The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (2024)

A healthy Christmas cake recipe that’s gluten free and grain free. Made with almond flour, dried fruit, mixed spices and a little orange zest for a lovely authentic festive feel.

The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (1)

Make a healthy Christmas cake this holiday season, that the whole family will enjoy on Christmas Day.

Nothing is more ‘festive’ than a fruit cake! Whilst traditional recipes aren’t always the healthiest, we’ve got you covered with a completely delicious and balanced option.

There’s no added sweetener in this cake; the dried fruit ensure it is naturally sweetened. Even better, it’s pretty easy to make!

I have the easiest gluten free Christmas cake recipe for you this festive season! If you need a healthy Christmas cake to whip up this Christmas I would highly recommend giving this recipe a try.

All you need to do is make sure you’ve got all the ingredients on hand. When you want to whip up the cake all you have to do is add all ingredients into one bowl, mix it together until it’s well combined and then pop it into the oven. That simple!

There is nothing more satisfying than baking your own cakes, desserts and biscuits for Christmas.

This simple recipe creates a dense and moist fruit cake with a high ratio of fruit, which means you don’t need to use any extra sugar in the recipe.

If you need to cater to dietary preferences then we have you covered. This healthy Christmas cake is gluten free, vegan and grain free.

The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (2)

We also use ground almonds instead of traditional white refined flours that make up most store bought cakes. The ground almonds are also gluten free and add moisture so we just need to add a small amount of or olive oil to make it complete.

The dried fruit adds natural sweetness so there’s no need to add any refined sugars or sugar substitutes.

This healthy Christmas cake recipe is designed to be as simple and easy as possible because December is stressful enough already, without complicated recipes to worry about.

Easy recipes are the best especially this time of year.

You will love this gluten free healthy Christmas Cake recipe because:

  • Its quick and easy to make
  • has all the festive flavours
  • tastes incredible
  • only a few ingredients needed
The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (3)

What do you need to make gluten free healthy Christmas Cake Recipe?

  • ground almonds
  • mixed dried fruits
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • juice and zest from one orange
  • olive oil
  • eggs
  • walnuts
  • mixed spice

Is Christmas Cake Healthy?

It really depends on how you make it. Typical Christmas cake recipes contains butter, brown sugar and brandy making it quite heavy and not the healthiest cake around.

The healthy Christmas cake recipe featured in this post is high protein and low carb thanks to using almond meal, walnuts and egg. It contains no added refined sugar or heavy fats or oils.

Instead we use olive oil.

Is Christmas Cake High in Calories

The answer is yes Christmas Cake is high in calories. Particularly traditional fruit cake recipes which or high in fat and sugar.

Even a healthy Christmas fruit cake recipe like the one featured in this post is high calories due to the high dry fruits content.

Is it ok to eat unhealthy at Christmas?

Yes of course it is!

Allowing yourself to indulge over the holiday season will not impact your weight or health in the slightest. One day of unhealthy eating will not make you gain weight.

Throwing away your healthy eating for just one day won’t make you gain actual pounds. Although you will probably feel very bloated and in need of a nap!

What to serve with Christmas Cake?

Typically Christmas cake is eaten on it’s own. However it’s amazing paired with hot tea, ice cream or a glass of fizz.

You can decorate your Christmas cake with candied fruit and nuts. You could also brush a clear glaze of choice on top of the cake then allow to dry for a shiny, natural-looking top.

Can I make this Vegan?

I have not tried making this with flax egg, it should work although results maybe slightly different.m

If you enjoy this Gluten free healthy Christmas Cake recipe, check out these other healthy Christmas Recipes:

Festive Spiced Christmas Porridge Recipes

Christmas Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread

Healthy Cinnamon Star Biscuits

Spiced Christmas Tiffin

Sweet Spiced Cranberry Bread

The Best White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (4)

Gluten Free Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe

Easy to make Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe.A healthy twist on a Christmas favourite. Gluten free and grain free

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

  • 600 g mixed dried fruit
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • zest and juice from 1 orange
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 flax eggs/normal eggs
  • 200 g 2 cups ground almonds
  • 50 g walnuts

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 150°C / 300°F,

  • Prepare a 20cm round cake pan with parchment paper lining the sides and the base.

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine dried fruit, spice, orange zest and juice, olive oil and eggs.

  • Add the almonds and walnuts and mix through.

  • Spoon Christmas cake batter into your baking tin.

  • Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check with a skewer to see if it comes out clean, if not bake for another 20 minutes.

  • Cover the top if necessary to prevent over-browning.

  • Cool, then remove from the tin and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Keyword christmas cake, fruit cake, gluten free, healthy christmas recipe, vegan

If you Love this Clean Eating Christmas Cake then you will also enjoy

Check out these healthy Christmas Recipes

Cranberry Orange Cookies

The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (5)

Spiced Christmas Chocolate Tiffin Recipe | Vegan + Gluten Free

The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (6)

The Best White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (Healthy)

The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (7)

Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins (Easy , healthy, gluten free)

The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (8)

Festive Christmas Porridge Recipe

I hope you enjoy this gluten free healthy Christmas Cake recipe. What are your favouriteChristmas Recipes?

