Nothing beats cozying up to a warm holiday drink when that cold winter weather starts to creep in.
A few sips transport you to a delicious wonderland of seasonal flavors like peppermint, gingerbread, and hot cocoa.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to enjoy this holiday bliss when you realize those festive holiday drinks are packed with sugar and calories. They’re a pretty terrible choice for anyone trying to reach their health goals — or just be healthy in general.
But we don’t think you should give up the warm holiday drinks you love to stay on track. You just need to make a few minor tweaks to those traditional drink recipes.
So the easy warm winter drinks in this list are all clean eating-approved and full of seasonal flavor to satisfy your cravings.
5 Healthy and Delicious Warm Holiday Drinks to Try This Season
Skip the red cups and give these homemade holiday drinks a try. They’ll feel more like a healthy indulgence than a guilty pleasure:
1. Healthier Hot Chocolate
Have you ever tried to find a healthy hot cocoa mix at your local grocery store only to be disappointed with the lack of good options?
We’ve all been there.
Commercial hot chocolate brands load those tiny packets with sugar and chemical ingredients.
This popular hot cocoa contains a whopping 28 grams of sugar (that’s seven teaspoons of sugar!). That shouldn’t really surprise us since sugar and corn syrup are the first two ingredients (but it’s still crazy).
Thankfully, healthier alternatives do exist, like this sugar-free hot chocolate recipe.
It calls for unsweetened cocoa powder, a sugar-free sweetener of choice (like stevia), vanilla extract, and dry milk powder.
Mix up those four simple ingredients, and you’ll have an easy, better-for-you hot chocolate mix that rivals any store-bought version. You can even add peppermint extract for more holiday flare.
2. Healthy Homemade Gingerbread Latte
Craving a Gingerbread Latte from a famous coffee shop we won’t name?
Sadly, a Tall size (12 oz.) of that version clocks in 30 grams of sugar and 260 calories.
So instead of ordering that sugar bomb, try this healthy homemade gingerbread latte from Liz and Tyler at The Clean Eating Couple.
Their recipe is Whole30- and Paleo-approved, free of refined sugar, and super easy to make. It’s also just 65 calories and a mere 5 grams of sugar per cup.
3. Low-Sugar Peppermint Mocha
Ordering a Peppermint Mocha from that same coffee shop will set you back 350 calories and 42 grams of sugar for a 12 oz. Tall. That’s close to 10 teaspoons of sugar!
Lucky for us, the same husband and wife duo who created that yummy Gingerbread Latte we just shared also came up with this Healthy Peppermint Mocha recipe.
Once again, you’ll only need to budget 63 calories and 5 grams of sugar per cup to enjoy this warm holiday drink — and that’s such a huge difference from the original.
4. Sugar-Free Hot Toddy (Alcoholic or Non-Alcoholic)
If a cozy hot toddy is your winter drink of choice, check out this keto-friendly version that’s perfect for tucking into the colder months.
Even better news? You can enjoy this warm holiday drink as an alcoholic or non-alcoholic version. So it’s a perfectly customizable hot cocktail for you or your guests any time of the day.
5. Bigelow Holiday Teas
If you don’t have the time, ingredients, or energy to whip up one of the hot winter drinks on our list, don’t sweat it.
Bigelow Teas offers a fantastic selection of seasonal holiday teas to strike the same mood.
Try their Peppermint Bark, Ginger Snappish, Eggnogg'n Black Tea, or Cranberry Harvest Tea the next time you want a holiday drink without the work.
Enjoy These Warm Holiday Drinks Today, Feel Good Tomorrow
Give one (or more!) of these warm holiday drinks a go, and you’ll forget those traditional, sugar-packed versions even exist.
These simple recipes use clean ingredients you probably have on hand, so they’re far healthier than any store-bought or fancy cafe options out there. You’ll never have to choose between your health goals and the holiday flavors you love again.
🙌 We give you major kudos for staying on track during the overindulgence months. We also think you’ll like these 7 Easy Tips for Maintaining Your Fitness and Clean Eating Goals During the Holidays.
All of us at Rise wish you a happy, healthy holiday season! Cheers! ☕
Author: Devan Ciccarelli
Email: devan@behappynothangry.com
Instagram/Facebook Group: @behappynothangry/Be Happy Not Hangry
Website: www.behappynothangry.com
