Unjunked Sugar Plums (Unjunked Holiday Treat - Day 11 of 12)

Day 11 of 12 Days of Unjunked Holiday Treats: Sugar Plums

Sugar plums feel like something out of a holiday poem, nostalgic, cozy, and just a little magical. But traditional versions today often come with a long ingredient list and a lot of added sugar.

This unjunked version brings sugar plums back to what they were meant to be:
✨ dried fruit
✨ nuts
✨ warm spices
✨ real, simple ingredients

No baking. No refined sugar overload. Just a festive little treat that tastes like the holidays and actually leaves you feeling good afterward.

That’s what Day 11 of 12 Days of Unjunked Holiday Treats is all about.

Why These Sugar Plums Are Unjunked

These aren’t candy pretending to be food. They are food.

  • Naturally sweet from dates, prunes, and apricots

  • Full of fiber & healthy fats from nuts

  • Spiced for flavor, not sugar

  • No baking required (perfect for busy December days)

They’re rich, chewy, lightly sweet, and incredibly satisfying, the kind of treat where one or two is plenty.

Unjunked Sugar Plums Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped dates

  • ½ cup chopped prunes

  • ½ cup chopped dried apricots

  • 1 cup nuts (any mix you have on hand)

  • Zest of 1 orange (lemon works too)

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp ginger

  • ¼ tsp allspice

  • ½ tsp nutmeg

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • Cane sugar, coconut sugar, or regular sugar (for rolling)

Instructions

  1. Add everything except the sugar to a food processor.
    Blend for 3–5 minutes, until the mixture holds together when pressed.
    Roll into small balls, then roll lightly in sugar.


    That’s it.

    Store in the fridge and enjoy whenever you need a little holiday sweetness.

A Perfect Make-Ahead Holiday Treat

These sugar plums are great for:

  • holiday snack boards

  • gifting (they store well!)

  • quick desserts after dinner

  • something festive that doesn’t involve baking

They’re proof that holiday treats don’t need to be complicated, or overly sweet, to feel special.

Day 11 of the 12 Days of Unjunked Holiday Treats 🎄

This Unjunked Sugar Plums recipe is Day 11 of the 12 Days of Unjunked Holiday Treats series, where I’m sharing real-food versions of classic holiday favorites.

🎥 Short recipe videos for each day are already posted on Instagram and Facebook


📖 And the full printable recipe collection is available if you want them all in one place

One more unjunked treat to go… and then we wrap up the series 🎁

If you want all 12 recipes in one place, you can grab the free 12 Days of Unjunked Holiday Treats PDF here, which includes every recipe in this series.

Michelle Walker

a mom, former educator, and the founder of Unjunk America - a movement dedicated to helping families ditch processed foods, decode food labels, and reconnect with real food. With a warm, no-judgment approach, Michelle empowers parents to make simple, sustainable changes in their kitchens, one meal at a time.

Learn more or join the movement at UnjunkAmerica.com.

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