Desserts can be tricky when you live with diabetes. You absolutely can have a sugary dessert like everyone else, but you may not always want to.
Sometimes a low-carb diabetic dessert that doesn’t mess up your blood sugar is a better option, and, luckily, there are plenty of delicious low-carb dessert recipes to choose from.
This is a list of some of my favorite low-carb diabetic desserts that will satisfy your need for sweet, gooey, and chocolaty goodness!
Tip: if you love pancakes for dessert, you should also check out my list of diabetes-friendly pancake recipes.
What sweet things can a diabetic eat?
If you are anything like me, you probably like most of your desserts to be sweet. Savory desserts can be awesome as well, but it’s hard to beat a sweet dessert to end a great meal.
I have written a very detailed guide to the best sweeteners for people with diabetes that covers most of the natural and artificial sweeteners on the market. I highly recommend reading it, but if you only want the cliff notes, my favorite sweetener that doesn’t impact blood sugar is Stevia.
Sugar and sugar substitutes (honey, agave nectar, etc.) will obviously affect your blood sugar, and artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols can have unwanted side effects (typically digestive issues).
The recipes in this roundup use either Stevia or get their sweetness from other ingredients like fruit and berries.
What is a good dessert for people with diabetes?
I strongly believe that people living with diabetes can enjoy normal food – even occasionally desserts that are high in carbs. Sometimes, enjoying that one specific dessert you have been dreaming about is more important than having perfect blood sugar.
However, there are many ways to create delicious desserts that are (relatively) low-carb and sugar-free. Why not try some of these recipes and enjoy both a great dessert and great blood sugar?
The desserts on this list all have max. 20 grams of carbs per serving and some of them have a lot less.
Low-carb diabetic desserts
The diabetic desserts below are from Diabetes Strong and some of my favorite food blogs.
Low-Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
These sugar-free and low-carb peanut butter cookies are a great healthy treat. Not only are they delicious but they are also made using just 5 ingredients!
Chocolate Keto Fat Bombs
These Chocolate Keto Fat Bombs are packed with five sources of healthy fat and contain only 4 grams of net carbs per serving.
Protein Cheesecake
I make this healthy low-carb protein cheesecake to satisfy my cheesecake cravings without blowing a whole week’s calorie budget. It’s simple, delicious, and only has 6 grams of carbs per serving.
Healthy Chocolate Greek Yogurt Ice Cream
Frozen yogurt is just the perfect snack to cool down when it’s hot outside and this recipe only has 8 grams of carbs per serving (and 20 grams of protein!)
Raspberry & Banana Mousse
This raspberry & banana mousse is the perfect high-protein snack and has a thick silky consistency (like thick whipped cream) without any of the unhealthy ingredients you usually find in anything as good as this.
Pumpkin & Raspberry Muffins
These healthy raspberry pumpkin muffins taste so sinful that nobody will believe that they are actually low-carb, low-fat, and sugar-free when you tell them.
Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles
Nothing says summer quite like a strawberry popsicle. Unfortunately, most popsicles are basically frozen sugar on a stick, and that simply won’t do for me. That’s why I created these healthy and homemade popsicles with Stevia!
Low-Carb Cheesecake
A gluten-free, low-carb cheesecake that has all the flavor and rich, creamy texture of traditional cheesecake without the unhealthy sugar! This is the perfect keto dessert for your family or friends to try.
Easy Chocolate Fudge
This Chocolate Fudge Recipe is super simple, tasty, and just happens to be vegan, low carb, and keto!
Click here for the recipe on HappyHealthyMama.com
Keto Brownies
These decadent keto brownies are insanely delicious, crispy around the edges, and perfectly gooey in the middle. They are so rich that a few bites are all you need to get your chocolate fix. Only 4 grams of net carbs per serving!
More diabetes-friendly recipes
If you want more healthy diabetic recipes, take a look at these recipe roundups:
- 10 healthy dinner recipes for diabetics
- 10 healthy diabetic chicken recipes
- 10 healthy diabetic lunch ideas
I hope you found these low-carb diabetic dessert recipes useful. Please share your own favorite “diabetic desserts” in the comments!
