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    Home » Christmas » Easy Sugar Plums Christmas Recipe

    Easy Sugar Plums Christmas Recipe

    December 6, 2022 Maria 22 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Glittery sugar plums on a silver tray.

    This quick and easy recipe for Christmas sugar plums comes together in no time! Made with dried fruits, nuts, and fragrant spices, they are a sweet treat to add to your holiday cookie platter. They also make the perfect homemade gift for family and friends.

    A silver tray of no bake sugar plums.
    Jump to:
    • Introduction
    • More reasons to love this recipe
    • Let’s prep our recipe
    • How to make sugar plums
    • How to serve
    • How to store sugarplums
    • Tips
    • FAQ
    • Variations
    • Easy no-bake Christmas treats
    • Recipe origins 
    • Recipe

    Introduction

    This one is worth exploring this holiday season, no matter what visions of sugar plums you have dancing in your head!

    But what exactly is a sugar plum?

    Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a sugar plum as “a small candy in the shape of a ball or disk.” These sugar-coated plums originated from the popular method of boiling fruit with sugar to preserve it, typically plums.

    According to Wikipedia, “sugar plum came into general usage in the 17th century.”

    With time, the recipe evolved, and today it can consist of dried fruits, nuts, and warm spices.

    Although the purists insist on using only plums, this recipe features a combination of dates and dried apricots, nuts, and some aromatic spices for a delicious and chewy texture. The mixture is then rolled into little balls and coated in coarse sugar.

    They are similar to these healthy date energy balls without the extra sugar coating.

    This is for you if you want something special to add an elegant touch to your holiday cookie platter! 

    More reasons to love this recipe

    • It’s a no-bake recipe (except for the roasted almonds).
    • It offers a slightly healthier option to include in your holiday cookie platter.
    • These delicious sugarplums only take about thirty minutes from start to finish.
    • These make great hostess gifts for a Christmas party.
    • You can easily swap some ingredients if you keep the nuts and dried fruit proportions constant. Dried cranberries, raisins, prunes, walnuts, etc., are all wonderful alternatives.
    • They can be made well ahead of the holiday rush and frozen. When putting your holiday platter together, it’s just a question of removing them from the freezer, bringing them to room temperature, and rolling them in glittery sugar. How convenient is that!
    Ingredients to make sugar plums on a wooden board.

    Let’s prep our recipe

    Prepping the ingredients for this easy recipe ensures that the texture and the flavor all come together perfectly.

    Roasting the almonds: Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Place 1 cup of almonds on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer, and roast for 9-15 minutes or until fragrant. Coarsely chop and set aside. Allow to cool down to room temperature before combining with the rest of the ingredients. 

    Chop the dried fruit: Chopping the dried fruit into small pieces helps the food processor work more efficiently. For this sugar plum recipe, you will need 1 cup of dates, pits removed (140 grams) and 1 cup of dried apricots (140 grams).

    If your food processor is fairly powerful, you can skip this step as it can easily handle breaking down the fruit.

    The mixture for the No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums.

    How to make sugar plums

    Now that our ingredients are prepped, it’s time to make our delicious Christmas sugar plums.

    In a food processor or high-speed blender, add the roasted almonds, chopped dates, and apricots with 1½ teaspoons of orange zest, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice, ⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Pulse until this fruit mixture breaks down and forms a sticky paste with a coarse texture. Avoid letting the mixture become one large mass.

    The rolled Sugar Plums without the sugar.

    Use a small disher to portion the sugar plum mixture (approximately 1½ tablespoons) and roll it into small round balls with slightly damp hands. Then, roll the small balls into a bowl of coarse sugar to coat them.

    Individual sugar plums are glittery.

    How to serve

    There are a few festive ways to serve this sugar plum candy. They look beautiful and will be the highlight of any festive occasion!

    • Place the sugar-coated balls in festive truffle liners for individual portions. Serve alongside an espresso for a delightful treat!
    • Pile them in glass jars or a vintage candy tray (as we did in the photo above).
    • Serve your guests these delicious treats on a silver tray for an impressive presentation.
    • Add them to your holiday cookie platter as a gift for friends or a special Christmas dessert.

    No matter how you decide to serve them, these sugar plums will surely be a hit!

    Enjoy!

    How to store sugarplums

    Store these Christmas treats (without rolling in sugar) in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze them for up to 3 months. Use wax or parchment paper to separate layers to prevent sticking. Note: Bring to room temperature before rolling in coarse sugar. 

