Help! Any ideas for a tasty dessert for someone who is diabetic? UPDATED

[Behind the Aegis]

Last edited Mon Sep 5, 2016, 03:25 PM - Edit history (1)

My mother-in-law is coming this Sunday for a visit (though we have never officially acknowledged the relationship, my husband isn't technically "out" to his parents...LONG story), but she is very diabetic (type 2), and I would like to have a dessert she can actually eat and enjoy.

Does anyone have any suggestions for something that isn't bland? I am not a very good cook (I do try, oh Lord, how I try), so it can't be too complicated. I try my best, but I am still not real accomplished at cooking, especially baking. I'd like something more than sugar-free ice cream or fruit. She likes lemons.

Any suggestions/help would be much appreciated!!!

Also, would it be better to make sun tea or just the old-fashioned way?

[hr]


ETA UPDATE:

First, thank you to everyone who offered up some advice. Second, I apologize for not responding sooner, but I was distracted with a family emergency, my father was rushed to the hospital, where he remains, with what we think is a petite mal seizure. They are still running tests, but he is good spirits and may go home today. Finally, I did actually make one of the recipes here, GoDawgs' key lime pie. It was a HIT! With the exceptions of the zest being done incorrectly (ended up with some pieces of skin in my teeth) and not getting to concept of folding quite right (I ended up just whipping it all together), the taste was very good, and the consistency was quite appealing. My MIL really enjoyed it and appreciated the effort.

Here it is, crust-free Key Lime (low fat, no sugar) Pie:

[Scruffy Rumbler]

1. Sliced fresh fruit is always good.

If you come up with a idea, try using blue agave nectar for sweetening. It is low glycemic; will not raise her blood sugar as much as sugar or honey (avoid those).

Stay away from starches; breads, rice, pasta.

For the tea, if you are sweetening, again , agave syrup. nectar.

If you have pears or apples, you can poach them using fruit juice as the poaching liquid.

Hope this helps!

Lemon ice/ sorbet can be made with out an ice cream maker. There are some very simple and easy recipes, on line.

Try it our before hand!

Best of luck and may the realization that their son is happy be all they are concerned about! That and the great meal you will feed them

Food is love!

[Behind the Aegis]

9. I appreciate the info (see update in OP).

I am going to look into the Lemon ice/sorbet idea, just for weight reasons (my husband and I could both stand to shed a few (or 10) pounds.

Turns out "Like mother, like son" applied here because she is not a big fan of fruit; neither is my husband! I have to incorporate it into his food. LOL!

[dem in texas]

2. Dessert for Diabetic

I have a nephew who is diabetic, very serious too (lost one leg). One year, I had to make a dessert for his birthday party and read that cheese cake is safe for a diabetic as the diary product in the pie slows down the absorption of the carbohydrates. I decreased the sugar to 1/4 cup the pie filling and no sugar in the crust. If you don't want to make the crust, you can purchase an already made (sold in the baking sections).. But it will have a little sugar in it.

I didn't make the glaze, but served the pie with plain sliced strawberries. It was a huge hit. I have since made this pie many times, my diabetic nephew always wants me to make one for him. Here's my copy of the recipe.
________________________________________________

Cheese Cake Pie

Here's an easy to make recipe that tastes just like a real cheesecake. I make this for my diabetic nephew. I reduce the sugar in the filling to ¼ cup and totally omit the sugar in the graham cracker crust,

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 8-oz package cream cheese (at room temperature)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
9 inch graham cracker crust (baked)

Preparation:
In mixing bowl, beat eggs until thick and yellow. Add sugar and flour beating until well blended. Set aside.

In larger bowl, beat cream cheese with a small amount of the evaporated milk. Continue beating until smooth. Add remaining evaporated milk, lemon juice and lemon peel, mix until well blended.

Pour egg mixture into cream cheese mixture, mix just until well blended.

Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until firm. Cool on wire rack. Chill several hours or overnight before serving. Serve with fresh sliced strawberries or other fruit.

Here is recipe for crust and glaze, I have been using a store bought pie crust, although I have made my own graham cracker crust many times.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter melted

In bowl, combine crushed graham crackers and sugar. Add butter and blend well. Press into the sides and bottom of 9" pie plate.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on wire rack before filling.

