Diabetic-friendly recipes don't have to mean basic or boring. Read on for a wealth of dessert ideas that will not only satisfy the needs of those watching their blood-sugar levels – but should also please everyone gathered around the holiday table. For even more sweet inspiration, check out 50 Delicious Diabetic Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love.
Diabetic Living magazine spotlights this "diabetic-appropriate" recipe that goes light on both sugar and crust. These individual pies are baked in hollowed-out apples and topped with an airy lattice crust that features vegetable oil instead of fat-laden butter.
Recipe: EatingWell
After an abundant holiday meal, sometimes you want to go with a light finish. Berries are an ideal option for diabetic-friendly desserts, and this recipe notes any favorite berry will do. As creator/blogger Holly Clegg says, "This dessert tastes like a bit of decadence but is good for you. You wouldn't know it was healthy!"
Recipe: The Healthy Cooking Blog
Blogger Brenda Bennett, aka "The Sugar-Free Mom," offers an answer to any dessert lover's prayers with this recipe that touches on so many favorites. The kicker? It's, wait for it... "made without sugar, low in carbs, gluten-free with a chocolatey crust and needs no baking at all."
Recipe: Sugar-Free Mom
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Blogger Liza Hawkins, who cooks for a diabetic husband and in-laws, offers up a healthier option for the holiday classic pumpkin pie, switching out cane sugar with stevia.
Recipe: (a)Musing Foodie
Fruit takes center stage in this easy-to-make dessert that has added depth thanks to a spicy ginger accent. Serve it warm for extra flavor, and one reviewer says if you're not a fan of plums, you can instead feature pears, apples, or peaches.
Recipe: Taste of Home
If you do like a spicy accent, here's another one that will surely please the kids — after all, they've never met a cookie they didn't like, right? Giada De Laurentiis offers up this five-star reviewed recipe that features old-fashioned oats, cinnamon, and allspice for a healthy kick.
Recipe: Food Network
Destined to become a holiday favorite, this spin on a seasonal favorite flavor is low in carbs and features fresh cranberries and heart-healthy walnuts to boot.
Recipe: Everyday Diabetic Recipes
Cheesecake means splurging, right? Not with this recipe that features a sugar substitute, low-fat cream cheese, lemon zest, and fresh raspberries. Keto eaters heaped loads of praise on the recipe.
Recipe: Simply So Healthy
Don't be put off by the inclusion of flaxseed meal — blogger Amanda Davis was hesitant but plowed ahead with this recipe she found online — and added it to her repertoire, as you may very well do, too. We figure the shredded carrots balance what she calls a "divine" cream-cheese frosting.
Recipe: Amanda's Cookin'
Elegance, not sugar, is in the spotlight with this recipe that features just three ingredients besides its namesake featured fruit. Simple prep gets this to the table, with unsweetened heavy cream an optional topper for this recipe endorsed by a registered dietitian.
Recipe: Healthy Recipes
Cool down after a hot meal? Eating Well puts this frosty treat, featured in Diabetic Living magazine, at center stage. The recipe features fat-free cream cheese and yogurt and light dessert topping to create a low-calorie, low-carb and low-fat option.
Recipe: Betty Crocker
Sweet As Honey's Carine Claudepierre notes this is "the healthiest chocolate lava cake recipe you will ever make" – and it sounds like it just may be, as it's not only sugar-free but also gluten- and dairy-free.
Recipe: Sweet As Honey
You'll never have to tell the little ones these treats are both sugar-free and keto – but the adults can delight in the classic holiday treat without any guilt thanks to Maya Krampf's spice-driven recipe that yields lightly crispy outsides and yes, a little chewy inside. Just what a good cookie should be.
Recipe: Wholesome Yum
Christmas morning brunch? We can imagine serving up this simple but flavorful option that combines low-fat yogurt with ripe bananas — and cinnamon, of course — to please any crowd.
Recipe: Everyday Diabetic Recipes
Want to add a bit of elegance to your holiday table? These little treats look as sophisticated as they are good for you — and we think you can never have enough cranberries (a great source of vitamin C and also a proven antioxidant) during the holiday season.
Recipe: Diabetic Gourmet Magazine
Like to mix it up? Serve a creamy dessert with a hint of the tropics — and whet the appetite for winter getaways. This easy dish has but three ingredients, including sugar-free instant pudding, so you won't be stuck in the kitchen all day when you have a zillion other holiday chores. And you just might be making it often, as one reviewer noted it was "great after a big meal when you want something sweet but are full."
Recipe: Everyday Diabetic Recipes
Looking to create an old-fashioned cake that is made by spending family time — if just an hour — in the kitchen? That's this one, which also happens to be low-carb, gluten-free, and grain-free. The recipe also notes even healthier options throughout, such as subbing the sour cream with plain yogurt.
Recipe: Wholesome Yum
Those who eat healthy all year long will feel more than comfortable capping a holiday meal with this dessert that combines health-conscious with tasty. After all, you get that chocolate fix but it comes with a power food such as chia seeds, not to mention almond milk.
Recipe: Diabetes Strong
This take on the holiday classic is served in a bowl, with a spoon. More like a pudding, this recipe gets its "diabetic appropriate" rating thanks to canned pumpkin, reduced-fat cream cheese, and fat- and sugar-free pudding mix.
Recipe: Owensboro Health
Billed as a family favorite finale to a classic Italian Christmas Eve dinner, this seasonal-friendly option from Californian Cathy Banks has us drooling. And those unsure of the ricotta? Try it, you'll be pleased (after all, you like a cannoli, right?).
Recipe: Taste of Home
With "summer" fruits now available nearly all year and grills (outdoor or indoor) also used no matter the season, this Martha Stewart recipe offers an elegant — and simple — end to any holiday celebration. Add low-fat yogurt for a creamy-but-light accent.
Recipe: Martha Stewart
Talk about a seasonal specialty — this diabetic-friendly interpretation of the classic holiday sip takes its place on the dessert table thanks to ingredients that include unflavored gelatin, reduced-fat eggnog, and reduced-fat whipped topping.
Recipe: Taste of Home
When the meal has been so good that the guests say they "couldn't eat another bite," then whip up this meal-ending treat. Sip without guilt since the warming drink includes unsweetened cocoa powder and almond milk.
Recipe: Simply So Healthy
Break these out to cap a holiday brunch or casual lunch — and the taste will have no one thinking twice about the health benefits. Almonds are believed to help with blood sugar control and weight management.
Recipe: Cookpad