Ha.
I don’t know why that title is making me laugh.
Maybe because of this Saturday Night skit. Please tell me you know about the Schweddy Balls. Hilarious.
Anyhoo…
We’re participating in a Smart Balance holiday campaign. They have a fun little Help Santa Facebook application thing going on with games, activities and coupon links. I played the Naughty or Nice game just now and didn’t do so well. In fact, I think it told me to try again. Oops.
This year Smart Balance is focusing on creating healthier options of holiday treats. Sounds like something that is right up my alley, yes?
Every year I have a holiday baking extravaganza with tons of treats to give away to friends and family. I’m always one to try out some new twists on my favorite goodies to make them a bit healthier and see if anyone notices.
This year, with Smart Balance I’m really looking out for my man Santa. I’m following him on twitter you know to make sure he’s staying healthy and because he’s a pretty funny guy. He he.
I received these fabulous products just a few weeks ago.
Kind of funny that I already had this Smart Balance Heart Right Light in the fridge and was thinking that they sent that to me also. Nope. That was all me.
I usually buy the regular Smart Balance Light spread because it’s so easy to spread and about 50 or so calories per serving and 5 grams of fat. It’s my favorite. I got this one the last time though to try out something new.
So, why Smart Balance?
Smart Balance has many heart healthier products that taste great. Most of their products have extra nutritional support from Omega 3’s that support brain and heart health. Also, their products have no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
In fact, Grandma D and Papap turned me onto Smart Balance Peanut Butter awhile back. They have it in their cupboard at all times and were the ones who showed me just how delicious it is.
I will also let you know that we opened that jar of Rich Roast Peanut Butter on Sunday and by 4 pm yesterday it was gone.
Empty. Done. Possibly licked clean by a certain someone.
So last Sunday the boys and I were on a mission to #helpsanta with some healthier baking using our fun Smart Balance products.
Our first item of business was using up some of our marshmallows (that were used as poo poo treats a while back, but the treat thing didn’t work too well with a certain someone), the blended butter sticks (which can be used as a 1:1 substitution ratio for regular butter in recipes and has 40% less fat)
and the peanut butter to make some of these.
We took the standard crispy rice treats and make them a little bit better by substituting in Smart Balance products and adding a little flax.
Smart Marshmallow Peanut Buttery Crispy Treats
1/4 cup Smart Balance Blended Butter Sticks (1/2 stick)
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup Smart Balance Rich Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter
Instructions:
Microwave the butter blend in a large bowl for a minute or so until melted. Add marshmallows and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Continue to microwave at 30 second intervals and stir until marshmallows are melted and well blended with butter.
Add crisp rice cereal, peanut butter and flax. Stir until well coated.
Press into 9 x 13 glass baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Press down firmly with wax paper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cut into squares.
I love these cold right out of the refrigerator. I think Santa does too. He’s used to the cold you know.
Um, oops. Too bad there aren’t any more left for Santa at the moment. Luckily they were easy to make in the microwave so we can whip them up again before the big night.
That’s not all.
We had to take advantage of the opportunity to revisit our popular Peanut Butter Doughtzel Balls.
This time we made a few changes. We used the Smart Balance peanut butter again, subbed in the crisp rice cereal for the pretzels and used the Smart Balance Butter and Canola Oil Blend for the light butter or margarine in the original recipe.
I told myself I was just going to try one to make sure it was blog worthy.
Um yeah.
After testing out about 4 of them, I’m going to say they came out pretty well.
Smart Peanut Butter Crispdough Balls
Makes about 32 balls.
1/2 cup Smart Balance Butter and Canola Oil Blend
1 cup Smart Balance Rich Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2-3 tablespoons nondairy or low fat milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
Instructions:
Mix light butter spread, peanut butter, sugars and vanilla until smooth.
Combine the next 5 ingredients (all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips and crisp rice cereal) in a separate medium size bowl.
Add dry ingredients to wet mixture gradually.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of nondairy milk to moisten the dough.
Stir in the chocolate chips and crisp rice cereal.
Cover and chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Use cookie scoop (or hands) to form balls and place on cookie sheet. (I like to use parchment paper here for easy clean up.)
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Let balls sit on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
If you really want, you can eat the dough without cooking it as it doesn’t have any egg in it. I might just happen to know it’s really great in dough form straight from the fridge or the freezer.
