Mary Ellen Phipps, MPH, RDN, LD

Mary Ellen Phipps, MPH, RDN, LD

Mary Ellen Phipps, MPH, RDN, LD, the founder of Milk & Honey Nutrition, is a diabetes dietitian (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) renowned for combining her knowledge of diabetes and culinary expertise into easy-to-follow recipes and articles!

27 Diabetes Desserts You Must Try

diabetes desserts to try

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite homemade and store-bought diabetes desserts and they are all so delicious!

Just because you have diabetes, doesn’t mean you can’t eat dessert! In fact, some of my all time favorite diabetes desserts are better than any “regular” dessert you’ve ever had. I promise! I’ve broken them down into 8 main categories based on the type of dessert you’re looking for.

My experience as a diabetes dietitian with diabetes desserts

Growing up, I was your typical child of the 90’s constantly confronted with diet products and ads. And, on top of that, I was growing up with type 1 diabetes. I was constantly told dessert was bad for me and I should avoid it. Because of this, I tried a lot of “sugar free” and “diabetes friendly” desserts over the years. Most of them either tasted gross or were too complicated to make at home.

But, as I got older I realized there were many different ways to make both a tasty and blood sugar friendly dessert. I developed a love for baking at home and finding delicious store bought diabetes desserts as well. So much so that I even wrote a cookbook about it!

the easy diabetes dessert cookbook vertical image

27 Favorite Diabetes Desserts

Here is a list of desserts I know you’ll love!

  1. Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  2. Gluten Free Chocolate Avocado Muffins (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  3. Low Sugar Peanut Butter Fruit Dip (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  4. Peanut Butter Cookies (Wholeistic Living)
  5. Flourless Chickpea White Chocolate Blondies (Beautiful Eats and Things)
  6. Lemon Tofu Creme (Nutrition Starring YOU)
  7. Sugar Free “Sugar” Cookies (Erin Palinski Wade RD)
  8. Easy Chocolate Fudge Brownies (Jennifer Hunt Nutrition)
  9. Chocolate Chickpea Ice Pops (Theresa Gentile RD)
  10. No Sugar Added Stewed Apples (The Miller’s Kitchen)
  11. Good Pop Frozen Pops
  12. Soozy’s Grain Free Muffins
  13. Simple Mills Cookies
  14. Low Sugar Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Protein Balls (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  15. No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bites (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  16. Strawberry Nice Cream (Shaw’s Simple Swaps)
  17. Chocolate Peppermint Energy Bites (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  18. Cherry Chocolate Coconut Milk Chia Pudding (Bucket List Tummy)
  19. Edible Brownie Batter (A Grateful Meal)
  20. Low Carb Almond Flour Cookies (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  21. Almond Granola Cups (Your Choice Nutrition)
  22. Protein Brownies (Smart Nutrition)
  23. Caramel Date Energy Balls (Spicy RD Nutrition)
  24. Grain Free Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies (Milk & Honey Nutrition)
  25. Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert Hummus (Your Choice Nutrition)
  26. Protein Mug Cake (Cheerful Choices)
  27. Blueberry Sweet Corn Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark (It’s a Veg World After All)

Keep reading for more details for how I categorize each one.

What desserts can I eat with diabetes? 

People with diabetes can enjoy a wide variety of desserts! You’re not limited to only sugar free desserts (though I have some great sugar free recipes listed as well)! I have several here on my website as well as all of the ideas listed below. The possibilities are endless, you just need to know what to look for!

And, keep in mind, these desserts are for people with all types of diabetes. This includes desserts for gestational diabetes, as well as type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and pre-diabetes.

What to look for in healthy desserts for diabetes

Ideally, diabetes desserts should have one or more of the following things compared to traditional desserts:

  • Increased protein
  • More fiber
  • More plant based fats
  • Less sugar
fruit tray with fruit dip
Low Sugar Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

How can I satisfy my diabetes sweet tooth?

Well, to start, look at all of the ideas we’re going to highlight here in a second. And, check out my thoughts on quick and easy ways to satisfy a sweet tooth as well as easy low glycemic snack ideas

Best desserts for people with diabetes

There are a limitless amount of diabetes desserts that people with diabetes can enjoy. So we’re breaking them down into categories below! Everything from great homemade recipes to easy store-bought treats, to low carb desserts for diabetes!

