16 Slightly Sweet Treats for the Sweetest Time of the Year

The holiday season is arguably the sweetest time of the year—there are pies to be had, steamed puddings, and fruitcakes, so many cookies we can't keep count. And as much as we love it , it can all become a little overwhelmingly sweet by the time mid-December rolls around.

But every single one of these baked goods is made with just one cup of sugar or less, so you can fully appreciate the rest of each treat's flavors (persimmon! honey! nuts!). (Want to use even less? Just follow Alice Medrich's rules for adapting recipes.)

Low-Sugar Oatmeal Raisin Cranberry Cookies by Joanne Chang

Muscovado Sugar Cookies by Ashley Rodriguez

Bread Pudding by Catherine Lamb

Pear-Maple Tarte Tatin by Joanne Chang

Maple Persimmon Upside-Down Cake with Maple Cream by vvvanessa

Coffee Meringues by drbabs

Anna Jones' Seeded Banana Bread with Lemon Sesame Drizzle by The Curious Pear

Honey-Almond Sesame Cookies by OliveandPearl's

Roll-Out Sugar Cookies by erinmcdowell

Rustic French Honey Cake by thirschfeld

Honey Cashew Morning Buns by Joanne Chang

What's your go-to sweet-but-not-too-sweet sweet?