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Recipes: Desserts for People With Diabetes

Diabetic Food

If you have diabetes, that doesn't mean you have to forgo dessert for the rest of your life. But you do need to be smart about what you eat—and how much. "In general, people with diabetes should limit total calories and added sugars," says Timothy Graham, MD, an endocrinologist at University of Utah Health. "If you are controlling your blood sugar by injecting insulin, it's important to learn how to plan ahead to adjust insulin for intake of extra carbohydrates and sugars." Here are recipes for three low-sugar desserts:

 

Peach-Cranberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 (16-ounce) sugar-free yellow cake mix
¾ cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons orange peel, zested
1 cup orange juice
⅓ cup canola oil
2 cups peaches, diced
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup wheat germ
Sugar substitute equivalent to ¼ cup sugar
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
  3. Combine the cake mix, egg substitute, orange peel, orange juice and oil in a large bowl. Mix according to cake mix package directions. Spoon equal amounts of the batter in each of the cake pans.
  4. Sprinkle peaches and cranberries evenly over the cake batter. Top with wheat germ. In small bowl, combine the sugar, walnuts and cinnamon and then sprinkle evenly over cakes.
  5. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
  6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Per serving (makes 20 servings): 161 calories; 8 g fat; 27 g carbohydrates; 7 g sugar; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 185 mg sodium.

Source: Diabetic Living Online

 

Peanut Butter Nuggets

Ingredients

½ cup natural peanut butter
¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
⅓ cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate

Preparation

  1. Combine peanut butter, milk powder and coconut in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Stir in oats, cinnamon, wheat germ and apple juice until thoroughly combined.
  3. Roll into 1-inch balls.
  4. Chill before serving.
  5. Store remaining nuggets in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Per nugget (makes 30 nuggets): 46 calories; 2.9 g fat; 3.8 g carbohydrates; 1.8 g sugar; 1.9 g protein; 0.7 g fiber; 18 mg sodium; 74 mg potassium.

Source: All Recipes

 

Dark Chocolate Mint Bites

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup rolled oats
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon shortening
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Preparation

  1. Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Pulse oats in a food processor until finely ground.
  3. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and ¼ cup chocolate chips. Stir in oats, crushed wafers, cocoa powder, milk and salt.
  4. Press crust mixture into prepared pan, and chill for 15 minutes.
  5. In the same saucepan, combine remaining chocolate chips and the shortening. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Set aside.
  6. In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and peppermint extract, stirring until smooth. Spread evenly over crust and drizzle with the melted chocolate mixture.
  7. Chill until chocolate drizzle is set, about an hour.

Nutrition

Per bar (makes 24 bars): 105 calories; 5 g fat; 6 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 9 g sugar; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 58 mg sodium.

Source: Diabetic Living Online