Desserts

There was a time when I thought Desserts were something one couldn't have after a diabetes diagnosis. Was I ever wrong! These dessert recipes are diabetic-friendly. Of course, we're talking moderation here, but that's cool. Check out the Heavenly Chocolate Cake, the Spiced Apple Pudding, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Yield: 12 to 14 slices

Source: "1,001 Delicious Desserts for People with Diabetes"

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/21.shtml

Ingredients

3/4 cup ground reduced-fat graham crackers

3/4 cup ground gingersnap cookies

8-1/4 teaspoons Equal for Recipes or 27 packets Equal sweetener, divided

4-5 tablespoons margarine, melted

2 packages (8 ounces each) fat-free cream cheese

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup light whipped topping

Chopped toasted pecans, as garnish

Directions

Mix graham cracker and gingersnap crumbs, 1 teaspoon Equal for Recipes, and melted margarine in bottom of 9-inch springform pan; reserve 2 tablespoons crumb mixture. Pat remaining mixture evenly on bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese until smooth in large bowl; beat in pumpkin, eggs, and egg whites. Mix in remaining 7-1/4 teaspoons Equal for Recipes, spices, and cornstarch. Pour mixture into springform pan.

Bake at 300 degrees F. just until set in the center, 45 to 60 minutes; sprinkle with reserved crumbs and return to oven. Turn oven off and let cheesecake cool in oven with door ajar for 3 hours. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of recipe): Calories: 213, Fat: 9.8 g, Saturated Fat: 4.3 g, Cholesterol: 47.2 g, Sodium: 444 mg, Protein: 12.1 g, Carbohydrate: 18.2 g; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 1 Meat, 2 Fat

ORANGE DREAM ANGEL CAKE

This is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "This cake is so light and so refreshing you'll think you've stepped into a dream. Truth is, our Orange Dream Angel Cake reminds us of those orange and cream pops we dream about in the summertime. You and your gang are going to love this no-bake dessert!"

Chill Time: 2 hours; Serves: 15; Serving Size: 1 (2-1/2 x 3-inch) piece

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Cakes/Orange-Dream-Angel-Cake.

Ingredients

1 (10-inch) prepared angel food cake, cut into 15 slices

1 (.3-ounce) package sugar-free orange gelatin

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

1 (1-ounce) package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

1-1/2 cup fat-free milk

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 (8-ounce) container fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 orange, cut into slices for garnish

Directions

In a 9- x 13-inch baking dish, arrange cake slices.

In a medium bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water and stir in cold water. Slowly pour over cake, then refrigerate 1 hour.

In a large bowl, whisk vanilla pudding mix and milk until thickened. Stir in orange zest and whipped topping. Evenly spread over cake.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour, or until ready to serve. Garnish with orange slices.

CHOCOLATE CHIP FUDGIE CUPS

This is from Diabetic Gourmet, and begins, "This cookie has something for everyone. The crust is chocolate chip cookie dough; the filling is a rich brownie. They are a little more involved to make, but well worth the effort."

Recipe Yield: Yield: makes 2 dozen

Source: Equal

Recipe and image appear courtesy of Equal.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/chocolate-chip-fudgie-cups.

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Dough:

1/3 cup stick butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup Equal Spoonful*

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Fudge Nut Filling:

1 cup Equal Spoonful**

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

6 tablespoons stick butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

* May substitute 8 packets Equal sweetener

** May substitute 24 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

For Chocolate Chip Dough, beat 1/3 cup butter with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla until blended. Mix in 1/3 cup Equal* and brown sugar until combined. Combine 1 cup flour, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix into butter mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips. Form dough into circle about 1/2-inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze while preparing Fudge Nut Filling.

For Fudge Nut Filling, combine 1 cup Equal**, 3/4 cup flour, cocoa, nuts, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat applesauce, 6 tablespoons butter, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla until blended. Stir in combined flour mixture until well blended.

Remove Chocolate Chip Dough from freezer. Spread approximately 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough in each of 24 mini-muffin pans. Fill each with Fudge Nut Filling to top of cup.

Bake in preheated 350F oven 15 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in muffin pans about 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 138; Fat: 8 g; Sodium: 106 mg; Cholesterol: 41 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1-1/2 fat

SPICED APPLE PUDDING

Recipe Yield: Servings: 4 (1/2 cup)

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/spiced-apple-pudding.

Ingredients

2 cups Unsweetened apple juice

1/3 cup Granulated sugar substitute

1/3 cup Cornstarch

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 Egg

Directions

In a heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup apple juice and cornstarch; mix well. Add remaining juice. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, beat egg with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of hot mixture to beaten egg. Stir until smooth. Return immediately to hot mixture, stirring constantly. (The hot mixture will cook the egg.)

Stir in sweetener and cinnamon. Pour into 4 dessert dishes, cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Cool to room temperature or chill in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 117; Fat: 1 g; Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch; 1 fruit

SECRET DEVILISH CHOCOLATE CAKE

This recipe is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "We've got a secret ingredient that makes this moist chocolate cake recipe so decadent, you'll never be able to tell that it's diabetes-friendly. What makes our Secret Devilish Chocolate Cake so delicious? We kick this recipe up a notch with diet cola! It's true. Try it for yourself. One bite, and you'll see exactly what we mean."

Cook Time: 30 minutes; Serves: 24; Serving Size: 1 (2-inch) piece

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Cakes/Secret-Devilish-Chocolate-Cake-7385.

Ingredients

1 (15-1/4-ounce) package devil's food chocolate cake mix

1 can (12-ounce) diet cola

1-1/2 cup fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Add cake mix to large bowl. Break up lumps with your fingers. Fold in cola gradually with large spatula just until mix is moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth evenly with spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Spoon 1 tablespoon whipped topping on each serving.

HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE CAKE

This recipe is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "If you're looking for a diabetic chocolate cake recipe for your recipe box, then you've got to try this Heavenly Chocolate Cake. You're going to love the tasty combination of chocolate cake with a surprising creamy layer at the bottom. It's made with healthier ingredients, and has under 10g of sugar per serving. After one taste, we can pretty much guarantee you're going to want to make this recipe a permanent part of your collection."

Cook Time: 50 minutes; Chill Time: 4 hours; Serves: 20; Serving Size: 1 (1-1/2 X 2-inch) slice

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Cakes/Heavenly-Chocolate-Cake.

Ingredients

2 pounds fat-free ricotta cheese

3 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (16-ounce) package sugar-free chocolate cake mix

1 (1.4-ounce) package sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup fat-free milk

1 (8-ounce) container fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth; set aside. In another large bowl, prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour cake batter evenly into baking dish. Slowly pour cheese mixture evenly over cake batter.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk until smooth. Fold whipped topping into pudding until well combined. Spread mixture on top of cake.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Do You Believe in Magic?

This Heavenly Chocolate Cake actually does a bit of magic while it's baking in the oven. Your layers will actually reverse from the order that you put them into your baking dish. How cool is that?!