23 Healthy Christmas Recipes with 5 Ingredients

December 07, 2020

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Celebrate the holidays with these easy Christmas recipes. These side dishes, appetizers and desserts have just five ingredients or less, so making a delicious holiday spread is a breeze. Recipes like 3-Ingredient Cranberry-Brie Bites and Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Bark are simple, festive and will make everyone’s spirits bright.

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3-Ingredient Cranberry-Brie Bites

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Baked Brie is a perennially popular appetizer. Here, we complement the Brie with tart cranberry sauce and bake it in pretty individual tartlets using premade pie crust for an ultra-easy crowd-pleasing appetizer.

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Flourless Chocolate Cookies

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These flourless cookies get their volume from whipped egg whites (like a meringue) instead of grains, making them gluten-free and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. A chocolate chip in each bite adds to the rich chocolate flavor.

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Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

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Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.

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Hasselback Potatoes with Cheese

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Hasselback potatoes are the perfect side dish for people who love crispy potato-chip-like slices as well as the tender interior of a baked potato. Simple to prepare, these hasselback potatoes look impressive and decadent with melted Cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of paprika on top.

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3-Ingredient Blue Cheese & Fig Bites

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Salty-tangy blue cheese pairs beautifully with sweet fig jam in these easy appetizers, which are perfect for a holiday party. The optional minced chives add a nice pop of color, but these are just as tasty without herbs. Keep the ingredients on hand and you can whip these up for impromptu holiday cocktail parties.

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Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Bark

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With just a few simple steps, you can transform plain chocolate into a divine treat with this chocolate bark recipe. We stir chopped peppermint candies and chocolate-covered espresso beans into this chocolate bark, which is perfect for a gift.

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Black-Eyed Pea Dip

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In this black-eyed pea dip recipe, black-eyed peas are pureed with extra-virgin olive oil, red-wine vinegar, garlic and thyme--a nice alternative to hummus. Try this protein-rich black-eyed pea dip with your favorite fresh vegetables or baked pita chips.

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Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

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This finger food is the perfect healthy appetizer to get your party going. Three ingredients are all it takes to make this elegant hors d'oeuvre--no one will ever guess how easy they were to make! Want to keep things plant-based? Use vegan pesto in the breadcrumb stuffing. You can also swap the whole-wheat breadcrumbs for gluten-free.

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Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter

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In this easy vegetable side dish, broccoli and kale are drizzled with a butter, garlic and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe alongside roasted chicken, turkey or ham--or on top of your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or farro.

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3-Ingredient Cream Cheese & Cherry Pepper Bites

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Need a super-easy holiday-party hors d'oeuvre? These tasty little cream cheese and cherry pepper tartlets come together in a snap, thanks to premade pie dough, which is pressed into a mini muffin tin to make the tart shells--then all you have to do is fill the cups with cream cheese and chopped cherry peppers. Chopped herbs add a nice hit of color, but these are just as tasty as-is. Consider making a double batch--these bites are sure to go quickly.

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Roasted Pears with Prosciutto

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This 3-ingredient finger food is the perfect classy appetizer for your next party. It's so simple to make yet so elegant and delicious. Finishing with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar makes the flavors pop and takes this easy app to the next level.

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Brûléed Blood Oranges with Yogurt & Cardamom

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Fresh blood oranges are so sweet they almost create their own caramel under the broiler--a little brown sugar on top seals the deal. A hint of cardamom enhances their aroma. Once you scoop out and eat the caramelized sections, squeeze the remaining blood orange juice over the yogurt.

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Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts

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These super-crispy and browned air-fryer Brussels sprouts with sweet onions and salty bacon--all amped up with bright lemon juice--are sure to be a hit, whether you serve them for a weeknight side dish or as part of your holiday spread for Thanksgiving. This recipe makes enough to serve eight but is easily halved, though once you taste it you may well want a double serving. And if you prefer a vegetarian side, simply omit the bacon.

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Tahini-Yogurt Dip

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Serve this creamy yogurt dip with baby carrots, sliced radishes or whole-wheat pita triangles.

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Dark Chocolate Truffles

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Ready in under 30 minutes, this truffle recipe is easy to make and you'll love the different coating options!

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Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus with Spiced Honey Glaze

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Serve these bacon-wrapped asparagus spears at your next party. They're grilled with a cayenne and honey mustard glaze and the taste is out of this world.

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Date Wraps

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Sweet dates and salty prosciutto combine in a tasty bite.

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Green Beans with Parmesan-Garlic Breadcrumbs

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In this easy green bean recipe, browning the butter before tossing it with the breadcrumbs produces a nice nutty flavor. Serve this green bean dish as a healthy alternative to green bean casserole or as an easy side with steak, chicken or fish.

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Peppermint-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

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This eye-catching frozen peppermint-chocolate bark was inspired by Williams Sonoma's Original Peppermint Bark--our loose interpretation of the treat is frozen and made with Greek yogurt, chocolate and crushed candy canes. For the creamiest bark, be sure to use full-fat yogurt, as fat-free yogurt can get icy when frozen. Serve this healthy dessert when you want all those festive holiday flavors in a lightened-up--and totally delicious--package. Just don't stuff your Christmas stockings with this bark because it melts quickly.

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Hot Artichoke Dip

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Our healthier version of the cocktail party favorite loads up on artichokes and plenty of Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon zest for flavor. Who says healthier can't taste better?

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Smoky Nut-Stuffed Apricots

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Dried apricots are stuffed with provolone cheese and pecan halves, then wrapped in bacon, baked, and served warm for a fresh take on a favorite appetizer.

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Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

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Looking for a fun cooking project to do with kids? Make chocolate truffles! In this easy vegan dessert recipe, we make a chocolate ganache filling with peanut butter and coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Make chocolate bark with the leftover chocolate and wrap it up together with a few truffles for a beautiful edible gift.

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Yukon Gold & Sweet Potato Mash

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The addition of delicious sweet potatoes gives a nutrient boost to mashed potatoes. Double it: Cook the potatoes in a Dutch oven rather than a large saucepan.

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