Desserts

If you're like me, hearing that you or a family member has diabetes changed many things, including how you look at food. One of the things I figured was that Desserts were no longer an option.

However, it is possible to have dessert, as these recipes prove. (Just make sure to have them in moderation.) Check out the Decadent Peanut Butter Pudding Pie, the Heavenly Chocolate Cake, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!

CRUSTLESS SWEET POTATO PIE

This yumminess comes from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "There's no reason to feel left out during the holidays! Our homemade sweet potato pie recipe makes a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. Best part? We use real sweet potatoes to make our Crustless Sweet Potato Pie, so you can enjoy a truly authentic taste!"

Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes; Serves: 10; Serving Size: 1 slice

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Pie/Crustless-Sweet-Potato-Pie.

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)

1/2 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon sugar-free maple syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon light margarine, softened

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until tender. Let cool 10 minutes, then scoop out pulp and place in a large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients to bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour mixture into pie plate. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Give this pie an extra-special touch by adding a dollop of sugar-free whipped topping!

CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

This yumminess comes from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "If you're looking for a healthier way to enjoy the magical flavor of pumpkin this season, look no further because with this pumpkin pie recipe there's no crust to worry about! Put this one in your "easy Thanksgiving recipes" folder, because all you've gotta do to achieve a creamy delcious Crustless Pumpkin Pie is mix and bake! You don't' have to wait for Thankgiving when you can enjoy this easy pie recipe anytime of the year!"

Cook Time: 1 hour; Chill Time: 2 hours; Serves: 8; Serving Size: 1 slice

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Pie/Crustless-Pumpkin-Pie-105030.

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk

1 tablespoon light butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup reduced-fat biscuit baking mix

2-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

Blend all ingredients together in a blender on high speed for 1 minute, or place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat 2 minutes with a hand beater. Pour mixture into pie plate.

Bake 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool then cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

If you want to fancy up this pie a bit, top with dollops of light whipped cream and a cinnamon stick.

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

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?!

DECADENT PEANUT BUTTER PUDDING PIE

This is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "You don't have to ignore your sweet tooth when it's telling you to eat something rich and creamy. Our Decadent Peanut Butter Pudding Pie uses lighter ingredients, but has so much flavor you'd never even know!"

Chill Time: 4 hours; Serves: 10; Serving Size: 1 slice

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Pie/Decadent-Peanut-Butter-Pudding-Pie.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk

1 (4-serving) package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

1/3 cup reduced-fat peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed and divided

1 (1.5-ounce) package peanut butter cups, chopped

1 (9-inch) reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust

Directions

In a large bowl, using a wire whisk, combine milk and pudding until thickened. Whisk in peanut butter, vanilla, and 1 cup whipped topping. Stir in peanut butter cups.

Pour mixture into pie crust then spread remaining 1/2 cup whipped topping over pie. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes

Instead of using store-bought graham cracker crust, you can make your own diabetes-friendly Graham Cracker Crust!