If you’re looking for a Christmas sugar plum recipe that’s quick and easy, this one is worth trying. It only takes 30 minutes to prepare! This no-bake holiday treat is made with dried fruits, nuts and fragrant spices.
No matter what visions of sugar plums you might have dancing in your head, this one is worth exploring!
But what exactly is a sugar plum?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a sugar plum is “a small candy in the shape of a ball or disk”.
This easy recipe uses a combination of chopped dried fruits, nuts, and some aromatic spices. The mixture is then rolled into little balls and coated in coarse sugar.
They are actually very similar to these healthy yogurt balls without the extra sugar coating.
If you are looking for a little something special to add an elegant touch to your holiday cookie platter this is for you!
Here are some other reasons why you will love this recipe:
- It’s a no-bake recipe (with the exception of the roasted almonds).
- Offers a slightly healthier option to include in your holiday cookie platter.
- These delicious sugarplums only take about thirty minutes from start to finish.
- They make fantastic hostess gifts.
- As long as you keep the proportions of nuts and dried fruit constant, you can easily swap some of the ingredients. 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 and rolling them in some glittery sugar. How convenient is that!
Here is how to make them!
INSTRUCTIONS
Before we combine all of the ingredients together, we need to roast the almonds.
Simply place 1 cup of almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 300℉ for about 20 minutes. Move the almonds around a few times while they are roasting. Allow to cool down to room temperature before combining with the rest of the ingredients.
Pulse until your mixture forms a clump; transfer this fragrant mixture to a clean surface or bowl and with the use of a small scooper, dish out some sugar plums.
With damp hands, roll each piece into a 1-inch ball.
Once this is complete, roll each individual ball in some coarse sugar.
Feel free to make smaller or bigger balls.
You can also roll them in icing sugar, desiccated coconut, or for more decadence, chocolate.
As you can see in the photos, turbinado sugar is another great option
See how easy that is!
When you are ready to serve them, place these little glitter balls in festive truffle liners and enjoy!
Recipes using almonds
I don’t know about you, but I can easily go through that big bag of Costco almonds in one month. Almond butter, cocoa dusted almonds and of course almond biscotti are just a few of the recipes that I make on a monthly basis.
During the festive holiday season, I love to add chocolate covered almonds as well as these chocolate clusters to my holiday platter of cookies and treats.
Recipe origins
I found the original recipe for these no-bake sugar plums in a Canadian magazine called Homemakers.
Unfortunately, this magazine is no longer in publication. I had my subscription to this magazine for many years. Every month, I would get new recipes that are still being appreciated by family and friends even after all these decades.
The original recipe did not include any spices. So I added a hint of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg along with the zest of an orange.
My holiday cookie platter would not be complete without these chewy, fragrant sugar plums.
Enjoy!
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.
And if you are new here, welcome! You may want to sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes.
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!
Sugar Plum Recipe
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
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
maria furia
Thank you for this gluten free recipe! I cannot wait to make and eat these!
Maria
Fantastic Maria! Enjoy!!!
Mary Frances Ellison
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
Maria
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 🙂
Ayngelina Brogan
I usually avoid making dessert because there are so many opportunities for it to go wrong but these look really easy to make!
Maria
Yes! They are really easy to make …and take no time at all. Appreciate your comment Ayngelina 🙂
Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)
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!
Maria
I totally agree! It’s so much fun to offer choices to guests during the holiday season. Appreciate your comment 🙂
Carrie
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!
Maria
Thanks Carrie! Hope you like them! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Marie-Pierre Breton
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!
Maria
I am like you Marie-Pierre…I love using almonds! Appreciate your comment 🙂
Barbarito-Levitt Paula
Absolutely every ingredient that I adore – gluten free and vegan as well. In one delicious bite you have brought your readers something quite special.
Maria
You are too kind …thanks so much Paula 🙂
Diane
Quelle belle recette, j’ai hâte de la faire pour mes réceptions du Temps des Fêtes. Merci Maria pour le partage!
Maria
Toujours un plaisir Diane! Merci 🙂
Mary
And it’s gluten free! ! Yay!! 🙂
Maria
Yes!!! Enjoy Mary! Thanks for dropping by ♥