Desserts and Sweets for People with Diabetes

Having diabetes doesn't mean you can never have desserts and sweets again. With some simple swaps and diabetes-friendly dessert recipes, you can satisfy your sweet tooth without sending your blood sugar soaring.

Remember that for people with diabetes, the total number of carbohydrates in a meal or snack matters more than the total sugar. That means dessert can still fit into your diet—with a few adjustments.

Before you head to the kitchen, here are a few dessert guidelines and some of our favorite sweets to consider if you've got diabetes.

Pictured Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Dessert Guidelines for People With Diabetes

1. Swap Carbohydrates

If you opt for something sweet after dinner, you might want to skip the starch at your meal to keep your total carbs in check. By swapping carbohydrates instead of adding them, you're also helping keep your blood sugar levels steady. Keeping mealtime carbs consistent also makes it easier for diabetes medications, such as mealtime insulin, to work properly to keep your blood sugar steady.

But keep in mind that while exchanging your sweet potato for cheesecake can keep your carb intake steady, you'll lose the fiber, vitamins and other good-for-you nutrients that the sweet potato would provide. For this reason, rather than eating dessert every night, consider enjoying desserts two or three nights a week.

2. Decrease Serving Sizes

For those who take mealtime insulin, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends using an insulin-to-carb ratio to determine how much insulin you need to take to manage post-eating blood sugars. The amount of insulin is, in part, based on how many carbs are in the meal. This is something a registered dietitian or Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist can help you figure out.

If you don't take mealtime insulin, the ADA states that there are several options for figuring out how many carbs to eat. Some people prefer to count and track carbs—and there are a couple of ways to do so—and some prefer to use the Diabetes Plate Method. Regardless of which method you use, by choosing a smaller portion of a sweet treat, you can still enjoy it without using up your allotted carbohydrates for the meal.

As an example, let's say you're aiming for 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal and are eyeing a bakery-sized cookie for dessert. Eating that cookie will put you well over your carb target for that meal, as those large cookies can contain 60 g of carbs alone. Instead, opt for a small cookie when you want to end your meal on a sweet note.

3. Go Easy on Artificial Sweeteners

While making desserts with artificial sweeteners can help you cut down on calories and carbs, it's a better idea to try to reduce your total sweetener consumption—from both sugar and noncaloric sources.

Because artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, they may enhance your craving for sweets. They have also been shown to alter your gut bacteria, which can affect how the body regulates blood sugar. And there is even evidence that suggests that regularly consuming artificial sweeteners may increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Diabetes-Friendly Desserts to Try

Pictured Recipe: Apple Pie in an Apple

Fruit

Fruit is one of the best desserts for people with diabetes—and the same goes for people who don't have diabetes. Not only does it have good-for-you vitamins and minerals, but it also contains fiber. Fiber helps stabilize blood sugar and can also lower cholesterol. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating about 28 g of fiber per day—yet most people get only about half as much as they need.

Make a fruit parfait with plain yogurt, or choose a yogurt brand lower in sugar to make a tasty dessert that is lower in carbohydrates but still satisfies the desire for something sweet.

Chocolate

Good news for people with diabetes! Eating chocolate may improve insulin response and blood sugar control because of the presence of flavanols, which are protective compounds found in cocoa.

The problem is that most of the chocolate we eat contains only small amounts of flavanols and is loaded with added sugar. This can be remedied by opting for dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa and avoiding the milk or white varieties.

Gelatin Desserts

While traditional gelatin desserts, such as Jell-O, contain about 20 g of sugar in one serving, sugar-free Jell-O can be a good alternative for people with diabetes who want an after-dinner treat.

The downside? With only 1 g of protein and not much else, Jell-O has little nutritional value. Plus, sugar-free versions contain both artificial colors and sweeteners. Even though it's low in carbohydrates, it's still best to limit sugar-free gelatin consumption.

Frozen Desserts

Going out for ice cream may not be as much fun when you have diabetes, since 1 cup of vanilla ice cream delivers around 30 g of carbohydrates. While frozen yogurt may seem like a healthier option, most brands pack more sugar than ice cream since they typically have less fat to help carry the flavor—less fat means more sugar to make it taste better.

If you are ordering out, ask for a mini or kid-size portion. Otherwise, consider saving money and carbs by making a healthier frozen treat at home, like one of our nice creams or sorbets.

The Bottom Line

Most Americans eat too much sugar. And if you have diabetes, it's especially important to keep an eye on your intake. Of course, having a healthier, portion-controlled sweet treat once in a while can be part of a healthy diet, even for people with diabetes. The key is moderation and making tweaks to treats so they fit into your diet.

Sweet treats or not, if you're having trouble keeping your blood sugar under control, be sure to speak with your health care professional or a registered dietitian, who can help you design a blood-sugar-stabilizing plan tailored to you, your lifestyle and your food preferences.