Desserts for diabetics
When I posted my last Cookbook Giveaway entry for a cake book, one diabetic reader felt left out. And I can only imagine how hard it must be to see recipes for rich, decadent desserts when you are not allowed to enjoy them. I have two loved ones who suffer from diabetes, and I’ll bet almost every one of us knows at least one person who is affected by the condition.
Fortunately, in this day and age, there are relatively good artificial sweeteners on the market. I have also read an article or two lately that suggested blue agave nectar, a natural sugar substitute, can be safe for diabetics, but please check with your physician about this before adding agave nectar to your diet if you are diabetic or borderline diabetic.
I have also been learning that some recipes can contain sugar but still be safe for diabetics simply because the amount of sugar is drastically lowered. The dessert recipes in Holly Clegg’s “Trim & Terrific Diabetic Cooking” and Tom Valenti’s “You Don’t Have to Be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook” fall into this category.
I’m going to share a recipe from each of these books. Got a wonderful low sugar or sugar-free dessert recipe to share? I’m sure some readers would greatly appreciate that.
Mint Chocolate Pots de Creme
Serves 4
Note: You will need four (4-5 oz.) ramekins or foil cups.
Ingredients:
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. brewed espresso or strong brewed coffee
Pinch of coarse salt
3 large egg yolks
2 tsp. sugar
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
3. Heat milk in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat until just simmering. Remove the pan from heat, add mint leaves and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the mint leaves from the milk and discard the leaves.
4. Return milk to saucepan and add cream, espresso and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just comes to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts and is incorporated.
5. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in another bowl. Whisk in the hot chocolate mixture, a little at a time to avoid cooking the eggs. Pour the resulting mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small pitcher or measuring cup. Set aside and let cool for about 15 minutes.
6. Divide mixture among 4 ramekins and place them in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake the pots de creme until set but still a little jiggly when you gently shake them, 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Remove ramekins from the roasting pan with tongs or a pot holder and let cool for about an hour at room temperature. Refrigerate the pots de creme for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
Variation: You can skip step 3 and instead add 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract to the milk along with the cream, espresso and salt.
Sugars: 11 grams per serving.
Source: “You Don’t Have to Be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook” by Tom Valenti.
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Glaze
Makes 32 servings
Ingredients:
For cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
For glaze:
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. cocoa
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. boiling water (more or less)
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder. In a large bowl, blend the oil and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well.
3. Transfer batter to a 13×9-inch cake pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 13-15 minutes (do not overcook, it will continue to cook after it comes out of the oven).
4. Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. In a small bowl, mix together butter, cocoa, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Add boiling water until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.
5. Remove the cake from the oven. Using a knife, carefully spread the peanut butter in a thin layer over the hot cake. Drizzle evenly with the chocolate glaze. Let cool before cutting into squares.
Sugars: 5 grams per serving.
October 27, 2009 - 1:33 PM
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I adapted a recipe my mother has been making for over 30 years to suit a friend who is diabetic. Even better it requires NO cooking so the kids can help.
Almost Sugar Free Eclair Cake
2 small boxes sugar free instant pudding (1 white chocolate and 1 cheesecake, or 2 french vanilla)
1 sm box sugar free chocolate fudge instant pudding
6 cups very cold 2% milk, divided
1 sm carton cool whip, thawed
1 box graham crackers
Mix white puddings with 4 cups milk in large bowl. Chill until set. Fold in thawed cool whip and chill again.
Mix chocolate pudding with 2 cups milk in smaller bowl. Chill until set.
In 13×9 pan, place 1 flat layer graham crackers. Spread with half the white pudding. Top with another layer of grahams. Spread with remaining white pudding. Top with last layer of grahams. Spread with chocolate pudding for “frosting.” Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Jennifer, Now that is MY kinda cake – simple ingredients & no baking required!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer – I am not diabetic but my husband is and that recipe sounds awesome, even for a sugar-lover like myself!
Pam it’s great! My mom got the recipe from a holiday insert in her AEP bill when I was about a year old…it’s my two twin brothers’ favorite cake (they’re twins, not me LOL). The original recipe calls for full sugar french vanilla pudding and a boiled chocolate frosting that has to be stirred. I haven’t got the patience to stir it, and the chocolate pudding works just as good. The french vanilla pudding gives the classic “eclair” flavor but sugar free french vanilla is hard to find. Walmart sometimes has it. The cheesecake and white chocolate flavors are much easier to find, and some experimentation resulted in 1 of each for best taste.
I get requests to make it for potlucks all the time and believe me, people practically lick the pan. It’s so easy to do and super delicious.
A really good variation is chocolate mint – use regular vanilla pudding, a tsp or two of peppermint extract and some green or red food coloring for the bottom two layers. Use chocolate grahams for the middle. Very festive for holidays.
I just read an article that the Glycemic Research Institute has put out an Agave Alert. They are suggesting diabetics use extreme caution regarding use of Agave sweeteners. Diabetic trial subjects showed dangerous side effects. http://www.GlycemicResearchLaboratories.com for more information.
Coconut palm sugar has a low GI of 35 and can be substituted for regular sugar in recipes in recipes for diabetics. It is a traditional Indonesian nectar from the flower but is now becoming more available in local stores. http://www.sweet-tree.biz has good information
Stevia is safe for diabetics too! It has a 0 glycemic index and is also known to nourish the pancreas, and I understand it is even used to treat diabetes in South America.
Be careful with the many stevia brands, though. They are not all equal in quality. Just because they say they are “all-natural,” does not mean they are! Sun Crystals has sugar and others may have things like sugar alcohols, or other things they have added to the stevia.
I use SweetLeaf stevia. It is the only brand that uses only pure water during the entire extraction process,unlike others that use slovents, chemicals, and alcohols during extraction. To my knowledge, SweetLeaf is the only truly 100% natural stevia out there (they also have inulin fiber in their powder, which is of help to diabetics, too!)
Live long and prosper!
I don’t count sugars, I count carbs. I would love to see diabetic recipes with carb count below 20 per serving. That’s about my limit.
Thanks for all the good info, everyone. Vicki, I will see if I can find some low carb recipes, as well.