Oh smart dough
oh balls
how I love you.
Oh Smart Santa how we love you too!
Check out a bunch of other fun Better Holiday Treat Recipes on the Smart Balance Facebook Page. There are some darn good ones to try.
Oh, so I almost forgot. This is Day 8 of STUFT Mama’s Favorite Things Giveaways and all
so I’m giving away some homemade balls.
Yep. That’s right. Straight from the STUFT Kitchen to you. We’ll even throw a Flat Kitty in there for you. I know it’s not much compared to other things we’ve been giving away, but it’s a special little holiday gift from us to you.
Just leave a comment here telling me your all time favorite Christmas cookie or how you make your baking a little healthier.
That’s all.
Giveaway will be open until Saturday night at 11 pm PST. Winner will be announced Sunday morning. Open to US residents only.
Don’t worry, the giveaways just get better from here friends. Woo hoo!
There’s still a little time to enter the Reebok RealFlex Fusion TRs giveaway from Day 7. It’s open until 11 pm tonight!
*FitFluential LLC compensated me for this campaign. All opinions and recipe creations are my own.
All time favorites are peanut butter balls, and the italian rainbow cookies. No making those healthier, those are my holiday go to treats that are for indulging!
THose look fantastic!
My favorite cookies are just plain old sugar cookies…no frosting. I guess that is a *little healthier 😉
I LOVE your pretzeldoughball recipe and make them all the time! Would love to try these new fabulous ones!
Unfortunately for the holidays I make the real thing. I splurge. 🙂
I love peanut butter blossoms.
i love classic oatmeal cookies right from the oven. i’m talking your plain-ole-boring back of the oats container recipe. my mom would always make them and i would seriously stand in from of the oven and have to have the first one.
now if we want to get fancy lets talk pumpkin rolls…
My favorite christmas cookie are the thumbprint jam cookies! I have such fond memories of making them with my grandmother!
I love chewy ginger snap cookies. I would love to try these and get a flat kitty!!!!
I love the old school basic sugar cookies that my kids and I look forward to decorating! Schweddy balls!!! Hilarious-you aren’t old enough to have seen the actual SNL w/Alec Baldwin, right?
I also make homemade toffee which is the BOMB, but that’s not considered a cookie- have an awesome week!
Homemade toffee????? YUM!
Don’t take this the wrong way… but I want your balls. 😉
This actually goes perfectly with the last pic I posted to Instagram… it was a bad of nutmeat at TJs. Hee hee.
Nutmeat? How did I miss that?
Have totally eliminated white flour in my house and use all whole wheat pastry flour when cooking/baking! Recipe looks great
Gingerbread because they are so fun to decorate with the kiddos!
Favorite holiday cookie is always a straight up sugar with buttercream frostring. Or my Mom always made these things, don’t know if they qualify as “cookie”, called haystacks. Basically they are cashews, chocolate, butterscotch and those crispy chinese noodles all mixed together and then cooled. So yummy.
And healthy? Yeah…I’m not quite adventurous enough yet to go there. I think my family would revolt! LOL
My mom makes those every year! So good!!!
Mmm…anything with peanut butter.
I made your doughtzel balls last spring and they were so yummy! My favorite Christmas cookie is sugar cookies, but only if they are from scratch!
Chinese Cookies! So not PC and no where near Chinese but are basically made up of chocolate and butterscotch chips, peanuts and crunchy chow mein noodles. LOVE THEM!
Um.. yum.
I am more of a fudge kind of girl…but love my mom’s chocolate teddy bear cookies….can’t say I do too good with trying to make the baking healthier this time of year…I mostly just try not to overdo it period!
i love monster cookies!
I would honestly bake every day if I could! It’s so relaxing to me–I almost enjoy the baking process more than the finished product. almost. 😉 I love to experiment with different ways to make cookies/baked goods sweet without using much sugar. My favorite substitutes are mashed ripe bananas and unsweetened applesauce–both add sweetness (even the applesauce) and natural sugar, plus make the treats more moist!
I need to try the mashed banana substitution thing. 🙂 One of these days. 🙂
Actually I LOVE ALL COOKIES….but, I really enjoy the home made caramel popcorn with the puffed bag popcorn and recipe on the back of the bag. YUM!
