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 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?
Seriously, though, I hope you enjoy these lemon bars for the holidays.
And I also hope this gives you hope 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!
The Best Lemon Bars
- For the Crust:
- ¼ cup raw honey
- ½ cup coconut oil, softened
- ⅛ tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill spelt flour
- ½ cup almond meal
- For the Lemon Topping:
- 4 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest (approx. 1 large lemon)
- 3 tbsp. Bob's Red Mill arrowroot starch
- 3 tbsp. Bob's Red Mill spelt flour
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 2½ large lemons)
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and greasing a 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with coconut oil, then set aside.
- To make the crust, in a large bowl, combine the raw honey, softened coconut oil, and sea salt and blend using a hand mixer, stand mixer or a spoon until creamy.
- Slow add in spelt flour and almond meal, and continue to mix until a dough forms.
- Press the flour mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish and bake until lightly golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to completely cook, about 20-30 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature 325 degrees F and grab another mixing bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the eggs, raw honey and lemon zest and gently whisk together to create the topping.
- Next, slowly add in the arrowroot starch and spelt flour until well mixed so no clumps remain.
- Pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice into the egg mixture, and whisk until evenly combined.
- Once the crust has completely cooled, carefully pour the lemon-egg mixture over top of the cooled crust and place back in the oven.
- Bake until the topping is just set, and the center is just slightly jiggly, about 24-26 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
- Then, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably over-night.
- Once completely cooked, cut into into squares and enjoy!
The post The Best Lemon Bars (That You’d Never Know Were Healthy!) appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.