Best easy desserts for diabetes

low sugar chocolate chip cookie dough bites

Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

View Recipe
  1. Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (Milk & Honey Nutrition) These are an easy sweet treat you can enjoy as a snack or dessert… and even breakfast! They’re tasty, low in sugar, and have 2g fiber and 2g protein in each bite.
  2. Gluten Free Chocolate Avocado Muffins (Milk & Honey Nutrition) Instead of butter, this rich chocolate muffin recipe uses avocados! They’re tasty and higher in fiber (5g/muffin) than your average chocolate muffin.
  3. Low Sugar Peanut Butter Fruit Dip (Milk & Honey Nutrition) One of my favorite strategies for eating more fruit and veggies is a good dip! This delicious low sugar fruit dip is perfect for getting adults and kids alike to eat more fruit. And, it’s a great way to pair fat, fiber, and protein with your fruit.
  4. Peanut Butter Cookies (Wholeistic Living) Peanut butter cookies are one of my favorite sweet desserts. The peanut butter adds a plant based fat source, and this recipe is lower in sugar, but equally tasty thanks to a small amount of brown sugar. Each cookie has ~15g carbohydrate.
  5. Flourless Chickpea White Chocolate Blondies (Beautiful Eats and Things) Chickpeas offer an extra nutritional punch to these blondies. With only 11g carb/bar they’re equally delicious and blood sugar friendly.

Best sugar free desserts for diabetes

sugar free sugar cookies with sprinkles diabetes desserts
  1. Sugar Free “Sugar” Cookies (Erin Palinski Wade RD) Who doesn’t love a good sugar cookie?? I know I do, and you don’t have to worry about these “sugar” cookies spiking your blood sugar. Each cookies has 3g fiber, 4g protein, and only 6g carbohydrate.
  2. Lemon Tofu Creme (Nutrition Starring YOU) If you’re looking for a protein packed dessert, you need to try this lemon tofu creme. It’s creamy, tasty, and low in carbs.

Best added sugar free desserts for diabetes

sugar free chocolate ice pops for diabetes desserts
  1. Chocolate Chickpea Ice Pops (Theresa Gentile RD) You’d never know these delicious fudge pops have both yogurt and chickpeas in them! These two ingredients mean each pop has 8g of protein.
  2. Easy Chocolate Fudge Brownies (Jennifer Hunt Nutrition) If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at black bean brownies, this is the recipe you need to try. They’re tasty and have 4g fiber in each brownie. No one will ever know the secret ingredient!
  3. No Sugar Added Stewed Apples (The Miller’s Kitchen) Stewed apples always remind me of a comforting fall treat. This recipe uses 100% apple juice and no syrups or sweeteners.

Diabetes sweets: Best store bought desserts for diabetes

good pops diabetic dessert
  1. Good Pop Frozen Pops Goodpop frozen pops are hands down one of my favorite popsicle options at the grocery store. They offer so many different flavors. Most varieties have <15g carbohydrate, and several also have some fat for a slower blood sugar response. My favorite flavor is the Orange Creamsicle.
  2. Soozy’s Grain Free Muffins Soozy’s Muffins are my go to store bought muffin. They’re higher in fiber and protein than other muffins and the Chocolate Chocolate Chip flavor makes a great dessert!
  3. Simple Mills Cookies Simple Mills makes an amazing line of products, and their Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies are no exception. They’re a lower sugar alternative (that tastes even better in my opinion) to Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies.

Want more store bought snack ideas?? Check out the 68 Best packaged Snacks for Diabetes!

Best no bake diabetes desserts 

hand with green nail polish holding oatmeal protein balls is oatmeal good for diabetes?

Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Protein Bites

These Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Protein Balls don’t require any fancy appliances and taste amazing!
View Recipe
  1. Low Sugar Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Protein Balls (Milk & Honey Nutrition) I’m a big fan of easy bite size desserts that can be both dessert or breakfast. These protein balls are tasty, and don’t require any appliances like a food processor or blender to make them.
  2. No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bites (Milk & Honey Nutrition) I love me some cheesecake! It’s actually one of the more blood sugar friendly dessert options thanks to the protein and fat in the cream cheese. These cheesecake bites give you cheesecake flavor without the labor of making a whole cheesecake.
  3. Strawberry Nice Cream (Shaw’s Simple Swaps) With only 8g carbohydrate and 9g protein per serving, you’ll want to make this Strawberry ice cream recipe all summer long!