Strawberry Glaze
Here is a strawberry glaze that can be used to top the pie.

1 pint strawberries - washed and hulled
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
Few drops red food coloring

Cut 10 to 12 strawberries in half and arrange in single layer, cut side down on top of the baked and chilled cheese cake pie. Crush enough of the remaining berries to make 1/2 cup, put in saucepan. Add water and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Press through a strainer to make 1/2 cup of puree. Mix sugar and cornstarch together and stir into the puree in the sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and clear. Remove from heat and add red food color, if desired. Allow to cool slightly, then spoon over strawberries on top of pie.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Did you skip over the part where I expalined I am not a good cook?!

Seriously though, I do appreciate the information and the recipe. Perhaps I will try this when it is just me and the hubby who are the guinea pigs. It sounds delicious!

I have always wanted to attempt a fruit glaze again (I tried once with oranges....did not go well!).

Perhaps if I give this a few tries, I can be ready in case they come for Thanksgiving. I found out Cheesecake is one of her favorite desserts.

Thanks again (see the update).

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Tea is fine by itself. It's the sweetening that could cause a problem...

so use a non-caloric/carb sweetener. I use Splenda, Stevia, or saccharine, depending on what I'm sweetening. If you go shopping for Stevia, be sure it doesn't have maltitol or any of the other "-ols" in it. Unfortunately, most do. And no point in the hassle of sun tea.

I make a very simple "pudding" from unflavored Greek yogurt. Get those big quart or so containers and mix in Splenda, plain cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Throw in some walnuts if you like. You can also leave out the cocoa (or leave it in if you like) and throw in some blueberries. Blueberries don't mess with blood sugar all that much, and everyone loves them.

Now if you want to give it a shot, take this recipe for lemon meringue pie and make a couple of changes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lemon-meringue-pie-recipe.html

Replace the sugar with the same amount of Splenda and forget the pie crust. The crust is almost pure carbohydrate, so eliminating it helps the blood sugar and while it's traditional, it's not necessary at all. (There's probably another name for a pie without a crust.)

You can put everything in a greased pie plate or bowl without a crust, or you can make a bunch of single serving little ones in small cups.

Make at least one practice one before the big day so you see how it goes.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Thanks (see update in OP)

I appreciate the information. I really like the idea of the yogurt based items. My husband is a lover of yogurt, so this might be a good thing for weight loss.

I'll check out the recipe, but I have never been able to make meringue.

I skipped the tea, this go around, but we have other things on hand, so it worked out.

[csziggy]

18. Until I got a good mixer I couldn't make meringue

I made forgotten cookies when I was a teenager using Mom's mixer. But until I bought a vintage KitchenAid off Craigslist, I was never good at meringue. Since then I've made meringue cookies several times and they are great.

A good mixer does make it so much easier. Those chefs who make meringue by hand have better wrists and shoulders than I do!

[GoDawgs]

19. You're correct on the blueberries TB, I make & preserve ultra low sugar Blueberry

Pie filling in pint jars for my folks and a friend's folks who have diabetes. Its easy for thfm to make pie or muffins or just use as a topping. Blueberries need almost no sugar to be delish and are low G.I. for diabetics.
Whenn using apples I can make the presrved fillingtoo and apples take to using honey better as a layer of flavor & good sweetness

[TreasonousBastard]

20. Blueberries are one of those magic foods...

with extraordinary nutrition. They are good for pretty much everyone with no downsides, unless you have a problem Vitamin K might interfere with.

And, they are usually pretty cheap!

Apples are good, too, as is watermelon. I tend to have a bowl of watermelon chunks in the fridge next to the blueberries.

[GoDawgs]

4. Try this no-bake key lime pie

Tea: either is ok, get some sucralose (splenda) for her to sweeten it. I'm from the south so all tea is iced and sweet, 'cept sometimes in winter.

Caveat for the pie: I haven't actually made this but I have made similar pies for my folks (diabetes). Its simple to make.

Note there's no crust so you'll need a pie plateYou could buy a crust but I bet nobody makes a sugar free one. Everybody needs to have a pie plate anyway.

And a bit of advice: get enough ingredients to make two pies. Make one, like a practice run- if its ok then fine, if not or you want to go for better then freeze (or eat) the first one with your guy and make the second one now that you have practice.

