As we're getting into the thick of the holiday season, I wanted to step out of the box again and create a lighter take on one of my most favorite desserts in the world, a blondie! Any blondie just won't do. It had to be full of pecans, white chocolate, spice, and topped off with a decadent cream cheese sauce.
Yes, I went there. And I brought my 'Egg Nog' with me.
I wanted this blondie to have more of a holiday twist, so I infused with the flavors of egg nog while omitting (most of) the guilt. I am all about small indulgences, especially around the holidays.
To do this, I used a brown sugar/sweetener blend instead of regular brown sugar. That alone cut the sugar content significantly without affecting the flavor. I also swapped some of the flour for whole wheat white flour, because I will sneak whole wheat in anywhere that I can. Using 1/3 less fat cream cheese was also a must for the sauce.
Last but not least, I used Almond Egg Nog which is made without eggs, dairy or saturated fat. Plus, it's only 45 calories in a serving, and you can't really beat that! This nog is pretty delicious; rich, smooth, and creamy. Perfect for my lovely (and festive) holiday treat here.
This is seriously one of the most amazing desserts I think I've ever made. I may or may not have ended up eating two servings yesterday. The cream cheese nog sauce is what ties this dessert all together, so don't leave that out!
Skinny Nog Pecan Blondies & Nog Cream Cheese Sauce
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 9 • Size: 1 Square + Sauce • Calories: 372.6 • Fat: 23.8 g • Carb: 41.6 g • Fiber: 3.3 g • Protein: 4.5 g • Sugar: 25 g • Sodium: 209.2 mg
Ingredients:
Blondies:
1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour
1/2 C. White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 C. (1 Stick) Light Butter
1/4 + 2 Tbsp. Sweetener/Brown Sugar Blend
1 Whole Large Egg
1/2 C. Almond Nog
1/3 C. Pecan Pieces
2/3 C. White Chocolate Chips
Cream Sauce:
2 1/2 Tbsp. Light Butter
1/4 C. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Natural Sweetener
4 Oz. Neufchatel Cream Cheese (Tofu 'cream cheese' works too!)
2 Tbsp. Almond Nog
1 Tbsp. Sweetener/Brown Sugar Blend
Extra Pecans
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly coat the inside of an 8x8" square baking dish with non-stick baking spray; set aside.
Sift 1/2 C. flour, 1/2 C. white wheat flour, 1/2 Tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon into a medium bowl together; side aside as well.
Beat together the 1/2 C. butter and 1/4 C. + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar blend into a large bowl together.
Add in the egg and 1/2 C. Almond Nog and continue to blend.
Slowly mix in the flour mixture into the nog mixture until it comes together.
Fold in the 1/3 C. pecan pieces and 2/3 C. white chocolate chips.
Spread the mixture out into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and place it into the oven to bake for about 30-34 minutes; or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool.
While the blondies are cooling, get your sauce going!
Combine 2 1/2 Tbsp. butter, 1/4 C. sugar, 2 Tbsp. sweetener, 4 Oz. cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. Almond Egg Nog, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar blend in a medium sauce pan.
Stir over medium heat until cream cheese and sugars are melted.
(If needed, thin out with a bit more Almond Nog)
I ended up using my immersion blender to blend this once it was melted, instead of a spoon or whisk.
Slice the blondies evenly into 9 pieces.
Plate and top with the cream cheese sauce and any additional pecans if desired for garnish.
Enjoy right away!
