We all know that sugar isn’t the best ingredient for our health, but it’s hard to find tasty desserts that don’t use sugar in their recipes.
If you do want to reduce your sugar intake, you may have believed that you have to forgo desserts completely. This isn’t the case!
In this day and age, it has never been easier to make tasty desserts that are completely free from sugar. Low-calorie sweeteners, including erythritol, sucralose, and xylitol have become more popular and are readily available to purchase from grocery stores.
If you’re not a fan of artificial sweeteners, you can opt for natural sweeteners, like allulose and monk fruit.
We’ve listed some of the best sugar-free dessert recipes (see also ‘27 Quick And Easy Dessert Recipes For Chocolate Lovers‘) for you to try below. There’s something for everyone in this article, whether you prefer a light pick-me-up or a hearty dish at the end of a long day.
All of the dessert recipes below (see also ‘31 Easy And Delicious Potluck Dessert Recipes‘) are easy to make at home and though they are fully sugar-free, they certainly don’t lack in flavor.
1. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Cookie dough is incredibly moreish, but it’s hardly the best thing when it comes to your health! This recipe uses sugar-free chocolate chips and sweeteners to make a completely sugar-free cookie dough.
Don’t leave out the coconut oil! This will harden up in the freezer so you can mold the dough into different portions, but will melt when you take it out so it’s ready to eat then and there.
2. Keto Lemon Bars
Lemon bars are both indulgent and refreshing, thanks to the zing from the lemon juice powering through each bar.
Lemon bars usually have a lot of sugar, but this recipe swaps the sucrose for powdered Swerve. This is a type of erythritol which is often used in sugar-free baking.
These bars are also suitable for the keto diet, allowing people on low-carb plans to enjoy sweet treats too.
Remember to use fresh lemon juice instead of bottled, as the store-bought variety isn’t as light or refreshing as juice straight from the fruit.
3. Date Shake
If you haven’t tried dates before, you need to give them a go. Dates are a type of dried fruit that is naturally sweet. It’s like nature’s candy, which makes them amazing if you’re avoiding added sugar and artificial sweeteners!
This recipe blends bananas, dates, and peanut butter for a naturally sweet beverage.
Note that these won’t be suitable for low-carb diets as the fruits are high in carbohydrates, but it’s a good option if you’re trying to avoid granulated sugar in your diet.
It’s best to drink this shake immediately, as the nutrients can start to break down soon after blending.
4. Keto Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls might be delicious, but thanks to the flour, icing, and sugar, they’re usually a no-no for sugar-free diet plans. This recipe, however, is completely sugar-free and keto friendly!
The sweetness from these rolls comes from the filling, which is a mix of monk fruit sweetener and cinnamon. This means that you don’t need to make the pastry as sweet, as the filling will be doing the job for you.
With no sugar and just 2.6 net carbohydrates per serving, you can’t go wrong with these cinnamon rolls!
5. Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are a classic American treat, but chocolate, flour, and sugar can all lead to adverse health effects. This recipe allows sugar-free individuals to enjoy chocolate cookies like everyone else!
The recipe is super simple. It’s just like a normal cookie recipe, just without sugar.
You’ll be swapping the sucrose for a mix of Surkin Gold and Splenda. These are brown and white sugar alternatives that are great for baking with.
Just make sure that you use sugar-free chocolate chips, or these cookies won’t be completely sugar-free!
6. Healthy Apple Crisp
Anyone can have a taste of this apple crisp recipe, as it’s suitable for a range of diet plans, including sugar-free, Paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, and grain-free!
You might be skeptical, but we promise, that this recipe tastes just like a traditional apple pie. It can take a lot of time to make apple pie crust, but this recipe is quick to prepare and bake in the oven.
Depending on whether you prefer natural sugars or artificial ones, you can choose between Swerve or coconut sugar in this recipe.
If you prefer an even sweeter finish, top yours with maple syrup or honey, but you can leave these out if you want the crisp to be sugar-free.
7. Two Ingredient Low Carb Cherry Jello Parfaits
Sugar-free Jello is one of the best snacks you can have on a low-sugar diet. It satisfies your sweet tooth without sugar and calories.
These parfaits use a mix of Jello and coconut milk to give a fruity, light, and refreshing dessert. The recipe uses cherry Jello but you can use whichever flavor you prefer.
