6 Healthy Peppermint and Chocolate Holiday Treats You'll Love

'Tis the season for all things peppermint, from peppermint mocha to peppermint chocolate or white chocolate. It can be tough to resist the call of sweet treats, especially during the holiday season. If you're trying to keep things in check, nutritionally speaking, pick up one of these good-for-you peppermint-flavored finds to satisfy that craving.

Cool Brew Peppermint Mocha [Vegan]

Hands down my top pick for creating a legitimately good-for-you peppermint mocha latte -- it's so versatile. With only 4 calories and 1 gram of carbs and sugar per serving, this concentrated cold-filtered coffee has a simple ingredient list of water, coffee, chicory, natural chocolate and natural mint flavoring.

As with any variety of Cool Brew, add 1 ounce of coffee concentrate to 8-9 ounces of hot or cold water and/or milk. Go lower-carb (and vegan) with unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk, or at it to a ready-to-drink low-carb protein drink like ICONIC for a low-carb, protein-rich peppermint mocha iced latte.

Nutpods Peppermint Mocha Almond + Coconut Creamer [vegan]

This dairy-free peppermint mocha creamer has just 10 calories per cup, with 0 grams of carbohydrates and sugar.

Add to hot or iced coffee, smoothies or even in hot cereals.

Lily's Peppermint White Chocolate Style Baking Chips [Vegetarian]

Add these good-for-you peppermint-flavored white chocolate baking chips to baked goods or melt and drizzle as a peppermint white chocolate sauce. At 60 calories per serving, 3 grams of carbs and less than 1 gram of sugar, these baking chips are made from plant-based sweetener erythritol, cocoa butter, milk, chicory root fiber and stevia.

Aloha Peppermint White Chocolate Protein Bar [Vegan]

Each decadently sweet 220-calorie bar has 14 grams of protein (about what you get in 1-1/2 ounces of chicken breast) and just 5 grams of sugar. The bars are made from a plant-based protein blend and are creamy inside with a crunchy, cool peppermint topping. They are available at health food and supplement stores and online at www.aloha.com.

Republic of Tea Peppermint Chocolate Tea [Vegan and gluten-free]

A naturally caffeine-free blend of antioxidant-rich red tea, carob, cocoa kernels and peppermint leaves, this is a creamy, rich chocolate tea with a cool peppermint finish. Sip it hot or chilled, plain or with a splash of milk or milk alternative. Zero calories, zero carbs and zero sugar equals zero guilt!

Organic Peppermint Hot Cocoa Protein Powder by Orgain [Vegan]

Not all holiday indulgences have to be bad. With 21 grams of organic, plant-based protein and no added sugar, Orgain's Organic Peppermint Hot Cocoa Protein Powder packs all the nutrition with no guilt.

The powder is made from a pea protein and plant-based protein blend and is naturally sweetened with zero-calorie plant-based sweeteners and natural peppermint flavors. Add a scoop to smoothies, hot or iced lattes, and baked goods

* As a bonus tip, add a burst of peppermint flavor without packing in the sugar by using a few drops of natural peppermint oil in teas, hot chocolate or your other favorite foods. Not only can it help to improve digestion, but even just the aroma of peppermint has also been shown to improve cognition, attention span, and alertness.

Editor’s note: Registered Dietitian Molly Kimball offers brand-name products as a consumer guide; she does not solicit product samples nor is she paid to recommend items. A version of this article originally appeared on WGNO’s “Get FUELED with Molly” segment.