I can hear the astonishment of diabetic patients or the question of many others. Can a diabetic patient eat a dessert? Yes, Of course diabetics can eat a dessert.

What makes dessert an unhealthy option for diabetics is the calorie-rich nature due to the sugar, flour and dairy used [1]

How to eat a dessert with diabetes

Xylitol and erythritol are natural sweeteners available in the market. [3]At last, I have listed the best low-calorie sugar option for diabetics.

What you need to do after entering diabetic world is managing blood sugar levels. Believe me, dietary change is the most economical way to do it. So, always keep in mind that every food has calories and sugar content in it. Even natural sweeteners have sugar in them. So, enjoy within the limit.

Table of Contents

• How to eat a dessert with diabetes
• 1. Moong dal laddu
• 2. Golpapdi
• 3. Thinai Sakkarai Pongal
• How to replace Maida/rice in any recipe
• Maida/Rice alternatives:
  • 1. Whole wheat flour
  • 2. Ragi flour/Fingermillet/kelviragu – கேழ்வரகு
  • 3. Foxtail millet/Thinai arisi – தினை
  • 4. Little millet/Samai Arisi – சாமை
  • 5. Pearl millet/Kambu Arisi – கம்பு
    • How to cook Kambu rice: For curd rice [7]
  • 6. Jowar/Vellai solam – சோளம்
  • 7. Barnyard millet/Kuthirai vaali – குதிரைவாலி
  • 8. Kodo millet/Varaku Arisi – வரகு
  • 9. Proso millet – பனிவரகு
• Sugar Alternatives- Natural sweeteners
• References

No dessert is off the limits. All that matters is quantity, frequency, and carbs with sugar content of the sweet. Here, I have listed some dessert recipes that diabetics can eat because it has low calorie and sugar content.

Also read, Best COFFEE for diabetics

1. Moong dal laddu

Ingredients

• Whole Green Moong dal / Pachai Payaru – 1 cup
• Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup (Optional)
• Roasted chana dal /Pottukadalai – 1/4 cup
• Palm Jaggery – 3/4 cup
• Water – 1/4 cup
• Cardamom – 3

Instructions:

1. Roast the Moong Dal:
   • Measure and add green moong dal to a thick-bottomed pan.
   • Roast on medium flame, stirring continuously, until it turns golden brown.
   • Remove from the pan and transfer to a bowl.
2. Roast the Coconut:
   • Avoid coconut if you are planning to store it over a longer period.
   • In the same pan, add grated coconut.
   • Roast until it becomes golden brown.
   • Transfer it to the same bowl and let the roasted ingredients cool.
3. Prepare the Jaggery Syrup:
   • In a saucepan, combine jaggery and water.
   • Heat until the jaggery dissolves completely and boils to a sticky consistency.
   • Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
4. Grind the Ingredients:
   • In a mixer or blender, add roasted moong dal, coconut, pottukadalai, and cardamom.
   • Grind to a coarse powder resembling fine rava.
5. Mix and Shape the Ladoos:
   • Add the ground mixture to the warm jaggery syrup.
   • Mix thoroughly until it forms a cohesive mixture that sticks together upon holding tight.
   • Take small portions and shape them into ladoos.
   • Repeat for the entire mixture.

2. Golpapdi

The Golpapdi recipe is a traditional Gujarat sweet dish prepared with whole-wheat flour and jaggery. It is a much healthier alternative and an easy-to-make recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 5 tbsp ghee
• ¾ cup grated jaggery
• ¼ tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
• 1 tsp desiccated coconut

For Garnish

• A few almond slivers
• A few pistachio silvers

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Thali
   • Grease a 6-inch plate (thali) with ghee.
   • Sprinkle poppy seeds evenly and set aside.
2. Roast the Flour
   • Heat ghee in a non-stick pan on low flame.
   • Once melted, add whole wheat flour.
   • Stir continuously for 15–17 minutes until the mixture is golden brown, aromatic, and slightly runny. Ghee will start to separate.
3. Add Jaggery
   • Remove the pan from the flame.
   • Add grated jaggery and mix until it melts completely. Ensure the flame is off to prevent the jaggery from hardening.
4. Flavor and Combine
   • Mix in cardamom powder and grated coconut (optional).
5. Set and Serve
   • Pour the mixture immediately before hardening into the greased plate. You can add 1 tbsp of milk if the mixture has become too hard.
   • Press it evenly with a flat spatula.
   • Let it cool slightly, then cut into squares or diamonds.
   • Allow it to cool completely before serving. [2]

If you would like to see the preparation video, Click here

3. Thinai Sakkarai Pongal

Sakkarai Pongal is a favorite sweet for many South Indian people. The traditional sweet Pongal is delicious with ghee and rice but is also calorie-rich and has a high glycemic index. Replacing rice with thinai  reduces its sugar content adding protein and fiber making it nutritious.

