Delicious and Nutritious Recipes That are Lower in Sugar

Do you ever crave something sweet, but are concerned with the amount of sugar?

Instead of ignoring our craving for sweets because of the added sugar content, try creative ideas such as adding or replacing typical dessert ingredients with fruit, plain yogurt, or nuts/seeds. The following recipes are not only delicious, but are nutritious! Compared to common desserts, they are lower in sugar and higher in nutrients such as protein, fiber, and vitamins. If you have diabetes, you may even be able to enjoy these desserts in moderation, especially when paired with protein. Talk to your dietitian or health care provider for individualized recommendations. For more information, visit the following links:

https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/recipes-nutrition

https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/tags/desserts.html   

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

This recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and salty in a dessert. This recipe is significantly lower in sugar than the major brand-name cup. The brand name contains 20 grams of sugar per package (2 peanut butter cups), while this recipe contains only 7 grams for 2 peanut butter cups. They’re easy and fun to make.

Recipe serves: 6

Serving Per Person: 2 peanut butter cups

Sugar: 7 g per serving

 Ingredients:

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

½ cup unsalted peanut butter

1 cup sugar free chocolate chips, melted

 Directions:

1. Prepare a cupcake pan with 6 liners.
2. Stir together peanut butter and powdered sugar until mixture is smooth.
3. Spread 2 tablespoons of chocolate into the bottom of each cupcake liner.
4. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
5. Place a dollop of 1 tablespoon of peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate.
6. Cover each dollop with more chocolate and gently smooth out the top.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
8. Carefully remove the peanut butter cups from the liner and enjoy!

Watermelon Fruit Pizza

This dessert is a great way to add fruits into your day. Other fruits which can be used are blueberries, raspberries, halved grapes, shaved coconut, or kiwi. Keep the measurements the same when replacing fruits from the original recipe.

Total Servings: 8

Serving Per Person: 1 wedge

Sugar: 8 g/serving

Ingredients:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon honey

2 large round slices of watermelon

3 tablespoons of chia seeds or diced almonds

¾ cup fresh strawberries, sliced

½ cup blackberries, halved

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Cut an entire watermelon in half lengthwise. Continue cutting lengthwise to get 2 large round slices.
2. Combine the yogurt and honey in a small size bowl.
3. Spread ½ of the yogurt mixture onto each large slice of watermelon.
4. Top with sliced strawberries, blackberries. Sprinkle the chia seeds and mint.
5. Cut each slice of watermelon into 8 wedges.
6. Serve immediately.

All Blogs are written by Professionals in the fields of Nutrition, Human Development and Diabetes.