THE HEALTH & FITNESS CENTER'S BLOG

Low-Sugar Thanksgiving Desserts

By: MercyOne Iowa Fitness Staff

November 21, 2023, 10:00 am - Categories: Health & Fitness, Healthy Tips

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and food. But if you have diabetes or are trying to reduce your sugar intake, it can be difficult to find desserts that you can enjoy. The good news is, there are many delicious low-sugar Thanksgiving desserts that you can make. Here are a  few recipes courtesy of eatingwell.com.

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar or 1/3 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (see Tips)
• 3/4 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup dark molasses
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, brown sugar (or Splenda), pumpkin, oil and molasses in a second bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients and raisins into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.
3. Drop the batter by level tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.
4. Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and lightly golden on top, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Light and Luscious Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

Oil Pastry

• 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons fat-free milk

Pumpkin Filling

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• ⅓ cup sugar or sugar substitute equivalent to 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup evaporated fat-free milk
• 10 tablespoons Frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed

Directions

1. To prepare pastry: Stir together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add oil and milk all at once to the flour mixture. Stir lightly with a fork. Form into a ball.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. On a well-floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten the dough; roll from center to edge into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. To transfer the pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease the pastry into the pie plate, being careful not to stretch. Trim the pastry to 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold under the extra pastry; flute or crimp edge as desired. Do not prick. Line the pastry with a double thickness of heavy foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake for 5 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
3. To prepare filling: Combine pumpkin, sugar, honey, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add egg and vanilla. Beat lightly with a fork just until combined. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
4. Pour the filling into the baked pastry shell. To prevent over-browning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Bake until the filling appears set, 40 to 45 minutes (the edges of the filling may crack slightly).
5. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. If desired, serve with dessert topping.

REFERENCE:

EatingWell. “17 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes for Diabetes.” EatingWell, October 19, 2023. https://www.eatingwell.com/gallery/7873101/make-ahead-thanksgiving-dessert-recipes-for-diabetes/.