Easter Desserts and Sweet Treats for Your Diabetic-Friendly Menu

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 200
Fat: 9 grams
Saturated Fat: 4.5 grams
Fiber: 1 grams
Sodium: 180 milligrams
Cholesterol: 120 milligrams
Protein: 6 grams
Carbohydrates: 24 grams
Sugars: 12 grams

Mini Chocolate Mint Cheesecakes

Serve a decadent mint-chocolate cheesecake to each of your guests at your next dinner party. They’ll be calling you the Host of the Year.

Recipe Yield: Makes 24 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup crushed gluten-free chocolate wafer cookies
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted
• 1/3 cup chopped creme de menthe mint candy wafers
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sweetened whipped cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325F.
2. In small bowl, combine crushed cookie crumbs and melted butter.
3. Press cookie crumb mixture into bottom of individual small tart dishes custard cups or mini muffin cups.
4. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended.
5. Add egg. Blend in melted chocolate, chopped candy, sour cream and vanilla.
6. Pour evenly over crumbs.
7. Bake 20 minutes.
8. Cool. Refrigerate until serving.
9. Before serving, top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 100
Fat: 6 grams
Saturated Fat: 3.5 grams
Sodium: 55 milligrams
Cholesterol: 25 milligrams
Protein: 1 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Sugars: 7 grams

Chocolate Coffee Tiramisu

This reduced carb tiramisu recipe comes from The Best Diabetes Cookbook and is a nice dessert to serve guests.

Recipe Yield: Makes: 16 Servings

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups 5% ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup light cream cheese
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 strong, prepared coffee
• 3 tablespoon chocolate or coffee-flavored liqueur
• 16 lady finger cookies

Directions

1. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with vegetable spray.
2. In a food processor, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth; transfer to a bowl.
3. In bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the ricotta mixture.
4. Combine coffee and liqueur in a small bowl.
5. Put half of lady fingers in bottom of dish. Sprinkle with half of coffee-liqueur mixture. Spread half of ricotta mixture on top. Repeat layers. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 150
Fat: 5 grams
Sodium: 102 milligrams
Cholesterol: 66 milligrams
Protein: 6 grams
Carbohydrates: 21 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1 Other Carbohydrate, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1/2 Fat

Mom’s Southern Pecan Pie

This recipe for Pecan Pie comes from Source: Sweet Inspirations – A Sugar Free Dessert Cookbook
Book Title: Sweet Inspirations – A Sugar Free Dessert Cookbook

Recipe Yield: Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pie shell
• 1 cup fruit sweetener **
• 1 envelope plain gelatin
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp very strong coffee or espresso (prepared, not grounds)
• 24 pecan halves**To make this fruit sweetener, mix together 1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate (thawed) and 1/2 cup granulated fructose.

Directions

1. Prepare pastry and place in 9-inch pie pan. In large bowl, combine fruit sweetener, gelatin and apple sauce. Beat with electric mixer.
2. In small bowl, blend water and cornstarch until smooth. Add cornstarch to fruit sweetener mixture and blend. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and coffee. Pour mixture into pie shell. Decorate top with pecan halves. Bake 30-40 minutes (until custard is set) at 375° F. Cool slightly before cutting.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 211
Fat: 9 grams
Sodium: 69 milligrams
Cholesterol: 82 milligrams
Protein: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 28 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1 Bread; 2 Fat

Lemon Meringue Pie

A refreshing lemon meringue pie recipe with only 20 grams of carbs per serving. That’s about a third of what you might find in a regular slice.

Recipe Yield: Serves: 8

Ingredients

For Pie Filling:

• Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie
• 2-1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice or frozen lemon juice concentrate*
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1-1/2 cups Equal Spoonful or Granulated**
• 2 tablespoons stick butter or margarine
• 1 to 2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)For Meringue:
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream tartar
• 2/3 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated**** Such as Minute Maid Premium Lemon juice (frozen) 100% Pure Lemon Juice from Concentrate** May substitute 36 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

1. For Pie Filling, roll pastry on floured surface into circle 1 inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into plate; trim and flute edge. Pierce bottom and side of pastry with fork. Bake in preheated 425F oven 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool on wire rack.
2. Combine water, lemon juice and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Beat eggs, 2 egg whites and lemon peel in medium bowl. Mix in 1-1/2 cups Equal. Stir about half of hot cornstarch mixture into egg mixture.
3. Return all to saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Stir in food coloring, if desired. Pour mixture over baked pie shell.
4. For Meringue, beat 3 egg whites in mixing bowl on medium speed of mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Beat to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup Equal, beating to stiff peaks. Spread meringue over hot lemon filling, carefully sealing to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.
5. Bake pie in 425F oven about 5 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.
6. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut pie into wedges.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 178
Fat: 9 grams
Sodium: 133 milligrams
Cholesterol: 65 milligrams
Protein: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 fat

