Diabetic desserts. Are there safe and delicious sweet treaties you can have without impacting blood sugar levels too much?
The answer is yes!
But, that sweet creamy flavored ice cream full of added sugar. Those chocolate chip cookies made with white flour. And that store-bought pumpkin pie with whipped topping you love… well, they are a few desserts that may be off limits.
The good news is, there are plenty of options and alternatives to satisfy your sweet tooth that are blood sugar safe, and equally enjoyable. Read on to discover more…
Deconstructing Desserts
Let’s look more closely at some “normal” desserts.
Apple pie
Take a look at the nutrition facts for a Banquet single serve Apple pie.
The fact is, most apple pies stack up a whopping 30 to 60 grams of carbs per slice – ouch!
It’s a combo of the fresh fruit (high in carbs) and the pie crust (high in carbs).
For instance, a pie crust made with graham cracker racks up around 19 to 20 grams of carbs per slice before adding any filling. Other wheat flour pie crusts can range anywhere starting from 10 grams per slice upwards. And that’s before the sweet sugar-filled filling!
Ice cream
The reality is, ice cream is basically just sugar and ranges from 15 grams up to 55 grams in carbs.
- Kroger Deluxe Chocolate Chip Ice Cream – 16 grams per 1/2 cup serve
- Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked Ice Cream – 33 grams per 1/2 cup serve
- McDonald’s Ice Cream Sundae – 52 grams per portion!
Imagine adding that on top of your apple pie – 64 + 20 (being modest) = 84 grams in one sitting!
That’s about how many carbs we recommend each day, not just for one sitting!
Carrot cake
Another common offender that people think is a “healthier” option:
- Continental cafe carrot cake – 37 grams of carbs per slice
- Starbucks carrot cake bar – 46 grams per bar
- Costco carrot cake – 50 grams per slice
- Kroger Bakery carrot cake – 86 grams per slice!!!
Okay, I think you get the picture about desserts, right?
They are high in carbs, some super high. And that means a difficult job regulating blood sugar levels.
But don’t worry, all is not lost. There are plenty of options and alternatives so keep reading because we share some ideas and recipes below.
Debunking Sugar
Sugar, sugar, sugar – it’s a sad fact that it is everywhere!
And unfortunately, desserts are one of the biggest culprits for stacking up added sugar in your diet.
The thing is, many people get confused about all the different types of sugar and often think “natural” sugars are better.
For instance, is brown sugar better than white sugar? Is maple syrup okay? What about agave? And what about honey?
The answer is that most forms of sugar are all exactly the same in terms of their carbohydrate content. And that means they are all going to have a similar affect on blood sugar levels – up they go!
Yes, a couple do have lower glycemic index. But unfortunately, sugar is sugar, period.
Safe Dessert Solutions
When people think of “safe” desserts, they often think: “I need to eat low-fat.”
One problem: Low fat usually means high carb.
Take yogurt as an example.
Fat is not a problem. In fact, we need it for many important physical functions. And when eating a low carb diet such as the one we encourage here, your fat intake is often moderately high – filled with good healthy fats, of course.
As we already established above, the issue with most common dessert options is their high sugar and carb content. Not to mention, they often have a list of pretty crappy ingredients.
So when thinking about making diabetic desserts (or purchasing them) think about whole food ingredients such as:
- low carb flours – almond, flax, coconut, sesame
- peanut butter
- cream cheese
- cream
- fresh fruit, predominantly fresh berries because they have the lowest carbs
- sour cream
- nuts and seeds
- unsweetened cocoa
- vanilla extract
- spices like cinnamon
- And anything else from our recommended food list
And of course, make your desserts sugar free.
When choosing sugar substitutes, go for:
- stevia
- erythritol
- xylitol
- monk fruit
- tagatose
These are scientifically-backed to be the best options for better blood sugar control, and overall health, too.
Please pin, tweet or share; then keep browsing below for delicious recipes.
Diabetic Dessert Recipes
Okay, this is what you’ve been waiting for – the delicious ideas and easy recipes – MmmMmmm…
Above you’re looking at some of our awesome sweet treats.
Strawberry Almond Cake – made with an almond flour base and topped with vanilla cashew cream and fresh strawberries.
Chocolate Slice – a rich, moist chocolate slice topped with cream cheese frosting.
Strawberry Delights – an almond and coconut base topped with a fresh strawberry cream and a drizzle of low sugar dark chocolate.
Peanut Butter Fudge – a fudgy delightful blend of peanut butter and chocolate.
Blueberry Tarts – a blissful berry coconut base topped with sweetened cream and fresh berries.
Chocolate Chia Pudding – a simple mix of creamy avocado, chia seeds and chocolate cocoa powder.
All our Decadent Desserts are gluten free, low in carbs, making them blood sugar friendly.
Now for some recipes…
Raspberry Cream Pie
A coconut/ almond flour pie crust with a sweet yet slightly tangy raspberry filling. You can get this recipe free, plus an entire cooking class to go with it – click here.
Using the same pie crust as above, we recently added a delicious pumpkin pie for our members. Don’t you just love those pumpkin pie spices? Delish.♥️
Coconut Chia Pudding
A delightful combo of coconut and chia seeds with the compliment of fresh berries.
Carrot Cinnamon Loaf
You won’t find 50 grams of carbs in our low carb carrot loaf. But it’s still moist, sweet and delicious!
No Bake Diabetic Chocolate Pudding
Just whip a few simple ingredients together to get a creamy chocolate pudding you can safely enjoy.
Chocolate Mousse
Enjoy a family favorite after that Sunday dinner – creamy, mouthwatering chocolate mousse.
Let’s Wrap it Up…
As you can see, the words diabetes and deprivation do not belong in the same sentence. Special occasions, or even just everyday treaties can be enjoyed – and you can eat desserts!
There are tons of diabetes-friendly desserts available to you. You just have to learn what the alternatives are.
If you need more heavenly inspiration, check out our Decadent Desserts Menu.
VIP MEMBERS: Login to the Members site to find all our diabetic desserts in the recipe database under “Sweets.”
Claudia Seversen
My A1c was 5.8% on2/11/23 when my Dr.said I was prediabetic and to cut out carbs and come back in a year. I was 83 then and workirking out 1 to 2 hours, three days a week, 15 mins on treadmill the rest on machines and free weights plus 15 min. of yoga and aerobic leg lifts. I live in an independent living community and only get one meal a day. Have Essential Tremors so can’t cook much except oatmeal and scrambled eggs. The rest I microwave. I have cut out rice, potatoes, bread, pasta of any kind and all desert except 4oz. of ice cream one a week, If its not on the DMPP recommended food group, I don’t eat it.
I just went back for my one year check up and my A1c is 6.1%!!! I’m 5′ and weigh 90 lbs. My Dr. is not happy. What do I do now?
Barbara
Why does your free food list not show up in my email I have filled out the send me the food list app. Several times and I receive nothing. Can I give you my email here? Barb.
Dr Jedha - Nutritionist (PhD)
Hi Barb, please contact our support desk: [email protected]
Barbara Maynard
Ok now o know. Well I tried to get your food list several times and you say I need to confirm but it does not show up in my email or any of my other mail boxes. Can I get it? I can’t get the subscription to go through. I do get your news letter and I try using your suggestions. But would like the food list. Is this why I can’t get it?
Dr Jedha - Nutritionist (PhD)
Hi Barbara, please contact our support desk and they will assist you: [email protected]