Mini no-bake pudding balls
Nutrition

Mini no-bake pudding balls

Discover a simple and delicious recipe for mini no-bake pudding balls that you can use as a healthy alternative to Christmas pudding this winter.

Sophie Bertrand, Msc, RNutrSophie Bertrand, Msc, RNutr

Sophie Bertrand, Msc, RNutr

Nutrition Specialist

Published

December 13, 2024

Read time

5 minutes

Try this mini no-bake pudding balls recipe as a healthy alternative to Christmas pudding.

Few festive treats are as iconic as the Christmas pudding. Rich, fragrant, and deliciously sweet, this pud has been a Christmas staple for over a hundred years.

Like many decadent desserts, traditional Christmas pudding can have a significant impact on your glucose levels. The combination of ingredients like dried fruit, candied peel, sugar, and alcohol may be delicious, but can cause glucose spikes that could leave you fast asleep in front of the TV long before bedtime.1

Thankfully, Sophie Bertrand, MSc, RNutr, a nutritionist at Lingo, has created this adaptation of the Christmas pudding allows you enjoy its classic flavours without sending your glucose soaring.

These pudding balls contain medjool dates, which have a lower glycaemic index than the dried fruit that’s usually in Christmas pudding. This means that you’ll digest them more slowly and their sugar will release into your bloodstream over a longer period of time, resulting in steadier glucose.1

The almonds and peanut butter provide protein and healthy fat to balance out the carbs in the dates. One ball provides an impressive 5 grams (g) of protein and can be perfect for an after-dinner treat. You’ll get plenty of additional sweetness from the spices.

Not only that, but this recipe doesn’t require any cooking. Just blitz the ingredients together, stick them in the fridge for an hour, and you’ll be ready to tuck in. That’s a whole lot quicker than the traditional pudding, which is just as well as you’ll be keen to make more once your first batch is gone!


  • Servings: makes 12 (4-6 servings)

  • Prep time: 5-10 minutes

  • Cooking time: n/a

  • Total time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients: (makes 12 chocolate pudding balls)

  • 10

    medjool dates

  • 1/4 cup of ground almonds

  • 1/4 cup of cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

  • 2 Tbsp peanut butter

  • 1/2 tsp of nutmeg

  • 1 tsp of cinnamon

Topping:

  • ½ cup of Greek yoghurt

  • 1 Tbsp low or no sugar protein powder

  • Pomegranate seeds

  • Mint leaves, cut small

Method:

  1. Remove the stones from the dates and place with the other ingredients to make the balls in a food processor.

  2. Roll the mixture into round chocolate pudding balls and leave in the fridge for an hour.

  3. Make the topping by mixing 1/2 cup of thick Greek yoghurt and 1 Tbsp protein powder. Top the balls with the mixture and finish off with a pomegranate seed and a mint leaf to make them look like little puddings.

NUTRIENTS

  • Serving size: 1 ball

  • Servings per recipe: 12

  • Calories: 94

  • Fat: 3 g

  • Carbs: 16 g

  • Fibre: 2.5 g

  • Protein: 5 g

The Lingo system is not for medical use and intended for users 18 years and older. Lingo is not intended for diagnosis or management of any disease including diabetes.

The Lingo programme does not guarantee that everyone will achieve the same results as individual responses may vary. It is best to speak to your doctor for advice on starting any diet or exercise regime or if you have an eating disorder or a history of eating disorders.

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