I love meringues this time of year
To ‘healthify’ my Christmas goodies I come at the recipe from all angles. I’ll substitute the healthy ingredients for the not-so-healthy ones, always cut the sugar by a quarter, and sneak in the good for you ingredients like flax, whole wheat flour, etc. No one is the wiser… I hope this doesn’t mean I get coal for Christmas! : )
Favorite cookie is the peanut butter with a Hershey kiss. I could pop like a million at one sitting haha. Totally not healthy which is why I don’t make them at home.
I love Peanut Butter Blossoms!
Those balls look pretty darn tasty! My favorite holiday cookie is gingersnaps, or molasses cookies. Yum!
Sugar cookies!
I love the peanut butter cookies with hershey kisses in the middle. I recently made some chocolate chip almond butter blondies using chickpeas. No flour, eggs, oil, or butter. They were actually pretty delicious!
My favorite cookies are chocolate chip and peanut butter balls! YUM!
Bourbon balls are my favorite. Gingerbread cookies are second. Merry Christmas!
All time favorite is the candy cane cookie. I always at least halve the sugar in any cookie recipe and use unsweetened cocoa to make my cookies a little less….well, cookies!
I use smart balance all the time! Their peanut butter is my favorite. I also use the butter and sprays! My dad started using them because he has high cholesterol so I started using them too! My favorite holiday treat is red velvet cake pops! I would probably just have to splurge on these!
The peanut butter is so good ,isn’t it? Um, cake pops? Yes, worth the splurge.
i was going to tell you to send me some! here’s hoping i win 🙂 favorite? very hard to decide-maybe those sugar cookies with the hershey kiss or pbutter cup in the middle? i’m baking a triple chocolate cake (really not healthy) and ginger snap cookies this weekend! attempting bourbon balls next week i think.
Have fun baking! Wish we could bake together! 🙂
I recently made a batch of sugar cookies that were amazing! They were not the healthiest thing, so I have been trying to find ways to make them a little healthier. I think using these products would help!
I stick to real butter because I try to avoid palm oil. I love my grandma’s peanut butter chocolate balls.
I always end up making biscotti and meringue cookies this time of year.
Not a big cookie baker – but LOVE the chocolate chip cookie pie from chocolate covered katie and luckily so does my 3 year old. Who knew you could use chick peas to make a cookie pie??!!
I keep wanting to try that one. 🙂
i want your balls! eek, yes, i said that! santa is gonna be so fit and healthy.
Let’s trade bites for balls. He he.
I have been trying to substitute greek yogurt into my recipes to help make them healthier! And my FAVORITE cookie would have to be sugar cookies that are decorated by my little 3 yr old. Tons of frosting and made with lots of love!!
Aww…… yes, lots of love. 🙂
My fave cookie is the ones my mom makes every year – I’ve called them “whities” since I was a kid, no clue what the real name is, but they’re a soft walnut/dough cookie covered in confectioner sugar.
The rice crispy treats sound awesome, and the 33 people before me and I may e-joust over your balls. yum yum!
My mom totally makes those too! I don’t know what they’re called either.
Love me some snicker doodles around Christmas! I also love schweaty balls…the skit duh 🙂
Oatmeal chocolate chip…yummy!
Fun! Those look amazing. My favorite holiday cookie to make is gingerbread 🙂
Hands down, my fave cookie is gingerbread
My favorite holiday cookie is sugar cookies from betty crocker cookbook. Not the best tasting but I love it because it is a tradition since I was a little girl to make them for Santa. Santa hid his last year in my dresser because he had already had enough sweets, I think. For baking, I almost always cut the sugar in half and my husband is so used to it now he thought traditional pumpkin pie my mom made was to sweet so I had to let him in on my secret. I also use applesauce instead of fat for pumpkin bread so I feel less guilty spreading butter on a slice later.
Betty Crocker Cookbook is the best! 🙂
I love sugar cookies. I cannot lie their is not much I do to make things during holidays. This time of yr I fall off the wagon and come back and workout after.
I LOVE fudge. LOVE it. I cant make it though, my grandma use to make it from the marshmellow creme and Ive tried to make it with that recipe with little success.
Question – when you make the rice crispy treats and use peanut butter, do they taste peanut buttery or do they still taste marshmallow?