Dwane carroll
Is they a group that I can talk about stuff that I my have questions about be a diabetic think you a lot I been a diabetic for two months now
Christel Oerum
If you’re looking for a support group setting we have a large private Facebook group that you can join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitWithDiabetesChallenge
Tammy Campbell
Monkfruit is another alternative to sugar for diabetics. I don’t use regular sugar anymore in my cooking since I have found that. It doesn’t affect the blood sugar for diabetics.
Tracy Fazio
my fiance is diabetic and i am trying to cook right for him. i find all of this quite useful as i journey into healthier cooking for both of us.
Bea
Hi,
Recipes look great, I havn’t tried any yet, only just found your page.
Just wondering, you use Stevia as a substitute, but it contains Maltodextrin that can spike blood sugar levels? So how can that be good for diabetics?
Just curious as I am struggling to find things to bake and dont want to get it wrong 🙂
Christel Oerum
If you buy Stevia extract is has nothing but Stevia in it. Most of the mixed products, such as Stevia in the Raw which I recommend, have a very small amount of other sweeteners in them. In my experience, the amount of other “stuff” added to the sweeteners is so minimal that it has no blood sugar impact. If in doubt you can try out a small amount and see if you observe any impact. You can read more about the different sweeteners here: https://diabetesstrong.com/how-natural-artificial-sweeteners-affect-blood-sugar/
William
You may wish to try a sugar alternative called ‘Natvia’. It is 5% stevia and 95% erythritol-a sugar alcohol. Erythritol can’t be broken down in the blood so it has no effect on blood sugar levels. It is considered safe and non toxic. Yes you can use it in baking and there is a baking area on their website. Pure stevia has an aftertaste which I found unpalatable after a while but Natvia so far seems ok. You can also trick the tastebuds by using another sweetener every now and then such as coconut sugar (low GI) to stave off rejection. I baked with Natvia last night for the first time for an orange cake and the whole mixture clung to the beaters, I hadn’t been to Natvias baking site then which I’d recommend. Natvia looks and tastes like sugar. Available in Pakn Save or Countdown in your sugar aisles.
AC
Have you tried sugar free applesauce?
Christel Oerum
I make that myself. Really good but very hard to make low carb since apples are mainly carbs
Diane Clafton
Oh didn’t know that and I love apple sauce , make it myself and freeze, but dont add sugar and thought that I was doing really well. !!!
Christel Oerum
Nothing wrong with fruit, you just need to be careful with the serving size
Concerned
Erithritol can cause blood clots leading to stroke and had been banned in Europe for that reason. Make sure you do your research on alternative sugars, most of them (especially sugar alcohols) cause worse health problems than diabetes.
Marina
Really tired of the coconut craze for everything. I’m allergic. Lots of people are. Does anyone care? No. Everything is coconut or walnut or almond butter/flour/oil. My aunt died from an allergy to nuts, so this really bothers me that no one out there takes it seriously. When someone comes up with a way that doesn’t involve nuts, you’ll have my attention in spades. Until then, I have to chew my carrot sticks and dream of chocolate cake.
Kris
Other flours that may be good for your situation are brown rice flour, quinoa flour, and chickpea flour. I don’t know how well they would substitute in the recipes above, but it’s worth a shot.
Tracele Harris
Sorry your having a rough time. At one point so did I; my child has severe food allergies gluten,milk, lactose, wheat, peanuts, tree nut and processed foods. However over the years I have learned to make him deliciois desserts and have found products that we both like to eat… Mrs. Greens, Whole Foods and many other stores carry good products. Yes reading labels is necessary and trying until you find what you like. But my child enjoys non dairy ice creams, cakes, cookies and some csndies. I like the brand enjoy life, udi and so many others. Or look on line and make your own. Which we do too!
It is hard to loss someone you love, especially to food allergies. I pray for your healing and dont give up because there out there!!
Emie
We have those allergens in our family too. I have milled my own grains but since found premium gold gluten free flax and ancient grains all purpose flour. got at grocery outlet. Fantastic product!