19 Best Fall Desserts for Better Blood Sugar
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD
Savor some classic fall flavors with these tasty desserts! These dishes will satisfy your sweet tooth while still being diabetes-friendly, since they are lower in saturated fat, carbs, calories and sodium. Plus, they are highly rated—with at least four stars from our readers—so you can rest assured they’ll be delicious! Feel free to enjoy options like our Cinnamon Streusel Fresh Apple Bars or Pumpkin Pie Nice Cream all season long.
2-Bite Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
These mini pumpkin cheesecakes are a festive dessert for any gathering. Feel free to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top to amp up the warm, cozy flavors. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own with a mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Classic chocolate chip cookies get a fall update by mixing in pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Not only are they even more flavorful than regular chocolate chip cookies, but they’re also oh-so-soft and cake-like. Use chocolate chunks for big gooey bites of chocolate or opt for mini chocolate chips to ensure a bit of chocolate in each bite.
Cinnamon Streusel Fresh Apple Bars
These sweet, cinnamon-flavored apple bars are the perfect accompaniment for a cup of coffee or tea.
Pumpkin Pie Nice Cream
Can’t get enough pumpkin spice and pumpkin? Get those fall flavors you love in this dairy-free and vegan ice cream alternative made with bananas and pumpkin puree. This easy dessert contains no added sugar, unless you use the optional maple syrup–which is a delicious touch. Add some chopped pecans to make it really special.
Apple Pie in an Apple
Here we fill hollowed-out apples with apple pie filling, top them with a pie crust lattice, and bake them until golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Diabetes-Friendly Carrot Cake
With this luscious take on an all-time favorite, you can fit this low-added sugar cake into your eating pattern.
Fudgy Flourless Pumpkin Brownies
Pumpkin spice meets chocolate: a match made in heaven. The hypnotizing smell that fills your kitchen when these brownies are done baking is unbeatable.
Almond & Pear Rose Tarts
These pretty two-bite tarts are perfect for party buffets, especially in the fall when pears are in season. Thinly slicing the pears lets you roll up the tarts more neatly, giving you a bakery-worthy presentation.
Cranberry-Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
These lacy oatmeal cookies are flecked with coconut and bits of dried cranberries.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This sheet cake is perfectly spiced from the pumpkin pie spice blend, a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. A tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting helps balance the flavors. This cake is perfect for any fall gathering.
Apple Crumble with Oats
Leaving the skins on the apples provides fiber and vitamins, so this diabetic-friendly dessert is not only good tasting but also good for you.
Pumpkin Brownies
These pumpkin brownies are packed with mini chocolate chips. Warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves pair well with the chocolate for a seasonal twist on a classic dessert. The batter will be thick, so be sure to spread it an even layer for even baking.
Air-Fryer Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Tahini Cookies
We put a twist on a classic oatmeal-raisin cookie with the addition of tahini and walnuts. Tahini adds a hint of salty, nutty flavor, while toasted walnuts bring a satisfying crunch.
Apple Crisp for One
If you have an apple in your refrigerator, then you’re just a few steps away from a simple, delicious dessert. We like green apples for their tart flavor and firmness, but Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Braeburn apples will work too.
Ginger & Spice Crackles
These soft and moist cookies are spiked with ginger, cinnamon and a hint of clove and they crackle on top when they bake. Rolling them in powdered sugar gives them a lightly sweet coating on the outside that looks like a dusting of fresh fallen snow.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
We gave no-bake cookies a makeover, bumping up the peanut butter and cutting back on added sugar and butter. The result is a chewy, peanut buttery, oat-packed delicious cookie. It’s easy to whip up a batch of these—only a few simple ingredients are needed to make these chewy peanut butter cookies and there’s no baking required.
Spiced Pumpkin Cookies
The deep flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg make these wholesome pumpkin cookies delicious without the addition of butter—and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour.
Apple-Oatmeal Cookies
These tasty apple cookies made with oats, shredded apples and brown sugar make snack time enjoyable for everybody.
Pecan Pie Energy Balls
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly
We took all the cozy flavors of a pecan pie and transformed them into a delicious energy ball! These energy balls feature pecans, oats and dates for a tasty snack that’s easy to make ahead.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
