The holidays might feel a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t carry on traditions and bake some delicious — and nutritious — treats with or for your aging loved one.

Including Seniors in Holiday Baking

Baking can offer your family the perfect opportunity to slow down, carry on traditions, and savor sweet moments. There are also unique benefits of baking for seniors, even if they’re dealing with chronic conditions, limited mobility, or memory loss.

For example, baking can help trigger positive memories. Perhaps your mom remembers baking with you and your siblings growing up and it brings her happiness. Maybe the smell of bread baking in the oven reminds your dad of happy times at home with his mom growing up.

Baking can also offer older adults a tremendous sense of pride. It’s rewarding to bake something that can be enjoyed by others. Being involved in holiday celebrations can also help aging adults to feel like they have a purpose and self-worth.

Depending on their abilities, your loved one might like kneading dough, whisking, mixing, and stirring. Handing you ingredients or washing the dishes can make them feel like a part of the activity. Even just watching, enjoying the smells and family recipes, and talking about related memories can help seniors feel connected.

Even if you and your loved one can’t get together to bake this holiday season, you can still send them some healthy and easy-to-make baked treats. “With food, it’s not so much how it tastes but who made it,” says Khalid Iraqui, Director of Dining Services for Highgate Senior Living.

Healthy Baking Recipes from the Highgate Kitchen

At Highgate Senior Living, Iraqui’s team focuses on making food nutritious and delicious. Here are some baking tips from the professional chef, who has over 20 years of experience at high-end restaurants around the world:

• Eliminate concentrated sugars.
• Limit white flour by replacing with high-fiber beans.
• Use honey and apple sauce to enhance flavor and softness.
• Use yogurt and cream cheese instead of margarine.
• Add nuts, seeds, and dried fruits to increase fiber and good oils.

“Refined white starches contain a lot of sugar, which just gives you a high, but then you crash and need more of it,” Iraqui says. “Fiber, on the other hand, gives you energy that lasts throughout the day.” 

Here are three healthy baking recipes from the Highgate Senior Living kitchen that you can make with or for your aging loved one.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

What you’ll need for the crust:

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup whipped butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tablespoons powdered peanut butter or defatted peanut flour
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

What you’ll need for the filling:

• One 8-ounce tub light or reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons egg whites (about 1 large) or fat-free liquid egg substitute
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Place oats in a food processor, and pulse until the consistency of coarse flour. Microwave butter for 20 seconds or until melted. 

In a large bowl, combine ground oats, melted butter, and remaining crust ingredients. Mix until

consistency of wet sand. Evenly distribute along the bottom of the baking pan using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges of the pan.

Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F, and prepare filling. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese with yogurt. With an electric mixer set to medium speed, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set mixer to low speed. Continue to beat while gradually adding remaining filling ingredients. Beat until just mixed, about 1 minute.

Top crust with filling, and smooth out the top. Bake until firm, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

Peanut Butter-Choco Biscuit

What you’ll need:

• One 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup powdered peanut butter
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup (about 2 large) egg whites
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (no sugar added)
• 2 tablespoons canned pure pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth and uniform.

Gently fold in 1/2 tablespoon chocolate chips.

Spread mixture into the baking pan, and smooth out the top. Evenly top with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons chocolate chips, and lightly press into the batter.

Bake until a toothpick (or knife) inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

What you’ll need:

• One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (about 4 large) egg whites
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with foil, and generously spray with nonstick spray.

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth and uniform. Fold in 1 tablespoon chocolate chips. 

Spread mixture into the baking pan, and smooth out the top.

Evenly top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips, and lightly press into the batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely.

For more baking recipes, including Highgate’s signature health bar recipes, as well as healthy eating tips for older adults and a behind-the-scenes look at what the food really tastes like in senior living, download our eBook Nutritious Delicious: A Guide to Highgate’s Unique Dining Program.