Top with some whipped cream and a piece of your favorite fruit for presentation.
8. No-Bake Keto Cheesecake
If you thought that it was impossible to have cheesecake on a sugar-free plan, think again!
This keto version uses almond flour and low-carb sugar alternatives to deliver a satisfyingly decadent dessert.
This recipe is also a no-bake one, so you won’t have to bake it at all! All you need to do is prepare the cheesecake and refrigerate it until it sets.
Try microwaving some frozen berries for a low-carb, but fruity cheesecake topping.
9. No-Bake Yogurt And Cool Whip Pie
Here’s another no-bake recipe if you’re a fan of easy-to-prepare desserts!
You’ll love serving this Cool Whip pie up at summer cookouts (for more delicious summer pie recipes, read here). It’s the perfect dish to cool people down as the weather gets warmer. You can even get your children to help prepare it, as you won’t need to use an oven at all!
Bear in mind that you’ll need to freeze the pie for two hours before it’s needed, so prepare accordingly.
10. Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pies are a classic dessert choice around Thanksgiving, but just one slice can contain over 25 grams of sugar! This recipe swaps the sugar for sweetener and uses sugar-free whipped cream, you can rest easy after having a slice.
Make sure that you buy canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling for the recipe. Pumpkin pie filling has added sweetener and spices which are best left out of this sugar-free recipe.
11. Low Carb Lemon Tartlets With Creamy Curd
If you prefer bitesize treats, give these lemon tartlets a go.
These use a simple blend of lemon curd, coconut flakes, and sugar-free sweetener, so you won’t need to purchase many ingredients to put these together.
With no sugar, low carbs, and just 35 calories a piece, these are the perfect addition to a sugar-free diet plan.
12. Keto Tiramisu (Vegan)
Tiramisu is a quintessentially grown-up dessert, but other than a lot of sugar, it can contain dairy, lots of calories, and carbohydrates. This version is sugar-free, suitable for the keto diet, and is also 100% vegan!
Just make sure that you use monk fruit sweetened syrup instead of regular, as this will keep the dessert delicious and keto friendly!
13. Easy Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
Truffles are a great gift to give to your significant other, but they may not be the best choice if they’re lowering their sugar intake. These truffles use dark chocolate and avocado to make creamy, rich, and decadent candies, all without sugar!
Remember to keep yours in the fridge if you’re not eating them, as they can melt easily when kept at room temperature.
14. Keto Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding
This low-carb and sugar-free dessert tastes even better than chocolate pudding from the store! You’ll only need five ingredients for this recipe, which are all easily found in your local food store.
This pudding does use gelatin powder, but if you don’t eat gelatin, you can try using cornstarch to thicken up the pudding instead.
15. Keto Peanut Butter Eggs
If you love peanut butter chocolate, try making this sugar-free version for a change.
Normal peanut butter chocolate is full of sugar and carbohydrates, but this recipe is completely keto friendly!
You’ll need to use peanut butter and chocolate chips that are free from sugar, as well as powdered erythritol to provide the necessary sweet flavor.
Keep these candies in the refrigerator to avoid them melting in warm weather.
16. Homemade Sugar-Free Nutella – Low Carb
It’s hard to find a sugar-free Nutella version that actually tastes like Nutella, but this version certainly comes close!
This uses real hazelnuts, coconut oil, and powdered sweetener to make a completely sugar-free chocolate spread.
The spread can become quite thick after a while, but you can make it smoother by adding a little oil to the mix.
17. Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
This recipe makes oatmeal cookies that taste amazing without any sugar.
Each piece is sweetened with natural sweeteners and dried fruits. They are also completely vegan, as long as you stick to non-dairy soy milk.
Don’t leave out the bananas, as these will keep each cookie together without the need for flour or eggs.
18. Sugar-Free Apple Muffins
These muffins are free from sugar and are just 48 calories each! They are perfect to start the day with breakfast, or just have as a snack when you’re craving something sweet.
You’ll need the apples in this recipe, as these will keep the muffins from turning tough and pale. If you don’t like apples, you can swap the fruit for bananas, berries, or even grated carrots!
19. Low Carb Cracker Toffee
The words toffee and low carb aren’t normally seen together, but this toffee recipe is completely keto friendly.