Ingredients

• Thinai or Foxtail millet – ½ cup
• Moong dal – 2 tbsp
• Jaggery – 1 cup grated
• Water – 1 cup
• Milk – 1 cup
• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
• Sukku thool or Dry ginger powder – 2 pinch
• Pachcha Karpooram or edible camphor – 1 pinch (optional)
• Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp broken
• Ghee – 4 tbsp

Instructions:

1. Wash and Soak Thinai: Wash thinai (foxtail millet) and soak it for 15 minutes.
2. Roast Moong Dal: Dry roast moong dal on low flame until aromatic (don’t burn).
3. Cook Thinai and Dal:
   • Drain thinai and add it to a pressure cooker along with roasted moong dal, water, and milk.
   • Cook for 3–4 whistles.
4. Prepare Jaggery Syrup: Melt jaggery with 2 tablespoons of water on low flame. Strain to remove impurities.
5. Combine Ingredients:
   • Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked thinai and dal.
   • Cook on low flame for 7–10 minutes until the raw jaggery smell fades.
6. Roast Cashews: Heat ghee in a pan, roast cashews until golden, and add to the dish.
7. Finish with Spices: Mix in cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, and pachchai karpooram.
8. Serve: Drizzle extra ghee on top and serve hot. [2]

There are several apps that help in monitoring carbohydrate and sugar intake. One of which is the HealthifyMe app available in the Play Store.

How to replace Maida/rice in any recipe

When comes to dessert, those cute little cupcakes, moist cakes, and donuts are inevitable.

We can easily make baking healthier by altering Maida (fast-absorbing carbohydrate) with Wholegrains(fiber-rich). These types of foods are already available but are priced high.

It’s not very tough to bake your own healthier dessert. If you know basic baking or not. Let’s sort it out together. I’ll help you throughout the process.

Believe me, a healthier option doesn’t have to taste bad. Without further delay, Let’s make the dessert healthier without compromising taste.

Maida/Rice alternatives:

Maida is the most used flour in baking recipes while rice is mainly used in south Indian sweet recipes. Both lack fibre and nutrition making them unhealthy.

Ragi or finger millet, bajra or pearl millet, jowar, and sorghum are among the most popular millets in India. [5] Alternate your rice with these millets, the lower the glycemic index higher the beneficial effect for diabetics.

1. Whole wheat flour

Maida is produced when the whole wheat flour is refined.

To replace Maidawith whole wheat flour measure 1 cup of whole wheat flour and remove two tablespoons of flour from the measurement.

1 cup Maida= 1 cup wheat flour- 2 tbsp wheat flour

Compared to Maidawhole wheat flour is protein dense. So, It takes some time to release the gluten in flour, and more quantity of liquid is required.

2. Ragi flour/Fingermillet/kelviragu – கேழ்வரகு

Ragi flour is nutritious and works well with chocolate recipes. It can’t be replaced with rice in recipes. Try to add ragi to your diet through ragi kali/ragi kool as it reduces increasing blood sugar after food.

Hello, Pregnant and lactating women. Pay attention! Ragi has 10 times more calcium than brown rice, wheat, or corn. Also, Finger millet contains a balanced amount of essential amino acids.  [6]

Replace one cup of Maidawith ¾ th of ragi flour with ¼ th of all-purpose flour(Maida) for the brownie and biscuits recipe.

1. cup Maida= ¾ th cup ragi flour + ¼ th cup all-purpose flour
2. Foxtail millet/Thinai arisi – தினை

3. Foxtail millet/Thinai arisi – தினை

Foxtail millet has low glycaemic index(50-60) and high protein content [5]. This millet is mostly used to make Upma and pulao.

Foxtail millet not only has a low glycemic index but also helps combat osteoporosis and fractures because they are rich in calcium and proteins. [5]

Tomato rice is a go-to lunch recipe when we have less time for preparation. Making tomato rice with foxtail millet also makes it healthy and nutritious.

Foxtail millet is rich in protein and fibre keeping you full for a longer period of time.

Making Thinai tomato rice is similar to normal tomato rice. The step you are not familiar with is cooking thinai rice.

