The 10 Best Low Carb Desserts for Thanksgiving (Diabetes Friendly!)
Thanksgiving may seem like a tricky time of year for people with diabetes, but just because you have to carefully monitor your blood sugar, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all the pumpkin-apple-chocolatey desserts. With a few modifications, you can still enjoy your favorite sweets and I’ve found 10 of the best low carb desserts for Thanksgiving to help… all dietitian approved!
As a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, I hear so many of my clients ask if they can ever eat dessert at Thanksgiving again. So let’s get something straight….dessert is not off limits with diabetes.
Although you don’t need to cut out your favorite foods or desserts when you have diabetes, you do need to pay attention to your sugar and carb intake to prevent blood sugar spikes.
So when the holidays roll around, focus on balancing your plate, using the Simple Plate Method for Diabetes, rather than restricting foods. This allows for balanced nutrition, steady blood sugar, and portion control so you’ll still have room for dessert!
And now, let’s talk about what those amazing, diabetes-friendly low carb desserts for Thanksgiving look like…
How to Create a Diabetes-Friendly Dessert
Let’s face it, the majority of desserts are loaded with added sugar and calories. So, if you want to keep your blood sugar balanced while still enjoying your favorite desserts, the best approach is to limit the added sugars and refined carbs – and if you can increase the fiber, protein, and healthy fat in the process, even better!
There are a lot of ways you can reduce the added sugar in recipes to make them more diabetes friendly. One way is to use natural sweetness of fruit or sugar-free sweeteners. This gives you a sweet dessert with fewer carbs and added sugar, and often boosts fiber in the process.
Another way to reduce the carbohydrates is by limiting flour and swapping with almond or coconut flour, adding extra protein with nuts and Greek yogurt, or loading on the good fat with foods like avocados, coconut oil, and nut butter for a well balanced dessert.
This means you can eat a delicious sweet treat without spiking your blood sugar.
10 Delicious Thanksgiving Desserts for Diabetics
From cakes to cookies, pies and crisps, this list is sure to have more than one diabetes friendly dessert recipe that will get your mouth watering (without sending your blood sugar soaring).
Here are 10 delicious low carb desserts for Thanksgiving, all under 15 grams of carbs!
Keto Chocolate Cake | Erin Palinski-Wade
One slice of this indulgent chocolate cake has only 3 grams of carbs. Since it has no added sugars, it is the perfect diabetes friendly treat for birthdays, holidays or even just because!
Calories: 170 Carbs: 6g Protein: 5g Fat: 16g Fiber: 2g
Pumpkin Pie Dessert Hummus | Haute & Healthy Living
This creamy, low carb pumpkin pie hummus is a delicious way to get your pumpkin pie fix without the added sugar. It’s the perfect dip for fiber rich fruits and crackers so you can enjoy the holidays without worrying about your blood sugar.
Calories: 33 Carbs: 5g Protein: 1g Fat: 1g Fiber: 0.3g
Grain Free Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies | Milk & Honey Nutrition
These flourless cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious with only 8 grams of carbohydrates per serving! Adding a high fiber, protein-rich nut, like walnuts, makes for a more satisfying and filling low carb dessert.
Calories: 163 Carbs: 8g Protein: 3g Fat: 14g Fiber: 2g
No Bake Mini Cherry Pie | Kelsey P. RD
These easy no-bake mini cherry pies are made with whole-food ingredients like almonds and dates so that each cookie delivers 5 grams of protein. With only 12 grams of net carbs, you can enjoy one of these bite sized desserts while keeping your blood sugar in check. The cherry filling is delicious, but the base is also perfect for no bake pumpkin or apple pie too!
Calories: 158 Carbs: 15g Protein: 5g Fat: 10g Fiber: 3g
Flourless Pumpkin Spice Cookies | Milk & Honey Nutrition
These vegan pumpkin cookies are the perfect little treat for your Thanksgiving gatherings! They’re filled with fiber and essential nutrients from pumpkin puree and garbanzo beans. Not to mention they’re flourless, using only ground whole grain oats in place of traditional flours for a blood sugar balancing treat.
Calories: 87 Carbs: 13g Protein: 2g Fat: 2g Fiber: 2g
Keto Apple Crisp | Joy Filled Eats
This low carb apple crisp doesn’t have a single apple, and you won’t even know the difference. The secret ingredient? Jicama! Just one cup of this root vegetable provides 6 grams of fiber and less than half the carbs of apples.
If you have diabetes, apples can be a healthy and delicious part of your diet. The fiber, polyphenols, and antioxidant content promote a slowed release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream and improve insulin sensitivity. However, if you’re looking for a low sugar alternative for your favorite apple pie, this recipe might be a great option!
Calories: 146 Carbs: 11g Protein: 4g Fat: 11g Fiber: 6g
Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip | Kelsey P. RD
Who knew pureéing chickpeas with sunflower seed butter would result in a thick, cookie dough-esque batter that tastes like dessert, but is also loaded with fiber and plant protein?! Sweetened with just a splash of maple syrup, this low sugar, edible cookie dough dip will fill you up and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Calories: 41 Carbs: 6g Protein: 1g Fat: 1g Fiber: 1g
Pumpkin Bread | Joy Filled Eats
With only 8 grams of carbohydrates per serving, this pumpkin bread is perfect for a keto or low carb diet. While it’s low in sugar, it’s also high in protein, with 5 grams coming from ingredients like almond flour and cottage cheese. So you can feel good about having a piece of low carb pumpkin bread, or two, for dessert!
Calories: 184 Carbs: 8g Protein: 5g Fat: 15g Fiber: 4g
Chocolate Avocado Pudding | Kelsey P. RD
If you’re looking for a sweet, thick, creamy, and low-carb pudding, look no further! Avocados may seem unconventional in pudding, but in this delicious dessert, they whip up into a luscious pudding texture that will have you licking the spoon.
Each serving has 15 grams of carbohydrates but only 11 grams of net carbs thanks to the 4 grams of fiber from the avocados. While it works for dessert, it’s great for snack time since you’ll be full and satisfied with all of the healthy fat in this low carb pudding.
Calories: 147 Carbs: 15g Protein: 1g Fat: 10g Fiber: 4g
Monk Fruit Cookies | A Sweet Alternative
These soft, chewy cookies are made with peanut butter and coconut flour and sweetened with monk fruit, which is the perfect sugar replacement for baking and cooking as it holds up to heat, dissolves well, and won’t raise your blood sugar.
With only 4 grams of net carbs per serving, these low carb cookies make a lovely addition to a holiday cookie platter and are also perfect for a sweet treat any time of year.
Calories: 117 Carbs: 8g Protein: 4g Fat: 9g Fiber: 4g
The Bottom Line
It may feel like Thanksgiving dessert is off limits when you have diabetes, but these recipes make it easy to combine low sugar sweets with your diabetes meal plan.
Many of these recipes reduce the carbohydrates by limiting flour, adding extra protein with nuts and Greek yogurt, or loading on the good fat with foods like avocados, coconut oil, and nut butter.
You can also lower the carbohydrates of a recipe by using sugar alternatives and using low-sugar ingredients.
Go give any of these low carb desserts for Thanksgiving a try & if you love them as much as I do, remember to give them a 5-star rating & share what you made with me on Instagram by tagging me @ErinPalinskiWade.
Looking for more diabetes-friendly dessert recipes? Give these a try as well:
10 Diabetes-Friendly Vegan Dessert Recipes
11 Incredibly Easy Diabetes Desserts
5 Low-Carb Dessert Recipes That Will Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth