Low-Fat Christmas Cake With Greek Yoghurt
This rich and fruity low-fat Christmas cake uses fat-free Greek yoghurt instead of butter. Packed with currants, sultanas, raisins, cherries and apricots, it contains approximately 2g of fat per serving when divided into 30 small portions.
It is a large family Christmas cake, so there’s plenty to share. Although it tastes wonderfully indulgent, most of the cake is dried fruit, and you only need a small slice because it’s so rich and filling.
If you’re trying to reduce your fat intake, or find a traditional butter-rich fruit cake too heavy, this butter-free Christmas cake offers a lighter alternative. Individual tolerance varies, especially for people with gallstones or digestive problems, so begin with a small portion.
Why You’ll Love This Low-Fat Christmas Cake
Approximately 2g of fat per serving
Made without butter, margarine or oil
Uses fat-free Greek yoghurt for moisture
Packed with traditional Christmas fruit and spices
Makes approximately 30 small servings
Can be prepared ahead of Christmas
Includes alcohol-free preparation options
How Can Christmas Cake Be Made Without Butter?
Traditional Christmas cake usually contains a considerable amount of butter. In this recipe, I’ve replaced the butter with fat-free Greek yoghurt.
The yoghurt adds moisture and helps bind the cake mixture without the fat found in butter. Because the cake is full of dried fruit, it stays rich, dense and satisfying rather than turning into a conventional light sponge.
This is still a celebration cake containing sugar and dried fruit, so enjoy it in a small portion. “Low fat” doesn’t mean low sugar or make the cake suitable for every medical diet.
Low-Fat Christmas Cake Recipe at a Glance
Preparation time: Approximately 30 minutes, plus optional overnight soaking
Cooking time: Approximately 4¾–5 hours
Oven temperature: 140°C conventional, 120°C fan, Gas 1 or 280°F
Cake tin: Deep 23cm/9-inch round tin or deep 20cm/8-inch square tin
Servings: Approximately 30 small slices
Estimated fat: Approximately 2g per serving
Low-Fat Christmas Cake Ingredients
For the dried fruit
425g currants
- 250g sultanas
- 250g raisins
- 300 g Glacé Cherries washed, rinsed and quartered
- 150 g Dried Apricots
- 75 g Mixed Peel
- 4 tbsp Brandy plus extra if soaking the fruit overnight
For The Cake Mixture
- 300 g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 300 g Fat Free Greek Yoghurt
- 300 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 5 Egg
- 60 g Chopped Almonds
- 1 tbsp Black Treacle
- 1 Lemon Zest Finely grated
- 1 Orange Zest Finely grated
How to Make Low-Fat Christmas Cake
Step 1: Soak the fruit
- Place the currants, sultanas, raisins, glacé cherries, dried apricots and mixed peel in a large bowl.
- Pour over the brandy and stir well so the fruit is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and leave the fruit to soak overnight.
- Overnight soaking gives the fruit more time to absorb the flavour, but you can continue without it if necessary.
Step 2: Prepare the oven and cake tin
- Preheat the oven to 140°C conventional, 120°C fan, Gas 1 or 280°F.
- Lightly grease a deep 23cm/9-inch round cake tin or a deep 20cm/8-inch square tin.
- Fully line the base and sides with two layers of baking paper. Let the paper around the sides rise slightly above the edge of the tin.
Careful lining protects the cake during its long, slow bake.
Step 3: Make the cake mixture
- Place the flour, mixed spice, nutmeg, fat-free Greek yoghurt, brown sugar, eggs, chopped almonds, black treacle, lemon zest and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Don’t beat the mixture for longer than necessary.
- Add the soaked fruit and any liquid left in the bowl.
- Fold everything together until the fruit is evenly distributed.
Step 4: Bake the Christmas cake
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.
- Cover the top loosely with a piece of baking paper to stop it becoming too dark.
- Bake for approximately 4¾–5 hours.
- Start checking the cake before the suggested cooking time ends, as ovens vary.
- The cake is ready when the centre feels firm and a thin skewer or knife inserted into the middle comes out without wet cake mixture attached. A little moisture from the fruit is normal.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
Step 5: Feed and store the cake
- When the cake is completely cool, pierce the surface several times with a fine skewer.
- If you like, slowly spoon 1–2 tablespoons of brandy over the surface.
- Remove the cake from the tin but leave its lining paper in place.
- Wrap it in a fresh layer of baking paper, then wrap it securely in foil. Keep the foil from touching the cake directly.
- Place the wrapped cake in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
You can add another 1–2 tablespoons of brandy occasionally while the cake matures. Don’t add too much at once, as this could make the cake wet and difficult to slice.
Important Storage Advice
This recipe uses yoghurt instead of the butter found in a traditional Christmas cake, which may affect its texture and storage life. Only keep it at room temperature for an extended period if the recipe has been tested under those conditions and you’ve baked, cooled and wrapped the cake correctly.
Check the cake regularly and discard it if you notice mould, an unpleasant smell or an unexpectedly wet or sticky texture. For longer and more predictable storage, wrap the cooled cake securely and freeze it.
If you make the alcohol-free version, I recommend freezing it instead of maturing it for several months. Slice it before freezing if you’d like to defrost one or two portions at a time.
How to Make an Alcohol-Free Christmas Cake
You can make this low-fat Christmas cake without brandy. Replace the brandy used to soak the fruit with the same quantity of:
- Orange juice
- Apple juice
- Cold black tea
Don’t feed the finished cake with alcohol. Fruit juice doesn’t preserve cake in the same way as alcohol, and it can add moisture that encourages spoilage. For that reason, don’t pour it over the cake during storage.