Good Luck BtAegis!

Link: http://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Pie/No-Bake-Key-Lime-Pie-105032

No-Bake Key Lime Pie
What You'll Need:
1 (4-serving) package sugar-free lime gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water
1 (8-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
2 cups frozen light whipped topping, thawed
What To Do:
1. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, stirring until dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add liquid gelatin until well combined.
4. Stir in lime juice and lime peel. Fold in whipped topping until well incorporated. Pour into pie plate, cover, and chill 3 hours or until set.

As with any creamy dessert, cover and store this in the refrigerator until serving time. Don't let it stand at room temperature before or after serving.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Literally, she had chicken for dinner, and finished with the Key Lime Pie you suggested (see OP for update and pic).

It was a hit! My husband also liked it quite a bit, and wants me to make it again, with the crust. Given it is pretty low-cal too, it might be a good dessert to make. It really didn't take me long and other than a few pitfalls, it was rather easy!

Thank you so much for the recipe!

[TygrBright]

5. Keep in mind that it's not so much "sugar" as "carbohydrates" that are the issue.

My Type-2 diabetic esposo and I learned over a long time that for someone who's intolerant of most artificial sweeteners (they produce horrific gastric effects I won't detail, but trust me, it's NOT worth it) but has a deep and abiding sweet tooth, finding ways to use naturally-sweet carbohydrates well and sparingly is a gift.

Sweeteners we use include honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, fruit concentrates, date sugar, molasses, brown sugar, and yes! (gasp!!) ordinary refined white sugar!

What we have to do is balance how *other* carbohydrates are used with which sweetener. "Other" carbohydrates commonly used in desserts are starches and flours that provide the base for the dish, and the lactose and fructose sugars that occur naturally in dairy products and fruit.

Every carbohydrate has a glycemic index that indicates how quickly the sugar is processed and turned into blood glucose, raising the blood sugar to levels a Type-2 diabetic's kidney, pancreas, etc. have difficulty with after meals. High glycemic-index carbohydrates like white sugar and refined flour spike the blood sugar high and fast. Lower GI carbs like rolled oats, molasses, honey, and maple syrup fall in the "medium" range. Much lower GI carbs are unsweetened dairy, brown rice, agave syrup, etc.

So when we're trying to deal with the sweet tooth, we look for desserts that balance *small* amounts of higher-GI sweeteners with larger amounts of lower-GI other ingredients, or vice versa, etc.

Trying to satisfy a raging sweet tooth, we often find it's a better trade off to go with a SMALL serving of a 'hard core' dessert than to try and keep the dessert entirely in the low-GI range and have a big serving. Sometimes a couple of squares of dark chocolate do the trick nicely.

Brown-rice pudding sweetened with maple syrup, golden raisins, and spiced with cinnamon and cardamom is a popular one.

It also makes a big difference how well-controlled the diabetic's A1C levels are, and what kind of medication they're on.

So, experiment a little, ask your MIL for suggestions/help/etc., and try something new that everyone will enjoy!

helpfully,
Bright

[Behind the Aegis]

13. I apprecaite all the information (see updated OP).

Your post had quite a bit of information to digest, no pun intended. I'll admit I don't know much about the disease, other than some of the basics.

Have you ever cooked with agave? I have some on hand, but I have never had occasion to use it. I am not sure how to substitute it or even where I could do so without changing the taste of whatever I am making. What is your experience with it.

Thanks for all the incredible information.

[TygrBright]

17. I've used it to add moisture and sweetening to a sweetbread recipe.

Unlike honey (which often cooks 'sweeter' than sugar) agave cooks 'less sweet' in my experience. But it's nice and moist which is a help when baking at altitude (we're at 7000 feet.)

Where it does really well is in smoothies with yogurt and fruit, and as an ingredient in "sticky topping" for bars and buns.

helpfully,
Bright

[csziggy]

6. Meringues or "forgotten cookies" can be very satisfying

And can be made with much less sugar than most of the recipes call for. I have made them with Splenda or have simply cut the sugar a bunch.

Basically they are egg whites, beaten until stiff then baked at a low temperature until completely dry and crisp. Since they are mostly air, your eyes tell you they are a lot of cookie but there is not much there.

