Dessert Recipe Ideas for Diabetics. Need for New Years Eve

[Deborah]

I am hosting a dinner party for New Years Eve and would like to be able to offer one of my guests, who happens to be diabetic, a nice dessert. Would appreciate any ideas. Thanks.

[Deborah]

Thank-you to all. I really appreciate your responses and your input on diabetes. Of course, it makes a lot of sense whether the person uses insulin or is controlled by diet and exercise. In this case, she is a type 1 diabetic on insulin. So, will call to tell her my menu and take it from there!

[goodhealthgourmet]

excellent. once you get more details from her and you have a better sense of her guidelines, let us know if you still need ideas and we'll be happy to help you come up with something for her!

[cynder]

Definitely ask your guest. As you can tell from the answers so far, there are many approaches to managing blood sugar levels. Both fat and complex carbohydrates can help prevent a blood sugar spike. I have diabetes and can easily handle some dark chocolate and nuts or berries with cream. It really helps to know the menu in advance, Otherwise I'm just guessing about how much insulin to inject before a meal. Personally, I avoid artificial sweeteners.

[sulbin]

Cheese plate and small pieces of really great chocolate and fruit.

Cheesecake make with a nut crust and sugar substitute.

[sardis]

Two sites built around those with diabetes contain recipe pages... check out the American Diabetes Association website at www.diabetes.org or dlife.com

[ocotillo]

A custard or pudding using mostly fake sugar. It is not just the sugar but the carbs in the flour that are the killer. Thank you for being so considerate of your diabetic guest.
A clafouti is always great.

[soypower]

I've been using xylitol as a sugar substitute and really enjoy it's flavor and the fact that it's all natural. Though the name threw me for a loop on that score. Just made a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies this morning and wouldn't know the difference between those made with sugar. It is, however, quite expensive.

[goodhealthgourmet]

as has already been said, yours is an oft-asked question here on CH...and there is no good answer without detailed information about your guest's particular insulin situation and sugar tolerance.

but you can have a look at some of the past threads on the topic - you might find a suggestion or recipe that will work for you:
http://tiny.cc/qc52o

[paprkutr]

This is very nice of you. If you are close to them, I might ask them what they might like. I know that I can't stand the taste of anything with artificial sugar, and would rather have a small piece of something with sugar. Fruit is always good too, maybe with some whipped cream, as it is low in carbs.

[masha]

Ditto Todao's comments. Your question gets asked a lot on this Board. The answer may depend on whether the individual in question is Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic, and in particular whether he/she manages diabetes solely through diet & exercise -- in which case a very low carb dessert is important -- or uses insulin, which provides much more flexibility. Type 1 diabetics are always insulin-dependent; some Type 2s use insulin but most do not.

For the 2 Type 1 diabetics in my family, dessert on Christmas was a Bundt style cake, that was was not a diabetic-specific recipe. There was about 1-1/2 cups of sugar in it, but it also contained an entire orange (rind and pith, included), which made it high in fiber, and therefore more diabetic friendly. (High fiber carbs digest more slowly and therefore are less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar.) And, I did not add any glaze or sugar dusting, instead serving it plain, to cut down on the carb content.

[todao]

Thanks for the input, Masha ... the seriousness of the disease is widely misunderstood.

[Euonymous]

Does the person with diabetes take insulin or not? If he/she takes insulin, then anything will be fine. The person can take enough insulin to match (as closely as possible) the carb count. If not, then I'd suggest a beautiful fruit salad or some ice cream. Hmm, maybe fruit salad layered with yogurt (artificially sweetened if need be) in a champagne glass.

[CocoTO]

... or substitute the sugar in any recipe with Coconut Sap Sugar ... it's a 35 on the glycemic scale which is low ... and it tastes great (cross between brown sugar and maple syrup) and is all natural ... I found it at my local health food store. It is on the expensive side (think maple syrup pricing) ...

btw ... it is not a syrup, it has the consistency of brown sugar

[JerryMe]

That's actually good info Coco - I get overwhelmed w/ the 'What should I and what shouldn't I serve" issue. All of my relatives w/ diabetes ALWAYS say "I'll eat whatever ( and some add "Whatever I damn well please!"). So it's good to know that resource and where to find it.

Is the substitute 1=1?

[goodhealthgourmet]

it's more commonly labeled as coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar, and yes, it's a 1-for-1 substitute. it's actually also available in syrup form, which makes a great replacement for agave nectar & honey.

i turned a fellow Hound onto coconut sugar when it came up in a thread about stevia, and she's a big fan now :) here's a link to our discussion:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7463...

[CocoTO]

good to know it's available in syrup form - haven't seen it that way ... and many people don't realize that agave is so processed it's actually not very healthy

[goodhealthgourmet]

the brand of liquid/syrup i can usually find - Coconut Secret - calls it "coconut nectar," which can be incredibly confusing because that's another name for coconut water too!

not as readily available as the crystals, but great stuff if you can track it down.

[magiesmom]

I'm that grateful hound, and love the coconut palm sugar.
How about some lovely poached pears with a custard sauce?I personally dislike all artificial sugars; IMO they taste awful and chemicals can be problematic to health in ways real ingredients are not. I know others disagree, I did say IMO.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ha! i was going to identify you, but i figured it was easy enough to figure out from the linked thread :) i'm just so glad you're enjoying it.

[magiesmom]

I am. i am going to make a sweet/savory kugel I had been avoiding because agave just didn't taste good in it .

[todao]

"The person can take enough insulin to match (as closely as possible) the carb count"

That can be incredibly dangerous and I've never met an endocrinologist that would endorse the practice.

[Euonymous]

I've had type 1 diabetes for the last 40 years, and I've never had an endocrinologist tell me anything different (since the advent of home blood glucose monitoring). Believe me, I don't misunderstand the seriousness of the disease.

[cocktailhour]

I have been type 1 for 25 years. the whole point of carb counting is to match carbs to insulin. sugar/dessert is just a carb, like a piece of bread. you are completely wrong to suggest this is a dangerous practice. in fact, carb counting is the gold standard these days, combined with frequent bg testing.

to the OP, diabetes can be treated different ways, so your guest may or may not be concerned about eating dessert. I personally prefer to just eat what everyone else is having, albeit i may have a smaller portion. I don't like to draw attention to myself with a "special" dish. in a buffet or something, I would gravitate to dark chocolate, maybe cheesecake or nuts, but it really depends on the context of the whole meal. It is very considerate of you to think of your guests' needs.

[todao]

"Diabetics" - broad category. Are you looking for something that is totally sugar free, uses sugar substitutes or low sugar? I cook for special needs people and I have a million recipes but I need to know where your focal point falls in this category.