    Tips

    • Chopping the dates and dried apricots into smaller pieces will help the food processor blend the ingredients more smoothly. Avoid letting the mixture become one large mass.
    • When storing, use wax paper to separate layers to prevent sticking.
    • To prevent the sugar plums from sticking to your hands, lightly dampen your palms with a bit of water before rolling them.

    FAQ

    Can I roll the sugar plum in different types of sugar?

    You can roll the sugared plum in different types of sugar, such as white sugar, brown sugar, or even powdered sugar.

    Are these sugar plums gluten-free?

    Yes, these sugar plums are gluten-free. As always, read the labels of the ingredients you use to ensure they are gluten-free.

    Can I use fresh fruit instead of dried?

    Unfortunately, this recipe was specifically created to work with dried fruits as fresh fruits have a higher moisture content that would prevent these from holding their shape.

    No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums in a dish.

    Variations

    Use your favorite combinations of dried fruits, nuts and spices to customize the flavor to your liking. For example:

    For an interesting flavor combination, consider replacing the dates and apricots with dried raisins, currants, dried apples, cranberries, dried figs, or prunes.

    Almonds are a great option, but walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and pecans could also be used.

    And don’t forget the spice mixture! Allspice, anise seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, caraway seeds and pumpkin spice are good options to add flavor.

    You can also roll them in sanding sugar, edible glitter, desiccated coconut, or for a more richer taste, chocolate.

    For an adult version, consider adding a tablespoon of brandy or orange liqueur to the mixture before rolling.

    Easy no-bake Christmas treats

    Who can resist homemade holiday treats? They are a great addition to your holiday cookie platter and make the best hostess gifts.

    Chocolate fudge in a candy box, surrounded by mini marshmallows and chocolate chips.

    Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

    For a delicious and thoughtful holiday gift, make chocolate fudge! It comes together quickly and can easily be personalized.

    GET THE RECIPE

    If you’re looking for more Christmas treats that don’t involve baking, try combining chocolate with roasted almonds to create homemade chocolate almond clusters. Another no-bake chocolate recipe is to make dark chocolate bark with different combinations of ingredients like pumpkin seeds and roasted nuts.

    Recipe origins 

    I discovered the original recipe for these no-bake sugar plums in a Canadian magazine called Homemakers, which is now out of publication.

    This has continued to be my go-to recipe for no-bake festive treats for decades. It is a simple and delicious addition to any platter of holiday cookies.

    Regarding changes to the original recipe, I added a touch of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and included the zest of one fresh orange.

    My holiday cookie platter would not be complete without these chewy, fragrant sugar plums. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

    Just for you! A printable baking checklist to help you keep track of all your baking needs.

    If you love to bake, this is for you! Simply subscribe to my weekly newsletter and receive this FREE BAKING CHECKLIST PRINTABLE!

    This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes, and it’s FREE! 

    THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

    Ciao for now,

    Maria 

    ★★★★★ If you have made these sugarplums, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

    Recipe

    A tray of No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums

    Sugar Plum Recipe

    This quick and easy recipe for Christmas sugar plums comes together in no time! Made with dried fruits, nuts, and fragrant spices.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 24 servings
    Calories: 73kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup almonds coarsely chopped and roasted (about 140 grams)
    • 1 cup dates chopped (about 140 grams)
    • 1 cup dried apricots chopped (about 140 grams)
    • 1½ teaspoon orange zest finely grated, organic
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
    • ¼ teaspoon allspice ground
    • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
    • ¼ cup turbinado sugar or more for rolling

    Instructions

    • In a food processor, combine the roasted almonds, dates, apricots, orange zest and spices.
    • Cover and pulse until mixture is transformed into a paste.
    • Roll mixture into a 1 inch diameter balls (about 1½ tablespoon).
    • Roll balls in sugar.
    • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or can be frozen (WITHOUT rolling in the sugar) for up to 3 months.
    Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon’t miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

    Video

    Notes

    How to store sugarplums: Store these Christmas treats (without rolling in sugar) in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze them for up to 3 months. Use wax or parchment paper to separate layers to prevent sticking. Note: Bring to room temperature before rolling in coarse sugar. 
    Roasting the almonds: Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Place 1 cup of almonds on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer, and roast for 9-15 minutes or until fragrant. Coarsely chop and set aside. Allow to cool down to room temperature before combining with the rest of the ingredients. 
    Tips:
    • Chopping the dates and dried apricots into smaller pieces will help the food processor blend the ingredients more smoothly. Avoid letting the mixture become one large mass.
    • When storing, use wax paper to separate layers to prevent sticking.
    • To prevent the sugar plums from sticking to your hands, lightly dampen your palms with a bit of water before rolling them.
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 
    *adapted from Homemakers Magazine

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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    This post was originally published on November 13, 2016, and republished on December 6, 2022, with updated photos, content and a video. Thanks for sharing.

