No-Sugar-Added Holiday Bites & Bars for Your Party

Any excuse for a party is a good excuse in our book. We love parties, but if you're trying to cut out sugar, it can be challenging to come up with a suitable menu for the dessert table that'll feed your guests' sweet tooth. That's why we're here. The following tried-and-true recipes are not only easy to make and totally delicious, but they're easy on the eyes, making them a festive choice for any shindig.

No-Cook Brownie Bites

Make sure to print out several copies of this recipe before your party, because you're going to get a lot of requests for it. These brownie bites are super easy, totally festive, and utterly delicious. Don't be thrown off by the avocado. Trust us, these are great.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup Medjool dates
• 1 small avocado
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
• Pinch of salt
• A handful of unsweetened coconut
• A handful of crushed pecans

Cooking Directions:

1. Toss the dates and walnuts in the food processor and pulse until they start to stick together.
2. Add the avocado, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, and cocoa and blend into a moist dough.
3. Form the dough into bite-size balls and roll in the coconut or pecans.
4. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm.

Oatmeal Jam Bars

These beauties are easy to make, and your guests will love them. You can use any flavor of jam you like--raspberry, blueberry, strawberry. If you're planning on having a lot of food for your party, cut these babies into bite-sized pieces rather than full-blown bars.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1¼ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup coconut oil or butter
• ¼ cup raw honey
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup jam

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
3. Add the coconut oil, honey, and syrup.
4. Spread ⅔ of the mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper.
5. Spread the jam on top, then sprinkle the remaining mixture evenly over the jam. If you have any bare areas, sprinkle with oats.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bars are golden brown. Cool, then cut.

Key Lime Bites

These delicious, tangy bites will leave your guests wanting more, so you might want to double the recipe right off the bat.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup Medjool dates
• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons lime zest
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ⅛ tablespoon salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Blend the dates in the food processor until they're completely broken down.
2. Add the remaining ingredients until the mixture is smooth.
3. Roll into balls and refrigerate overnight.

Banana Oat Bars

These easy bars are sweet and banana-y and have just six ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 2 large extra-ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup pitted and chopped dried dates
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (or both)

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thoroughly mash the bananas in a medium bowl until they're practically liquid.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Press the mixture into a lightly greased nine-inch square pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are starting to crisp.
5. Cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.