Best diabetes chocolate desserts

chocolate peppermint energy bites

Chocolate Peppermint Energy Bites

These Chocolate Peppermint Energy Bites are the perfect healthier sweet treat that everyone will love!
View Recipe
  1. Chocolate Peppermint Energy Bites (Milk & Honey Nutrition) This is one of the first recipes I ever posted on my website, and it’s stuck around for a reason. If you love the chocolate peppermint combo, but want a lower sugar way to enjoy it, you need to try this recipe.
  2. Cherry Chocolate Coconut Milk Chia Pudding (Bucket List Tummy) Chia pudding offers fiber and protein and a super creamy texture for either dessert or breakfast. The cherry chocolate coconut combo in this recipe makes it one of my favorites.
  3. Edible Brownie Batter (A Grateful Meal) For all those times you’ve wanted to lick the bowl, but were afraid of a blood sugar spike… this is the recipe for you. This brownie batter is meant to be eaten before it’s baked and has 4g fiber per serving.

Best low carb desserts for diabetes

low carb sugar cookies

Low Carb Almond Flour Cookies

These low carb almond flour cookies are made with real ingredients, have the perfect texture and a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth!
View Recipe
  1. Low Carb Almond Flour Cookies (Milk & Honey Nutrition) This recipe is another delicious soft sugar cookie option that’s lower in carbs and higher in protein and fiber.
  2. Almond Granola Cups (Your Choice Nutrition) This recipe uses my favorite combo of almonds and oats for a delicious blood sugar friendly cookie cup that has 8g carb per cookie cup.
  3. Protein Brownies (Smart Nutrition) A delicious brownie with only 9g carb and 4g protein in each brownie? Sign me up!
  4. Caramel Date Energy Balls (Spicy RD Nutrition) Caramel date energy balls are loaded with plant based nutrition and are relatively simple to make. Each bite has 5g carbohydrate.

Best low sugar desserts for diabetes

Grain free Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies with chocolate chips and walnut pieces

Grain Free Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

View Recipe
  1. Grain Free Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies (Milk & Honey Nutrition) These walnut chocolate chip cookies hold a special place in my heart. Imagine the best crunchy thin chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever tasted but that won’t spike your blood sugars. You have to try them!
  2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert Hummus (Your Choice Nutrition) Dessert hummus is another great way to add protein and fiber to your fruit.
  3. Protein Mug Cake (Cheerful Choices) I absolutely love mug cake recipes! They’re simple and easy. I particularly like this one because of how quickly it comes together and it has 15g protein.
  4. Blueberry Sweet Corn Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark (It’s a Veg World After All) This is such a unique take on yogurt bark and so fun to make. And it’s low in carbs and sugar!

Other diabetes friendly dessert ideas 

If you want even more diabetes desserts ideas, make sure to grab a copy of my latest diabetes desserts cookbook, The Easy Diabetes Desserts Cookbook! It’s packed full of 60 diabetes dessert recipes that are delicious and blood sugar friendly!

the easy diabetes dessert cookbook vertical image

And don’t forget to grab a copy of my first diabetes cookbook, The Easy Diabetes Cookbook! It’s packed full of delicious diabetes friendly recipes, including a whole chapter on blood sugar friendly desserts. 


diabetes desserts to try sugar free desserts low carb desserts

More to explore...

dark chocolate covered grapes with nuts on skewers

Dark Chocolate Covered Grapes with Nuts

This may be one of the simplest nutritious recipes I’ve ever done. With only 3 ingredients and no cooking required, chocolate covered grapes will be your new go-to favorite!

easy sheet pan steak fajitas with bell peppers and onions

Easy Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas

Lean beef, seasoned to perfection, makes the perfect foundation for this easy dish. You’ll be enjoying this sheet pan steak fajitas recipe for a long time to come!

One Response

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

tame sugar demons!

By entering your email below, you agree to receive emails about new resources and events from Milk & Honey Nutrition.

This site uses cookies to help improve your user experience. You acknowledge your acceptance by clicking Accept. Read our Privacy Policy here.