     
     
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    Filed Under: Christmas, Desserts

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Fidelis

      January 09, 2023 at 3:49 am

      Hi and Happy New Year!
      Thanks for the great recipes. I find them easy to follow and delish.
      Just wanted to let you know that I am unable to watch any of your videos as they break-up all the way through. Perhaps there is something on your end that can correct this. Thanks again for lovely eats.

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 11, 2023 at 9:40 pm

        Thanks so much for taking the time to share Fidelis. I am curious to know if it is on a laptop, mobile, or desktop?

        Reply
    2. maria furia

      December 12, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Thank you for this gluten free recipe! I cannot wait to make and eat these!

      Reply
      • Maria

        December 12, 2019 at 4:42 pm

        Fantastic Maria! Enjoy!!!

        Reply
        • Colette

          December 19, 2022 at 8:01 pm

          4 stars
          Very tasty but my mixture remained fairly granular and not very sticky. So it was challenging to get the balls to stay firm. Any suggestions, maybe some liquid to soften my dates?? Thank you 😊

        • Maria

          December 19, 2022 at 8:10 pm

          Thanks for your comment Colette. Did you use Medjool dates? This happened to me once when I bought a “box of dates” at the grocery store instead of the Medjool dates I usually get from Costco. Yes, perhaps soaking the chopped dates in a tablespoon or so of orange juice might soften them. Appreciate your comment.

    3. Mary Frances Ellison

      December 07, 2017 at 12:56 pm

      Thanks for this recipe – I’ve been looking for it for ages! My mom made these back in the late 1970s/early 1980s and she certainly subscribed to Homemakers magazine (we were from Burlington, Ont); I have a childhood memory of the sugar coating having a pinkish hue … I suppose I could try to find a coloured sanding sugar!

      Happy Holidays

      Reply
      • Maria

        December 07, 2017 at 1:06 pm

        My pleasure Mary 🙂 I was very disappointed when Homemakers magazine closed up shop. A colored sanding sugar would definitely make it festive looking. Hope it brings back some fond memories. Best holiday wishes to you and yours! Thanks for dropping by 🙂

        Reply
    4. Ayngelina Brogan

      November 17, 2016 at 12:59 am

      I usually avoid making dessert because there are so many opportunities for it to go wrong but these look really easy to make!

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 17, 2016 at 8:23 pm

        Yes! They are really easy to make …and take no time at all. Appreciate your comment Ayngelina 🙂

        Reply
    5. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)

      November 16, 2016 at 6:36 am

      I have a number of similar recipes in my repertoire and I love them at holiday time because 1. they are so easy to make and 2. they are gluten free which is useful for when your guests can’t eat gluten – so many holiday dessert tables are full of things they can’t eat!

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 16, 2016 at 7:09 am

        I totally agree! It’s so much fun to offer choices to guests during the holiday season. Appreciate your comment 🙂

        Reply
    6. Carrie

      November 16, 2016 at 6:29 am

      A no-bake holiday treat for the cookie plate? That is genius!! Love how these glitter on the plate, I think that they will be a great addition to our cookie plates this year!

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 16, 2016 at 7:07 am

        Thanks Carrie! Hope you like them! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

        Reply
    7. Marie-Pierre Breton

      November 16, 2016 at 5:32 am

      5 stars
      I’m all about almond for dessert! and plum or dates with it just is the perfect match! With a touch of yours (cinnamon) and nutmeg to make it a perfect contender for the desserts table this holiday season!

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 16, 2016 at 5:47 am

        I am like you Marie-Pierre…I love using almonds! Appreciate your comment 🙂

        Reply
    8. Barbarito-Levitt Paula

      November 14, 2016 at 9:02 pm

      Absolutely every ingredient that I adore – gluten free and vegan as well. In one delicious bite you have brought your readers something quite special.

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 14, 2016 at 9:47 pm

        You are too kind …thanks so much Paula 🙂

        Reply
    9. Diane

      November 13, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      Quelle belle recette, j’ai hâte de la faire pour mes réceptions du Temps des Fêtes. Merci Maria pour le partage!

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 13, 2016 at 9:15 pm

        Toujours un plaisir Diane! Merci 🙂

        Reply
    10. Mary

      November 13, 2016 at 7:49 am

      And it’s gluten free! ! Yay!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Maria

        November 13, 2016 at 9:59 am

        Yes!!! Enjoy Mary! Thanks for dropping by ♥

        Reply

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