Servings: 8
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Cooling & Assembly: 30 minutes
Total Time: ~1 hour 10 minutes

Overview

The traditional Christmas yule log is rich, creamy, and often very high in sugar and fat. This lighter, healthier version delivers all of the indulgence with far fewer calories. The sponge is made without butter, the filling is a light chocolate-Greek-yoghurt cream, and the frosting uses cocoa instead of heavy melted chocolate. The result is a beautifully rolled, moist, chocolatey festive dessert that feels luxurious yet balanced.

It’s the perfect centrepiece for a healthier holiday table — still decadent, still stunning, but made with smart swaps that preserve flavour while reducing saturated fat and sugar.

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Sponge

4 large eggs (200 g)
80 g caster sugar
30 g cocoa powder (unsweetened)
60 g wholemeal flour or plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
½ tsp baking powder (2 g)
Pinch of salt

For the Healthy Chocolate Cream Filling

250 g low-fat Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp maple syrup (30 ml)
2 tbsp cocoa powder (15 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)

For the Light Chocolate Frosting

150 g low-fat cream cheese
2 tbsp cocoa powder (15 g)
1½ tbsp maple syrup (22 ml)
1 tbsp milk (15 ml)

Optional: 10 g dark chocolate shavings

Decoration (Optional)

Fresh berries
Dusting of cocoa or icing sugar
Rosemary sprigs (to resemble pine)

Instructions

1. Make the chocolate sponge

Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan) or 190°C (conventional).
Line a 25×35 cm baking tray with parchment paper.

Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.
In one bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Sift in the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix gently.

Fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter in three additions.
This keeps the sponge light since it contains no butter.

Spread the batter evenly across the tray.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until springy to the touch.

2. Roll the sponge

While warm, place a clean tea towel on the countertop and dust it lightly with cocoa powder.

Flip the sponge onto the towel and peel off the parchment.
Starting from the short end, roll the sponge with the towel inside.
Let it cool completely for 20 minutes.

This step gives the sponge “memory” so it won’t crack later.

3. Prepare the healthy chocolate filling

Mix the Greek yoghurt, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.

4. Fill the yule log

Once the sponge is cool, gently unroll it.

Spread the chocolate yoghurt filling evenly across the surface, keeping a 1 cm border around the edges.

Re-roll tightly, this time without the towel.
 Transfer to a board seam-side down.

5. Make the light frosting

Combine cream cheese, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and milk.
Mix until smooth, glossy, and spreadable.

Use a spatula to coat the outside of the log generously.
To create the “bark” effect, drag a fork lightly through the frosting.

Optional: top with dark chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa.

6. Serve

Allow the yule log to chill for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Serve with:

Fresh berries
A dusting of icing sugar “snow”
Rosemary sprigs for decoration

This healthier log is rich, moist, and perfectly festive — without the heaviness of traditional versions.

Estimated Nutrition (per slice)

Calories: 210–240
Protein: 8–10 g
Fat: 6–8 g
Carbs: 30–33 g
Sugar: Much lower than classic recipes