They tasted like marshmallow still with just a hint of peanut butter. It was the perfect mix I thought. 🙂
Yum! Those look so yummy! And my favorite combination…anything peanut butter and chocolate! My favorite Christmas cookies are sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms! Merry Christmas!
Peanut butter and chocolate is my fav too! Can’t beat it.
My absolute favorite Christmas cookies are Chocolate Crinkles- they are fabulous for chocolate lovers. As far as making things a little healthier, I use coconut flour and coconut oil to replace butter and regular flour whenever I can 🙂
Persimmon cookies are my all time favorites! And I sub apple sauce or yogurt for oil in cookies and cakes!
My favorite Christmas treat are caramel chocolate chip brownies or saltine toffee 🙂 So bad, but ooooooh so good!
Frosted sugar cookies!!
Fave holiday recipe is dark chocolate toffee “brickle” cookies …so easy but delish!
I have a special cut out cookie recipe that has become a tradition and the only thing everyone wants me to bring for the holidays. I would love to try your “family balls” 🙂
i’ve been meaning to try your balls and would love a batch of your homemade ones! and i make a delicious chocolate chip banana oat cookie. yum. going to have to make one for a cookie exchange on sunday! happy weekend 🙂
im not sure what they are called but its a family recipie that my aunt makes every year at Christmas
I love sugar cookies! Im always trying to make stuff healthier either by substituting some of the oil or butter for something else
I’m really not picky…unfortunately, I love almost all cookies (and sweets). Rice krispies are wonderful even though they are not holiday and not cookies. Love some buckeyes, sugar cookies, hmmm….
When possible applesauce is a great substitute for oil.
oh my gosh, those look amazing! Totally making those tonight and crossing my fingers and toes I win your homemade balls! Speaking of balls, my favorite Christmas cookie are the Russian Tea Cakes, soooo good!
I saw one of the Santa commercials at the gym yesterday. Loved it! Such a creative campaign.
I love using applesauce or pumpkin in place of the oil. My favorite cookie is crinkle cookies! So good 🙂
Just the mention of Schweddy Balls makes me giggle….its classic!!! I guess my most healthful holiday baking tip is to not bake….hey, if you don’t make ’em, you don’t eat ’em….problem solved. Seriously though, some cookies are needed around the house this time of year. I try to sub in applesauce or pumpkin in recipies where I can, but the family is usually hesitant to eat it. I also add ground flax where I can or even chia. Those rice crispy treats you made sound wonderful….I will definitely be trying that recipie!
I try using applesauce in place of oil…and my FAVE’s are buckeyes..YuummmMMMmmm! 🙂 I would love to try your balls! 🙂
Peanut butter with a Hershey kiss on the top. I am a huge peanut butter Love Love Love it. However I can’t handle the flour products anymore. Gluten issues. I will miss my cookie eating this year but your balls look delicious
I don’t know what they’re called… but my grandma makes buttery cookies with a dollop of rasberry preserves in the middle! SO good
My favorite Christmas cookie is my mom’s sugar cookies, they’re fluffy and pillowly and amazing 😀
I have been making flax meal “eggs” by soaking meal in water & subbing that in for my oatmeal cookie recipes- works great! also using unsweetened applesauce in bread making (pumpkin bread is awesome with this!) its hard being strict GF and making non-GF treats so when I bake I always make sure I have something GF for me to munch on 🙂 this weekend going to attempt your balls GF style! can’t wait
I’m a fan of sugar cookies! Especially the ones shaped liked santas and cristmas trees with the glaze frosting and sprinkles on them 🙂 Or a really good snickerdoodle….gets me everytime.
My favorite are chocolate chip, but your balls look amazing!
I’d love to sink my teeth into your balls! Wait. That’s not what I meant. Anyway . . . .
I’ve been eating vegan lately, so a butter alternative is a must for me with holiday baking this year. I’m thinking of trying the sticks with my russian tea cake recipe. I always use Smart Balance Light for my individual cookie dough dessert, so I can’t see why it wouldn’t be great with the tea cakes!
My fav cookie is Shortbread, yum.
My favorite Christmas cookie is an old fashion sugar cookie decorated with icing…yum.
I don’t do any holiday baking (don’t bake much any time of year really) because if I bake, I EAT IT ALL. Anyway, I love soft sugar cookies, especially with icing. But who am I kidding? I have virtually never met a cookie I didn’t like – except stuff covered in powdered sugar, because usually what happens is that I will accidentally inhale while putting it in my mouth, and nearly choke to death of sugar.