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The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (9)
The Best Healthy Christmas Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) - Nourish Your Glow (2024)

FAQs

How to make a healthy Christmas cake? ›

Ingredients Method
  1. 600g mixed dried fruit or a mix of the following (raisins, apricot, sultanas)
  2. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract or paste.
  4. ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
  5. zest and juice from 1 orange.
  6. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
  7. 3 organic eggs.
  8. 200g (2 cups) ground almonds.

Why are my gluten free cakes so dry? ›

Some gluten free flours will produce a cake which is on the dry side. This might be due to the lack of gluten but can be for many other reasons. Lots of gluten free flour is rice based and this can result in a dry and slightly gritty texture.

How do you add moisture to a gluten-free cake? ›

Tips for best results
  1. Add some almond flour: Using a small amount of almond flour in your baking can enhance the taste and texture dramatically. ...
  2. Add more fat or liquid: It might just be that you need a bit more moisture in your recipe, especially if you're converting a regular “gluten-ful” recipe to gluten-free.
Jan 8, 2022

Is fruitcake healthy? ›

We might like to pretend, based on its name, that fruitcake is a reasonably healthy sweet option, however this is not the case. Fruitcake tends to have high butter, sugar and syrup content, making it high in both fat and calorie content. The same goes for Panettone- the Italian bread that has become a holiday favorite.

What is the healthiest cake to eat? ›

What Type of Cake is Healthy?
  1. Angel Food Cake. Angel food cake is healthy because It does not contain egg yolk and butter. ...
  2. 2 . Flourless Chocolate Cake. ...
  3. 3 . Protein Mug Cake. ...
  4. 4 . Homemade Strawberry Shortcake. ...
  5. 5 . Sugar-Free Carrot and Date Cake. ...
  6. 6 . Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. ...
  7. 7 . Cheesecake. ...
  8. 8 . Red Velvet Cake.

Can a Type 2 diabetic eat Christmas cake? ›

Healthy eating for people with diabetes is the same as for everyone else. All of the traditional Christmas foods such as mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake can still be enjoyed but just don't eat too many or too much in one go.

What is the secret to moist gluten free baking? ›

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

What helps gluten-free cakes rise? ›

Gluten-free flour blends don't have the same elasticity as flour containing gluten so often the cakes don't rise as much or will sink after rising. To combat the flat cake problem, I add ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda to the recipe even when using a self-raising gluten-free flour blend.

Do gluten-free cakes need to bake longer? ›

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture. The best way to do this? Longer baking times.

What is the best tasting gluten free cake mix? ›

With the following favorites, you truly can have your cake and eat it too.
  • BOB'S RED MILL GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX. ...
  • PAMELA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX GLUTEN-FREE NON-DAIRY. ...
  • SIMPLE MILLS NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE MUFFIN & CAKE MIX. ...
  • KING ARTHUR FLOUR GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX. ...
  • NAMASTE GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX.

Can you over mix gluten free cake batter? ›

While conventional wisdom has taught us not to overmix our batters, we've found most gluten-free batters simply need to be stirred for longer.

Why are my gluten free cakes so dense? ›

If gluten-free cakes aren't falling apart, they often turn out heavy and unpleasantly dense. That's because gluten creates little pockets of air, so baked goods turn out springy and fluffy; gluten-free flours and grains are lacking this crucial element.

Why was fruitcake outlawed? ›

Fruitcakes were so rich, they were considered sinful and were outlawed in Europe in the early 18th century. Restrictions eased later in the century.

What is the difference between a fruit cake and a Christmas cake? ›

A Christmas cake usually has far more fruit in it than an ordinary fruit cake and also traditionally will have a layer of marzipan on the top, and that and the sides will then be covered with a layer of icing.

What two ingredients help fruitcake last longer? ›

Fruitcake lasts longer than most other cakes because it is filled with nuts and candied fruit. It will last even longer if you sprinkle it with a spirit like brandy.

Is Christmas cake nutritious? ›

It is packed with energy: Christmas cake has a high ratio of fruits to flour and hence is packed with nutrients. On the flip side, this isn't a cake you want to snack on as it can also increase your waistline. Naturally dried fruits are the key to a good Christmas cake: Christmas cake is said to be an acquired taste.

Can you eat Christmas cake with high cholesterol? ›

Crisps, cakes and pastries all contain saturated fat and will raise your cholesterol.

How many calories in a slice of homemade Christmas cake? ›

Classic Christmas cake
NutrientUnit
kcal678
fat29g
saturates12g
carbs88g
4 more rows

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