Store the alcohol-free cake appropriately and freeze it if you’re preparing it well in advance.
Tips for the Best Butter-Free Christmas Cake
Use thick Greek yoghurt
Choose thick, fat-free Greek yoghurt rather than a thin yoghurt drink. A thicker consistency adds less excess liquid to the cake mixture.
Prepare the cherries properly
Rinsing the glacé cherries removes some of the thick syrup that can make them sink or clump together. Dry them thoroughly before cutting and adding them to the fruit mixture.
Chop larger pieces of fruit
Cut the apricots and cherries into fairly small, even pieces. This helps distribute the fruit throughout the cake and makes the finished cake easier to slice.
Line the tin carefully
A fruit cake spends several hours in the oven. Double lining the tin helps stop the outside cooking too quickly before the centre is ready.
Check the cake before five hours
Every oven behaves differently. Start checking the cake at around four hours, but avoid opening the oven repeatedly during the early baking time.
Allow it to cool completely
Don’t wrap a warm cake. Trapped steam can create excess moisture and increase the likelihood of spoilage.
How to Serve Low-Fat Christmas Cake
This is a large, fruit-filled cake that makes approximately 30 modest slices. Because it’s dense and rich, a small piece is generally enough.
To keep the serving lower in fat, enjoy it on its own rather than adding butter, cream, brandy butter or a thick layer of marzipan and icing. I like mine with a small slice of low fat cheese!
If you’re serving the cake to someone who experiences symptoms after gallbladder removal or while living with gallstones, remember that tolerance is personal. The eggs and almonds mean the cake isn’t fat-free, so begin with a small slice and avoid it if any ingredients are known triggers.
Low-Fat Christmas Cake Variations
Nut-free Christmas cake
To make the cake without nuts, omit the almonds. Don’t replace them with ground almonds, as these are also high in fat. Always check the labels on mixed peel and other packaged ingredients if preparing the cake for someone with an allergy.
Christmas cake without glacé cherries
If you don’t like glacé cherries, replace them with an equal weight of additional raisins, sultanas or chopped dried apricots.
Christmas cake without treacle
The black treacle adds colour and a deep caramel flavour. If it’s unavailable, you can use a tablespoon of golden syrup, although the cake may be slightly lighter in colour and flavour.
A Lighter Christmas Cake for the Whole Family
This low-fat Christmas cake shows that a festive fruit cake doesn’t need lots of butter to taste rich and seasonal. Fat-free Greek yoghurt keeps it moist, while dried fruit, citrus zest, treacle and warming spices bring plenty of traditional Christmas flavour.
With approximately 30 small portions and around 2g of fat per serving, it’s ideal for sharing with family and friends. Serve a small slice on its own and enjoy it as part of your Christmas celebrations.
Nutritional figures are estimates and will vary according to the ingredients, brands, final cooked weight and portion size. This recipe provides general food information and isn’t a substitute for personalised medical or dietary advice.
More Christmas recipes:
Low Fat Roast Turkey with Chestnut and Herb stuffing
Low Fat Air Fryer Turkey Crown
Low Fat Christmas Cake With Greek Yoghurt
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- For the overnight soak. Combine the fruit and candied peel in a large bowl. Add the brandy, and stir to mix well. Cover and leave over night.
- Preheat the oven to 140℃/120℃fan/Gas 1/280℉
- Put the remaining ingredients into a large bowl and beat well with an electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Stir in the mixed fruit and any liquid.
- Grease and fully double line a large deep 23cm (9in) round tin or 20cm (8in) square cake tin. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface. Cover with baking paper and bake in the oven for 4¾ – 5 hours or until the knife inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.
- Pierce the cake several times with a fine skewer and pour over a little brandy. Remove the cake from the tin, but leave the lining paper on. Wrap the cake in more baking paper then overwrap with foil. Store in a cool place for up to 3 months, unwrapping and adding more brandy occasionally (1-2 tbsp).
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This low-fat Christmas cake uses fat-free Greek yoghurt instead of butter. The yoghurt provides moisture and helps bind the mixture, while the large quantity of dried fruit creates the traditional dense Christmas cake texture.
No. The cake contains no butter or oil, but the eggs and almonds naturally contain fat. When cut into 30 small portions, the recipe contains an estimated 2g of fat per serving. Exact nutrition depends on the brands used and the final weight and size of each slice.
This recipe makes one large family Christmas cake and provides approximately 30 small servings. Fruit cake is rich and dense, so it’s best served in modest slices.
Some people with gallstones can tolerate a small portion of lower-fat fruit cake, but food triggers vary. This recipe is lower in fat than many traditional Christmas cakes, although it still contains eggs and almonds. Begin with a small slice and follow any dietary advice provided by your doctor or dietitian.
Many people can enjoy a small serving after recovering from gallbladder removal, but tolerance varies. Dried fruit, nuts, alcohol and rich foods may cause digestive symptoms for some people.
Try a small portion first, and avoid any ingredient you know causes symptoms.
Yes. Replace the brandy used for soaking with orange juice, apple juice or cold black tea. Don’t feed the finished cake with juice, and freeze it if you need to store it for an extended period.
Yes. You can prepare the cake ahead, but a yoghurt-based fruit cake may not keep in quite the same way as a traditional butter-rich cake. Cool and wrap it carefully, then check it regularly.
Freeze it for more predictable long-term storage.
Yes. Let the cake cool completely, keep the baking-paper lining in place, and wrap it securely in baking paper and foil. Then put it in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag.
You can also freeze individual slices. Defrost the cake thoroughly while it remains wrapped.
