Desserts for Diabetics: Tips and Recipes

Desserts for Diabetics: Tips and Recipes
Saúl Sánchez Arias

Reviewed and approved by the nutritionist Saúl Sánchez Arias.

Last update: 05 October, 2022

Contrary to what you might think, there are tasty desserts for diabetics that aren’t unhealthy if eaten in moderation.

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding diabetes. One of the most famous ones is that you have to ban all kinds of desserts from your diet. In reality, it all depends on each patient and his or her specific type of diabetes.

The secret lies in portion size and the frequency with which these desserts are consumed.

Diabetes is characterized by high levels of blood glucose. When the production of the hormone insulin decreases, the levels of sugar in the blood and urine increase. The consequence of all of this is type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

The body is unable to control high levels of glucose. The complications of diabetes can range from increased risk of kidney damage and stroke all the way to limb amputation.

There are various factors that can help maintain a diabetic’s quality of life, including exercise, weight control and a healthy diet. Sedentary lifestyles and obesity are big risk factors.

People with diabetes don’t only have to worry about their sugar levels, they must also be cautions with their intake of fats, proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates. Ideally, healthy people should also keep these elements in mind.

Desserts for diabetics, small pleasures

With certain precautions in mind, the small pleasures of life don’t have to be limited. Desserts are just a few of those small pleasures in life that even diabetics can enjoy.

Just take a few precautions. Substituting sugar for natural sweeteners such as stevia can allow you to make delicious desserts for diabetics. Honey and cereal molasses should be avoided.

Here are some special dessert recipes for people with diabetes. They can be enjoyed by small children, teenagers and adults.

Desserts for Diabetics

Strawberry Bavarois

Ingredients

  • 150 grams of strawberries.
  • 15 grams of gelatin.
  • 2 egg yolks.
  • Sweeteners.
  • 150 grams of liquid cream.
  • 15 grams of corn flour.
  • 250 ml of skimmed milk.

Preparation

Ten minutes in advance, put the gelatin in water. Meanwhile, the strawberries should be blended. The corn flour should also be dissolved in three tablespoons of milk in combination with the stirred egg yolks.

The rest of the milk and a pinch of sweetener should be heated in a saucepan. When it begins to boil, it should be stirred constantly. Add the cornmeal mixture slowly and keep stirring until it reaches a boil.

The mixture should then be taken off the heat, strained and stirred until it cools. Finally, mix the strawberries and whipped cream along with the rest of the sweetener.

This dessert provides around 230 kcal per serving, 20 grams of fat and 9 grams of carbohydrates.

Desserts for Diabetics

Whole wheat orange cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 egg.
  • A pinch of salt.
  • 60 grams of margarine.
  • Liquid sweetener.
  • 70 grams of mashed potatoes.
  • 200 grams of whole wheat flour.
  • 70 grams of bran flakes.
  • 3 tablespoons of orange juice.
  • 1 teaspoon of vegetable margarine.
  • Skin of a finely grated orange.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a bowl, mix the flour, yeast, bran, orange zest and salt.

Next, margarine should be added bit by bit as the dough is worked until it looks like fine bread crumbs. The sweetener and mashed potatoes should then be added to the mixture.

Next, beat the egg and orange juice until you get a firm paste. Stretch the dough on a previously floured board until it’s very thin. Then cut it into circles or squares of about 5 centimeters in size.

Bake on a greased baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes until crisp. They should then be cooled on a rack and stored in an airtight container.

These cookies should be eaten with discretion. Each cookie provides 5 kcal, 2 grams of fat and 10 grams of carbohydrates.

Desserts for Diabetics

Apple and cinnamon cake

Ingredients

  • 1 egg.
  • 1 cup of chopped pecans.
  • Teaspoon of vanilla.
  • 1/2 cup of sweetener.
  • 1/2 cup of unsalted butter.
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
  • 2 cups of all-purpose wheat flour.
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of sugarless apple puree

Preparation

Mix the flour with the baking powder. In another large container, mix the butter with the sweetener. Then add the vanilla, eggs, pecans, cinnamon, applesauce and finally the flour mixture.

Place the mixture in a greased and floured mold and put in the oven at a temperature of 175 degrees Celsius. This recipe provides 684 kcal in total.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • American Diabetes Association. Eat right doesn’t have to be boring.
  • Carr AC., Maggini S., Vitamin C and immune function. Nutrients, 2017.
  • Christodoulides S., Dimidi E., Fragkos KC., Farmer AD., et al., Systematic review with meta analysis: effect of fibre supplementation on chronic idiopathic constipation in adults. Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2016. 44 (2): 103-16.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.