18 Cozy Diabetes-Friendly Desserts for Fall
It's almost time for pumpkin picking, apple bobbing and most importantly: baking these yummy sweet treats! These warm and gooey desserts embrace fall flavors like apples, cinnamon, pumpkin and gingerbread so you'll feel especially festive when you're enjoying them. Plus, with complex carbs like whole grains and low amounts of saturated fats and sodium, these sweet dishes are great diabetes-friendly options. Recipes like our Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Apple Crisp are flavor-packed desserts that will keep you feeling good all season long.
1 of 18
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kids and adults alike will love this easy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, which--unlike most cookie recipes--doesn't call for flour. These gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and, with only five simple ingredients, they can easily be whipped up by young chefs and enjoyed as an after-school treat. They're also perfect for a holiday party or for a cookie swap.
1 of 18
2 of 18
Apple Crisp
There's nothing like this old-fashioned apple dessert recipe to top off a good dinner. It's low in calories and can be made even lower if prepared with sugar substitute.
2 of 18
3 of 18
Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake
When you have a craving for a comforting dessert, try this pudding cake, which forms its own rich-tasting sauce as it bakes. The coffee flavor is subtle, but it adds complex depth to the cake's flavor.
3 of 18
4 of 18
Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
This recipe takes oatmeal cookies up a notch with its cinnamony, buttery, delicious take on a much-loved classic dessert.
4 of 18
5 of 18
Fresh Apple Squares
One batch of dough does double duty as both the crust and streusel topping to make one of the easiest desserts around.
5 of 18
6 of 18
No-Sugar-Added Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
Soft, chewy and no added sugar! Sweeten these classic oatmeal cookies with ripe bananas and raisins or dates. Plus, a touch of nut butter adds lots of flavor and holds the cookies together while keeping them vegan and gluten-free.
6 of 18
7 of 18
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
This easy-to-make chocolate cake is dark, moist, rich--and only dirties one bowl! Not quite as easy as boxed cake mixes, but those often contain trans fats. Our simple "from scratch" recipe gives you a home-baked cake with healthful canola oil and whole-wheat flour.
7 of 18
8 of 18
Bev's Chocolate Chip Cookies
EatingWell reader Beverley Sharpe of Santa Barbara, California, contributed this healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. She gave chocolate chip cookies a healthy update by cutting back on sugar and incorporating whole grains. To increase protein, Sharpe replaces the rolled oats with 1 cup almond meal.
8 of 18
9 of 18
Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Brownies
This diabetic-friendly brownie recipe uses the classic flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter to make a delicious dessert you'll want to make again and again.
9 of 18
10 of 18
Nectarine Blueberry Crisp
In this tasty, easy-to-prepare dessert, nectarines and blueberries are sweetened with brown sugar and topped with a crunchy pistachio-oat topping.
10 of 18
11 of 18
Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Classic chocolate chip cookies get a fall update by mixing in pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Not only are these pumpkin cookies even more flavorful than regular chocolate chip cookies, they're also oh-so-soft and cakelike. Use chocolate chunks for big gooey bites of chocolate or opt for mini chocolate chips to ensure a bit of chocolate in each bite.
11 of 18
12 of 18
Apple-Oatmeal Cookies
These healthy apple cookies made with oats, shredded apples and brown sugar make snack time enjoyable for everybody.
12 of 18
13 of 18
Gingerbread Tea Cake
This low-calorie cake gets its festive flavor from molasses, cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves. Serve it for dessert at the holidays.
13 of 18
14 of 18
Soft Sugar Cookies
These easy and classic cookies incorporate mild-tasting white whole-wheat flour for extra fiber and nutrients.
14 of 18
15 of 18
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
These flourless cookies get their volume from whipped egg whites (like a meringue) instead of grains, making them gluten-free and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. A chocolate chip in each bite adds to the rich chocolate flavor.
15 of 18
16 of 18
Apple Crumble with Oats
Leaving the skins on the apples provides fiber and vitamins, so this diabetic-friendly dessert is not only good tasting but also good for you.
16 of 18
17 of 18
Brownie Cookies
Cocoa powder and brown sugar make this easy drop cookie recipe taste like rich brownies.
17 of 18
18 of 18
Spiced Pumpkin Cookies
The deep flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg make these wholesome pumpkin cookies delicious without the addition of butter--and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour. They are also the perfect texture for a sandwich cookie--fill them with a slightly sweetened cream cheese frosting.