How to cook foxtail millet:

• Wash the ½ cup foxtail millets under running tap water nicely, drain, and transfer it to the pressure cooker.
• Add around 2 cups of water, season with salt
• Pressure cook for 4 whistles and keep aside. Once cool, fluff up the cooked millet with a fork.

After this, you can follow your own steps to make thinai tomato rice. If you are new to cooking Click here for the complete recipe [7]

4. Little millet/Samai Arisi – சாமை

If you have a hard time maintaining your blood sugar level. Try replacing rice with a little millet at least for a meal because it prevents a spike in blood glucose level which helps in managing diabetes. [6]

• Pearl millet/Kambu Arisi – கம்பு

5. Pearl millet/Kambu Arisi – கம்பு

Pearl millet (bajra) is rich in zinc, iron, dietary fibers, and omega-3 fatty acids(also present in fish), which provide antioxidant properties when consumed. [6]

Stop using blush for glowing skin. Pearl millet rich in vitamin E makes your skin glow naturally. [6]

If you know how to make curd rice try replacing rice with pearl millet. The only thing you need to know is how to cook kambu rice in a pressure cooker.

How to cook Kambu rice: For curd rice [7]

Take one cup of pearl millet and wash well. Rinse the kambu well and transfer to the pressure cooker, add water(4 cups) and pressure cook on a low medium flame for 4 whistles. 

6. Jowar/Vellai solam – சோளம்

Jowar reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and colon cancer. But has higher glycemic index compared to other millets.

7. Barnyard millet/Kuthirai vaali – குதிரைவாலி

Iron-rich nature of Barnyard millet accelerates hemoglobin production and maintains healthy red blood cells.

8. Kodo millet/Varaku Arisi – வரகு

Many individuals with high cholesterol are confused about choosing the right type of rice for daily consumption. Alternate your staple rice with varagu rice for at least three to four days a week.

Because it works well in reducing cholesterol levels due to their higher lecithin content. Lecithin helps in decreasing cholesterol levels. [8]

If you have digestion issues which are common in infants and the elderly population. Kodo millet is the perfect choice as it is easily digestible and provides nutrition for developing the nervous system in kids.

9. Proso millet – பனிவரகு

Cardiac patients who are taking tablets to lower blood pressure should think of replacing rice with proso millet which has anti-inflammatory properties. They are also rich in vitamin B1.

Sugar Alternatives- Natural sweeteners

The use of artificial sweeteners even if they have very low glycemic index value has mixed reviews. So, I am listing only natural sweetener alternatives.

Excessive sugar, along with increasing caloric intake also causes dental caries. [4]

1. Date palm
2. Grapes
3. Sugarcane
4. Beetroot
5. Jaggery
6. Coconut
7. Sorghum
8. Honey

The replacement suggested above should work. However, not all recipes are the same. Some changes in color, taste, and appearance can be present. Feel free to experiment with it.

References

1.Agrawal, P., Singh, B. R., Gajbe, U., Kalambe, M. A., & Bankar, M. (2023). Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.44908. n.d.

2.Argiana, V., Kanellos, P., Eleftheriadou, I., Tsitsinakis, G., Perrea, D., & Tentolouris, N. (2020). Low-Glycemic-Index/Load Desserts Decrease Glycemic and Insulinemic Response in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Nutrients, 12(7), 2153. https://doi. n.d.

3.Golpapdi Video, Gujarati Gol Papdi by Tarla Dalal. (2022, August 18). https://www.tarladalal.com/golpapdi-gujarati-gol-papdi-recipe-636r. n.d.

4.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10560538/. n.d.

5.https://www.archanaskitchen.com/thinai-thakkali-sadam-recipe-foxtail-millet-tomato-rice. n.d.

6.https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/healthy-eating/people-with-diabetes-dessert.html, Can People With Diabetes Have Dessert? (n.d.). Diabetes. n.d.

7.https://www.sharmispassions.com/kambu-thayir-sadam-recipe/#recipe. n.d.

8.Peris, M., Rubio-Arraez, S., Castelló, M. L., & Ortolá, M. D. (2019). From the laboratory to the kitchen: new alternatives to healthier bakery products. Foods, 8(12), 660. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8120660. n.d.

Radhika. (2019, February 24). Thinai Sakkarai Pongal – Foxtail Millet Sweet Pongal Recipe. Tickling Palates. https://www.ticklingpalates.com/thinai-sakkarai-pongal-millet-sweet-pongal/. n.d.