I've added nuts or chocolate chips to them. Here is a recipe for a lemon flavored one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/87455/merenges/?internalSource=search%20result&referringContentType=search%20results&clickId=cardslot

You can also use the same idea to create pavlovas - make the meringue, then shape it into a crust or layer to serve fruit or a custard in. You can make one large one, or smaller for individual servings. It gives the crunch of a crust but doesn't have much carbohydrates. Here is a pavlova that uses very little sugar: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/12249/new-zealand-pavlova/?internalSource=rr_recipe&referringId=17420&referringContentType=recipe&clickId=right%20rail%2010&AnalyticsEvent=right%20rail%20nav

My pre-diabetic husband weaned himself off sodas by making tea, regular brew, unsweetened, then gradually cut the number of real tea bags with mint bags until he was drinking all mint tea with no caffeine. Now he's finally - for the first time in the forty years we've been together - begun drinking plain water!

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Many thanks (see updates in OP)

I just recently saw a recipe for "forgotten cookies", so it was interesting to see you mention it. The end product looked very good, but I just don't know I can do it. I will have to experiment. I tried to make meringue once and it did not go well!

We skipped the tea this go around, but we had some other options.

Thanks again.

[Nay]

7. I have not made this pie, but I've used recipes from this site and loved them. Try

this (easy to make!) lemon pie:

http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2016/05/lemon-cloud-pie-low-carb-gluten-free.html

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Thanks! (see OP update)

I may try this in the future (along with the cheesecake one up above). It sounds yummy. I'll let you know (especially how "easy" it is...that's the real test for me).

Much appreciated!

[Vinca]

8. Go the the Splenda site and check out their recipes.

I would make a cheesecake pie (substituting Splenda for the sugar) with an almond flour crust - 1 c. almond flour, 1/3 cup chopped almonds, a little unsweetened shredded coconut if you want, 1 T. Splenda, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 4 T. melted unsalted butter (I always substitute that for a graham cracker crust). Top with fresh fruit. I also make apple/peach/blueberry or whatever-kind-of-fruit-you-like traditional pie. I use the Splenda site recipes and make the crust with rye flour instead of wheat flour because of the lower glycemic index. It's tricky to work with and you have to roll it out between sheets of waxed paper, but the crust has a nice nutty taste I have come to prefer to wheat flour crusts. You can make a cake from almond flour that is good with a fruit topping and whipped cream. I've followed the recipe for a small white cake in the Betty Crocker cookbook, substituting Splenda for the sugar. It won't rise as high as a wheat flour cake, but it's tasty with a topping.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. Thanks for the info (see update above).

I'll check out the Splenda site. I probably should be doing that anyway since my husband and I are both trying to lose weight anyway.

I really appreciate the information!

[GoDawgs]

21. Thanks! I'm so happy the dessert worked out for you Aegis.

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad's trouble. I hope things go well for him. <Hugs Aegis>

Regarding the issues you had (for next time):
For zests, you're trying to get only the super thin colored part of the skin, and none of the white fibrous stuff underneath(its called pith) which is gross &very bitter. Best thing is to get a zester, it looks like a mini cheese grater with little holes. Sometimes its called a microplane. You are trying to get tiny particles, almost a grainy powder so the particles are too little to notice- like in your teeth. Haha
Once youre ableto get zests you'll find all sorts of uses besides recipes. I make lemon or orange infused vodka; or lime or orange infused rum all the time. I also make a lot of jams & preserves & chutneys, all need real fine zest.

For folding, the goal is to mix dissimilar things without disturbing them. get a silicone spatula or paddle to make it easy, add a little of the whipped cream to the other ingredients which are already in the bowl. Run the spatula along the inside of the bowl a little ways, and fold it towards the center. Work your way around the bowl tjis way and keep folding towards the center. After a while you'll notice the whipped cream disappeared into the mix. Then add some more whipped cream anf work your way around again. Keep going and soon the ingredients will all be mixed and yet the light 'airiness' of the whipped cream will be all in the other ingredients.

Once get this recipe down pat, write down and use it any time you like. Keep learning different
recipes and in no time you'll be able to cook stuff whenever the fancy (or need) arises.