• Replace butter, margarine, shortening, or lard with olive oil or other healthy nut and seed oils. Our friends at the North American Olive Oil Association recommend using olive oil not only to reduce saturated fat content, but also to keep baked goods moist. And the vitamin E in extra virgin olive oil helps cakes stay fresh longer. For the most pronounced flavor and most health benefits, use extra virgin olive oil. But if you do not want the fruity flavor, try using regular olive oil. Use this conversion chart to make the switch to olive oil in your favorite recipes:

• Seek out recipes that rely on fruit's natural sweetness. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, and fruit purees like applesauce can all be used for making dessert in different ways. Hearty fruits like apples and pears work well as the centerpiece of a fall or winter dessert. Fruits like fresh or dried dates and figs compliment chocolate well and add sweetness without reliance on refined sugar. Some people like to replace some of the oil (usually up to half) in their recipes with applesauce, mashed bananas, or other fruit purees like peach, prune, or pear.      

• Incorporate nuts into your holiday baking. Like fruits, nuts can play a starring or supporting role in your recipes. Use them as a main component, like in the Baked Walnut-Stuffed Pears below, or as a more subtle means of adding richness, texture, and flavor such as by adding nut flour to a pie crust or using chopped nuts in a crumble.

Click on the titles or photos below to link to the recipes.