Instead of sugar, these crackers are topped with a mix of dark chocolate and sweeteners.
Make sure that your dark chocolate is free from sugars beforehand, as this will ensure that your toffee is completely sugar-free.
20. Keto Crème Brûlée
The secret to this sugar-free creme brûlée is using a sweetener that can caramelize well. A good example of this is allulose, as this will ensure that the dessert still has its classic hard crackling shell.
It’s best to use a culinary blow torch for this, but if you don’t own one, position each ramekin under your oven’s broiler and wait for the sweetener to turn into caramel.
21. Gluten-Free Tapioca Flour Crepes
Being on a sugar-free diet doesn’t mean that you have to give up tasty breakfast foods, and crepes are a great example!
This recipe makes sugar and gluten-free crepes, so they’re great for a range of diet plans. Fill your crepes with some sugar-free jelly, or try ham and cheese for a savory option!
22. Strawberry Granita
This sugar-free drink is perfect for hot summer days. This strawberry granita recipe swaps the sugar for fresh strawberries and stevia, making it low carb and low calorie too!
Try mixing some herbs like rosemary or basil in for a savory twist, or pour some almond extract in for a nutty flavor.
23. Keto Sugar Cookies
We couldn’t put a list of dessert recipes without including the classic sugar cookie recipe.
This swaps the flour and sugar for almond flour and stevia, so they’re also suitable for the keto diet.
You can also mix a little milk and stevia to make a low-sugar icing and decorate your cookies with it!
24. Sugar-Free Carrot Cake With Almond Flour
Carrot cake is normally laden with sugar, thanks to the layers of creamy frosting.
Swapping the ingredients for almond flour and monk fruit keeps this version sugar-free and keto friendly. The carrots also help to hold the cake together and keep each slice beautifully moist.
With 5.5g of carbs and just 2 grams of sugar per slice, you really can’t go wrong with this recipe!
25. Strawberries And Cream Energy Balls
These energy balls are perfect if you or your loved ones need a quick, but healthy snack. They use natural ingredients like dates and coconut, giving each piece a sweet flavor without any refined sugars.
You will need freeze-dried strawberries for this recipe, but these are often found online or at specialty stores like Trader Joe’s.
26. Vanilla Date Ice Cream – No Sugar Added
We wouldn’t call this ice cream recipe healthy, but as it’s free from refined sugars, it will be better for you than tubs bought from the store!
This recipe uses dates and heavy cream to make the ice cream thick and naturally sweet. Don’t leave the egg yolks out – these will increase the ice cream’s shelf life and stop it from melting too soon after serving.
27. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Energy Bites With Chia + Cacao Nibs
Here’s another quick snack recipe that’s sure to keep hunger pangs at bay.
These energy bites use a mix of peanut butter, oats, and cacao. Each piece is creamy and sweetened with dates and natural maple syrup, which are much better for you compared to refined sugar.
You can make a large batch and store it in the freezer, giving you a quick snack whenever you feel peckish!
28. Sugar-Free Low-Carb Orange Sorbet
Lastly, we have a refreshing recipe that’s great for warm days.
This orange sorbet is made with sugar-free, orange-flavored beverages to keep the sugar content low. Lemon juice and orange zest are also added, but coconut milk tones down the strength of these so the sorbet is invigorating, but not sour.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, simply blend the ingredients and fill popsicle molds with the mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Sugar-Free Desserts Good For Diabetics?
Sugar-free candies and desserts give diabetics an option to enjoy sweet treats, but this doesn’t mean that they are a healthy choice.
Sugar-free desserts should still be eaten in moderation as they may still be high in calories, trans fats, and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can increase blood sugar, particularly if a diabetic doesn’t factor in portion size.
Can You Bake Without Sugar?
It can be hard to bake without sugar, as sugar doesn’t just make treats sweet. Sugar can prevent baked goods from turning dry, tough, or pasty.
One way of baking without sugar is to use artificial sweeteners, though some people prefer to stay away from these for health reasons.
What Is Sugar-free baking?
Sugar-free baking involves baking without sugar. Instead of sucrose, calorie-free or low-calorie sweeteners are used to replace sugar.
These sweeteners usually have a strong, sweet taste, so compared to standard sugar, they are used in much smaller amounts. Examples of low-calorie sweeteners are sucralose, stevia, and xylitol.
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