Make Room For Dessert: These 9 Dietitian-Approved Low-Carb Treats Will Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Published on 7/22/2019 at 5:30 PM

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Cutting back on carbs affects everyone's bodies differently. Some people may find success sticking to a low-carb diet for weight loss, while some might not find it sustainable — and that's OK. Others purposely cut out carbs for health reasons like metabolic syndrome or diabetes (cutting unhealthy high-carb foods helps lower your blood sugar). Sam Presicci, MCN, RD, LD, CPT, lead registered dietitian at Snap Kitchen, reiterated this to POPSUGAR, saying that because no two people are the same, she doesn't recommend a low-carb diet to every one of her clients.

"However, I do think many people benefit from this way of eating. Low-carb eating can reduce blood pressure, increase insulin sensitivity, help with weight loss, balance hormones, decrease risk for chronic conditions, and more," she explained. "It often means less sugar cravings and feeling less hungry throughout the day, both of which are awesome perks."

So, yes, it all depends on you and what your body needs. But, here's one thing that most people do need in their life: dessert. If you are following a low-carb diet or just want to eat low-carb sweets, you should know that it's very possible to find treats that aren't packed with carbs. Also know this though: dessert is still dessert. Even low-carb dessert has added sugar, and you shouldn't be eating it in excess, Sam said.

"However," she noted, "the benefit of a low-carb dessert over a more traditional dessert is that the lower sugar content leads to less of a blood sugar response, meaning your energy levels will stay more stable and you won't end up with more cravings for the sweet stuff." Ahead, check out low-carb desserts straight from Sam and a handful of other dietitians. Some of these are exact recipes, others are suggested treats you'll customize for your liking, and a few are items you can buy online. Plus, they all sound delicious!

Recipe: Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Julie Cunningham told POPSUGAR that she likes avocado chocolate pudding as a low-carb dessert. Not only is it delicious since the natural texture of avocado is similar to regular pudding, she said, but "you can feel good about eating avocados. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which tend to raise your HDL, or your 'good' cholesterol."

You can try this recipe, with some adjustments. Julie said to make sure you use unsweetened almond milk and a no-carb liquid sweetener like Stevia or monk fruit instead of maple syrup to eliminate carbs. "The amount of liquid sweetener needed might be much smaller than the amount of maple syrup in the recipe, so add slowly and suit your own tastes," she advised.

Recipe: Chocolate Bliss Balls

Samantha Cassetty, RD, director of nutrition at The Healthy Mommy, shared her go-to low-carb dessert recipe: Chocolate Bliss Balls (sounds blissful!). "They're full of flavor but because they're naturally sweetened with dates instead of added sugar, they keep the carbs low at just 7 grams, the same amount as a large carrot!" Check out the full recipe here.

Buy: Perfectly Free Frozen Bites

Samantha Bartholomew, MS, RDN, said that her favorite low-carb dessert to buy from Amazon is Perfectly Free Frozen Bites. "They are all-natural, delicious, and portion-controlled at only 30 calories per bite and only 5 grams of carbs. They're the perfect low-carb, non-dairy alternative to ice cream." She especially likes Salted Caramel Vanilla ($35 for six packs).

Salted Caramel Vanilla

From

$35

Buy: Frozen Berries and Coconut Milk

Sam Presicci, whom we mentioned earlier, said that she loves to eat berries with coconut milk for a sweet treat. Here's a secret tip: "If you do frozen berries and pour a bit of canned coconut milk on top, it hardens and creates a delicious shell," Sam told POPSUGAR. She added that berries are a low-carb fruit option and provide micronutrients and fiber.

Buy: Dark Chocolate

Sam also said that dark chocolate is a great low-carb option "as long as you choose a chocolate with limited ingredients that's 72 percent cacao or more." She explained that cacao is rich in magnesium and fiber, "along with a host of other nutrients," so it's an ideal after-meal treat.

Buy: Halo Top Pops

Halo Top came out with Halo Top Pops back in February. In-house dietitian at HelloFresh Dan Nguyen, RDN, named these as a low-carb dessert he recommends. "Halo Top Pops have 8 to 9 grams of carbs with 2 grams of fiber per pop for all flavors. That's only 6 to 7 grams of net carbs," he explained. Halo Top Pops ($48 for four boxes) are also delicious (I've had them before).

Halo Top Pops

From

$48

Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Yogurt Pops

Dan also told POPSUGAR that he loves strawberry yogurt pops. There are 11 grams of carbs in each, and they're made with four simple ingredients. Here's how it works: put 1/4 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of fresh strawberry halves, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a blender. Blend the ingredients into a puree, pour it into a container, top it with plastic wrap, plunge a Popsicle stick right in, and let it freeze.

Recipe: Fruit and Cottage Cheese

"Fresh fruit and cottage cheese is always a summer go-to for me," Christina DeLa Cruz, RDN, another in-house RD at HelloFresh, said. "The sweetness of the fruit helps to hit the spot." An example to try, she suggested, is fresh figs: "two ounces of light cottage cheese and two fresh figs equals 10 grams of carbs."

Recipe: Gingerbread Smoothie

"If you find yourself with a sweet tooth for a traditional baked good, think about how you can savor those flavors in a different form," registered dietitian at Hilton Head Health Elizabeth Huggins, RDN, said. She gave us a gingerbread smoothie recipe that, as she describes, "pulls out all the wonderful spices of gingerbread to enhance your protein-packed snack for less than 13 carbohydrates per serving." Find the full recipe ahead.

What you'll need: One frozen banana, one cup of unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoons of light molasses, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and ground ginger, 1/2 scoop of protein powder — Elizabeth likes About Time Whey Isolate Protein in Vanilla ($30) — and 1/8 teaspoon of equal mix nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

Directions: Place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. This recipe makes three servings.

About Time Whey Isolate Protein in Vanilla

From

$30