Although I prefer schweaty balls, I would LOVE to sample your creation Kristin!!! YUM!
My favorite Christmas cookie is just about anything that is chocolatey and peanut buttery!
Favorite all time Christmas cookie has to be my Grandma’s Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookie. Good memories come along with eating and baking these yummy cookies.
My favorite cookie is NOT a healthy cookie… we make these thumbprint cookies and fill them with icing. mmmm sugar!
When I do make healthy cookies I like to substitute bananas for sugar and oatmeal for flour
My favorite cookies are butter cookies. They melt in your mouth!
Will you make mine with non-dairy milk if I win?! 🙂 I actually blogged a veganized version of my all time favorite Christmas cookie on Wednesday, Molasses Crisps. My grandma used to make them for me all the time and I always looked forward to them!
I was actually just eyeing these balls earlier today and reallllly wanted to make some. However they seem intimidating… I am not a baker! So Id love to win!
i try to make my baking healthier…usually its a fail haha. but sometimes not! i try to sub things in like applesauce, bananas, for oil or add ingredients like black beans to brownies. those balls look amazing! and yes, im very familiar with pete schweddys’ schweddy balls
My favorite anytime cookies are sugar cookies, the good, soft ones, no icing! LOVE them. Haven’t made them in a while, but possibly will make them very soon!
My favorite Christmas Cookie are my grandmas Kiefle – Its a Polish or Hungarian recipe and most definitely not healthy but I couldn’t imagine the holidays without them 🙂
My grandmother’s oatmeal scotchies were my favorite. I’ve not tried to make them since I had to go gluten free but the memory of them still makes me smile. I love baking and giving away cookies though so no harm in that. Happy weekend!
I really want to make Hesse for my family. Love your creations.
These. Crazy ipad
My all-time favorite Christmas cookie is Mexican Wedding Cakes. I only get to eat them once a year(probably for the best) and only one person I know makes them. But they are a ball-type shape so hopefully I win some “healthy balls” from you!
Im pretty much as CoOKIE monster…I love oatmeal choc chip, biscotti’s, chocolate chip bars, you name it, i love it! I love baking too…I try to limit it because I usually end up eating all the batter…or the whole batch 🙂 I try to health-ify it by subbing in coconut oil, coconut flour, almond flour, or oatmeal flour, and stevia.
I’ve got my balls in the oven. I used cornflakes, instead of crispy rice. Are the balls supposed to be crispy or soft?
Those cookies or balls look so yummy! I love making some delicious chocolate chip cookies. I have a few recipes that I replace half the butte with applesauce and half the eggs with eggs whites.
I love frosted sugar cookies, nothing quite like them!!
Cookie Monster here too! I wish I had the patience to actually make them, so it’s always everyone else’s I end up enjoying- d’oh!! Hmm these look fabulous I just might have to “make” time. And ahh ha smart balance is also in my fridge!
Love love love peanut butter buckeye balls, coconut balls–so these should fit in real easy with my holiday goodies!!
I love chocolate peanut butter balls! Or just about anything with peppermint in it! I love many of the holiday cookies- probably shouldn’t, but I do. Miss you and hope to see you soon (missing bootcamp again this morning though) 🙁
I miss you like crazy!!!!! We have to get together soon! Hopefully you can make it to boot camp next week. I’ll bring treats!
These look so yummy!! I pretty much love any kind of cookie!
My fave cookie is just the original sugar cookie with icing! I make them about once a year, so they’re a big treat!
My favorite holiday cookie is the crescent! It is a family tradition and we make them every year with my grandma 🙂 I also REALLY love my sister’s homemade crushed candy cane marshmallows… especially on top of a warm cup of hot cocoa!
I want to win some balls and a kitty cutout! The best cookies I eat at Christmas are probably red velvet! Although I tend to be more excited about the sweet breads, puppy chow, crackers, and fruit and veggies xD
I love a soft molasses cookie around the holidays!!
My all time favorite Christmas cookie is the standard sugar cookie cut into fun shapes and decorated with frosting, sprinkles, or whatever else we can come up with. I have to say they aren’t very healthy, but maybe a substitution like this would work! Also, yours sound delicious and I hope I win!!!
I love using Greek yogurt or applesauce in recipes!