Collagen-infused

Holiday Treats

The holidays are known for gift-giving, parties, and family gatherings…with delicious food at the center of all of it. Unfortunately, the side effects of overindulging can lead to weight gain, a depressed mood, and feeling sluggish. If you want to enjoy the deliciousness of the season while maintaining your energy and your weight, keep reading because I have two yummy holiday recipes for you…and they both contain the age-defying power of collagen!

Collagen Peppermint Mocha

You can save yourself from thousands of calories and hundreds of grams of sugar by making those delicious sounding coffee drinks at home! They are remarkably easy, and you will save a nice chunk of change too. I gave up Starbucks years ago, but the drink that used to tempt me was their Peppermint Mocha. I had them made with ½ the syrups, but it was still ridiculously sweet. For some reason, I felt like indulging in a few Peppermint Mochas in December made it feel more like Christmas (go ahead, I’m rolling my eyes at myself too). I woke up to how silly that was and ditched the habit, but it compelled me to start replicating my favorite drink at home.

So here it is! This recipe not only satisfies that peppermint mocha craving, but it is SO much better for you!

First, brew a 6 oz cup of organic, mycotoxin-free Clean Coffee. Go ahead and use whatever coffee you have on hand to get started, but you can grab a bag of the healthiest coffee out there right here. Their mushroom coffee has added benefits, but it is so popular that it’s not always in stock, so if it’s unavailable, the Brazilian bean coffee is amazing!

After you brew your coffee, add the following:

3 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk, warmed on the stove

2 scoops Chocolate Collagen Peptides

2 – 3 drops Peppermint essential oil*

Add a little stevia or monk fruit if you’d like to make it sweeter. Stir well or better yet, use a milk frother. They are amazing for perfectly blended coffee drinks. Enjoy!

*I use Young Living essential oil, which is ingestible, but if you do not have a quality essential oil, it would be better to use peppermint extract.

Chocolate Collagen Protein Balls

I have always loved to bake during the holidays, but filling our home with sweets is not a great way to help my family stay healthy. Fortunately, we have so many alternatives to traditional, sugar-filled cookie recipes.

These protein balls are one of my favorite treats to make with my kids because they are so easy! We use our hands to mix everything up so it’s a lot of messy fun too! I first started making these delicious protein balls when I was nursing my youngest. Another mom shared this recipe with me for a quick healthy snack that helped keep my energy and milk supply up. I could eat them more frequently back then since I needed more calories (miss those days!) but now I am more careful not to overindulge…this is typically not a problem in a family of 6 because sweet treats go fast!

Here’s the recipe, but it is highly versatile, so feel free to adjust it as you go to meet your taste preferences.

2 cups quick oats
1 cup nut butter of your choice
1/3 cup raw honey
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 scoops Chocolate Collagen Peptides
1 – 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Place all ingredients except the coconut oil and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl and stir well with a spatula. Once everything is combined it may be a little dry. You can either add a little more honey or I prefer to add 1 – 2 Tbsp coconut oil to get the ingredients to stick together without more sugar.

This is where we sprinkle in some chocolate chips and then dig freshly washed hands into the mix to begin rolling it into balls. Once you have a plate full of protein balls, watch how fast they go! Store any left-over in the refrigerator.

While these are higher in carbohydrates, you are also getting fiber from the oats and flaxseeds plus protein from the collagen powder and nut butter, so I don’t feel the least bit guilty about indulging in this sweet treat…especially when it’s replacing the cookies and brownies I used to make!

You can grab the cleanest collagen on the market right here for all your holiday baking. I love the chocolate for recipes and protein shakes while I use the unflavored in my coffee daily for an extra protein boost!