Apricot-Walnut Swirl Coffeecake

Recipe Yield: Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

Walnut Filling:

• 1/2 cup sugar-free apricot preserves or apricot spreadable fruit
• 3/4 cup Equal Spoonful*
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped nutsCoffeecake:
• 2-1/2 cups reduced-fat baking mix (Bisquick)
• 2 cups Equal Spoonful/Granulated*
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
• 6 tablespoons stick butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

* May substitute 12 packets Equal sweetener
** May substitute 48 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

1. For Walnut Filling, combine 1/2 cup apricot preserves, 3/4 cup Equal, cinnamon and nuts in small bowl; set aside.
2. For Coffeecake, combine baking mix, 2 cups Equal and cornstarch. Add remaining ingredients, mixing until smooth. Spread 1/3 of batter in well sprayed 9 or 12 cup bundt pan. Spoon half the Walnut Filling over batter. Repeat layers, ending with batter.
3. Bake in preheated 350F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until coffeecake is browned on top and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool.
4. Spoon 1/3 cup apricot preserves over top of coffeecake, if desired. Serve warm.

This simple-to-make coffeecake, with it’s apricot, cinnamon and nut filling, has all the richness of full fat and the taste of sugar.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 175
Fat: 7 grams
Sodium: 308 milligrams
Cholesterol: 18 milligrams
Protein: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 27 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Some people do not like raisins in their carrot cake. If you choose to leave out the raisins, as pictured, it will reduce the amount of carbohydrate by 7g, calories by 27, sugars by 5.4g, fiber by 0.3g and protein by 0.3g per serving. This recipe appears courtesy of Great Healthy Food – Diabetes.

Recipe Yield: Yield: Makes 12 slices
Serving Size: 1 slice

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup raisins, soaked overnight (see note if you leave out raisins)
  in 1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and finely grated
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 2 medium egg whites, at room temperature
• 3-1/2 ounces low-fat cream cheese beaten
  with 2 teaspoons sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger into a large bowl, tipping in any bran left in the sifter.
3. Stir in the sugar, raisins with their juice, carrots and oil and mix well.
4. Beat the egg whites until they stand up in soft peaks, then fold lightly but thoroughly into the carrot mixture, using a large spoon or spatula.
5. Pour into the pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 1-1/4 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and peel off the lining paper. When completely cool, cut in half horizontally and fill with the sweetened cream cheese.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 137
Fat: 3 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Sodium: 154 milligrams
Cholesterol: 5 milligrams
Protein: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2/3 Fruit, 1/2 Fat

Italian Cheesecake with Pecan Crust

This Italian-Style cheesecake uses finely ground pecans for the crust, which helps cut the carbs down to only 11 grams. This recipe appears courtesy of The Diabetes Snack Munch Nibble Nosh Book.

Recipe Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup very finely ground pecans (1 cup whole pecans)
• 1 (15 ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons white flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Zest (grated rind) of one small lemon
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
3. Sprinkle the ground pecans evenly over the pan bottom, patting them into place. The crust layer will be very light and may not entirely cover the bottom of the pan.
4. In a food processor, combine the ricotta, yogurt, Splenda, egg substitute, flour, vanilla, and lemon zest. Process until partially smoothed, about 1-1/2 minutes.
5. Cut the cream cheese into 9 or 10 chunks. One at a time, add the chunks through the feed tube. Process after each addition. Process until smooth – an additional 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
6. Carefully spoon the mixture over the ground pecans.
7. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
8. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and bake for an additional 50 to 60 minutes or until the cheesecake edges have begun to brown and the center is puffed and seems set when the surface is lightly tapped.
9. Remove to a rack and cool for 20 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight until cooled. When cooled, cover with plastic wrap. If desired, top with cut fruit.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 272
Fat: 21 grams
Saturated Fat: 9 grams
Fiber: 1 grams
Sodium: 178 milligrams
Cholesterol: 45 milligrams
Protein: 11 grams
Carbohydrates: 11 grams
Sugars: 7 grams
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Medium-Fat Meat, 3 Fat, 1 Carbohydrate