lifestyle can feel a bit like bummer because we immediately associate it with “I can’t eat this” or “I shouldn’t have that”
However, I believe that with a bit of creativity and a healthy sense of moderation (because yes, you can absolutely enjoy curated indulgent moments!) you can celebrate just as joyfully as everyone else. In fact you might even enjoy the season a little more knowing you’re still nourishing and taking care of yourself.
So today we will focus specifically on: making your own advent calendar!
This is actually the first year I am incorporating this experience in my home and it started very casually. My family and I went to do a little holiday shopping and while I stood in line to pay, I noticed on the candy aisle a giant chocolate advent calendar. I got excited, but I immediately thought about the sugar content. Still I made a mental note and later it sparked the idea that no matter if I’m watching my sugar intake, I can certainly make one for myself and my loved ones to enjoy together, I can still enjoy this tradition. I can make my own version for myself and my loved ones.
My husband specifically requested that his include regular chocolates (the irony lol) and I loved the idea of us each having their own treats to look forward to. He can enjoy his favorites and I can enjoy my sugar-free chocolates and candies while we both get to share the experience of opening our family advent calendar together.
So I got to work right away inspired by this idea I purchased an adorable fabric Christmas advent calendar and started brainstorming what to put inside. Here’s what I came up with:
1. Sugar-free chocolates
There are many options out there from a simply elegant individually wrapped Hershey’s dark chocolates to the crunchy yet soft Russel Strover pecan delight sugar-free chocolates. if you’re like an assorted pack is always a good idea perfect for satisfying all your chocolaty cravings.
2 . Holiday Tea Mix:
My ultimate favorite is the Sugar Cookie Sleight Ride by Celestial Seasonings (recipe coming soon) I make mine with a little bit of plant based milk and also add a note of vanilla to give it that dream like sip.
3. Sugar-Free Candy
If you are more of a candy person than a chocolate person I’ve got you covered as well. There are sugar-free candies that in my opinion, taste really good and you can hardly tell the difference between regular candies. I would always swear by Jolly Ranchers they’ve got that perfect sweet sour combination. of course if you are looking for more Chewy texture, there are also Lily’s brand sugar-free gummies are also a great option. You might want to individual wrap a few pieces for your advent calendar pockets.
4. Coffee and chocolate hard candies
Coffee flavored treats are a must in Lolly Cafe! The absolute best I’ve tried are the Werther’s sugar-free hard candies. Their variety pack has coffee, chocolate, and caramel altogether all individually wrapped for practicality.
5. A Sweet Nutty Option
A delightful surprise this year was discovering Mexican Mazapan sweetened with Splenda a thoughtful gift from my best friend. After tasting one, I instantly fell in love, I tasted the first one, I was in love. It’s soft, delicate, texture, crumbly and delicate sweet flavor. A must try for your advent calendar.
So as you can see, you can create the perfect advent calendar full of variety: chocolatey, nutty, crunchy, soft or chewy it will have everything you want, with the added bonus of peace of mind of your low-sugar intake. The best part of this is that you can make it completely your own. You can also share it with someone you love and even if they’re not on the same goals as you while sharing this experience together. I hope you have a lot of fun making this. I will surely make it a new tradition in my family so everyone can enjoy and choose your own experiences over the holidays. Talk to you soon
Until the next brew,