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What Are the Different Types of Low-Sugar Desserts?

Lori Kilchermann
Lori Kilchermann

To reduce sugar content, recipes for many low-sugar desserts substitute sugar-packed ingredients for low-sugar or sugar-free ingredients. Low-sugar desserts are plentiful and are available in a variety of forms, including cookies, candies and cakes. Gelatin, pudding and pie can also be made in low-sugar versions. Other types of low-sugar desserts include bars and muffins.

A variety of bars are available in low-sugar options and many are made with vegetables, including nutty carrot cake bars, pumpkin almond bars and split pea bars. Some low-sugar desserts are flavored with citrus, including low-sugar lemon bars, citrus-hazelnut bars and almond-lemon bars. Oats and nuts are common in some low-sugar dessert bars, including no-sugar-added granola bars, which are made with oatmeal, walnuts and almonds. Other options include date and oat snack bars, oat bran bars and oatmeal fruit bars.

Raisins are a low-sugar desert.
Raisins are a low-sugar desert.

Ingredient substitutions, such as fruit juice, imitation sweetener and mashed fruit, allow many types of muffins to be made in low-sugar versions, including tropical muffins, coconut muffins and Caribbean muffins. Many types of fruits are naturally sweet and are featured in low-sugar desserts, including applesauce muffins, carrot-pineapple bran muffins and lemon poppy seed muffins. Blueberries, cranberries and peaches are also featured in some low-sugar muffins.

Oats are often used to make low-sugar snack bars.
Oats are often used to make low-sugar snack bars.

From heavenly angel food to black forest, there are many low-sugar desserts available in cake form. Berries, raisins and fruit are used to flavor assorted low-sugar desserts, such as lemon cake, blueberry cake and raisin cake. Some low-sugar cakes feature combinations of flavors, such as apple pumpkin cake, pineapple carrot cake and oatmeal chocolate cake. Vegetables also star in many low-sugar cakes, such as glazed carrot cake and pumpkin cake.

Lemon pudding can be made with less sugar because of the strong flavor lemon offers.
Lemon pudding can be made with less sugar because of the strong flavor lemon offers.

By adding a few ingredients to sugar-free pudding mixes, a variety of low-sugar desserts can be achieved. Applescotch pudding features sugar-free, instant butterscotch pudding mix and apple pie spice. Peanut butter pudding is made with skim milk, peanut butter and fat-free, sugar-free butterscotch pudding mix. Some puddings feature real fruit, such as the sliced bananas in banana toffee pudding and pineapple, coconut and mandarin oranges in mandarin pudding.

Many fruits are naturally sweet and low in sugar.
Many fruits are naturally sweet and low in sugar.

Low-sugar gelatin is available in a variety of flavors, such as pineapple, strawberry and lime, and can be paired with fruit and cottage cheese. Apple cherry gelatin salad gets it crunch from celery and walnuts, and strawberry gelatin pie has a crushed pretzel crust. Double-decker fruit salad features a layer of low-fat cream cheese mixed with orange juice, and a layer of fruit, including crushed pineapple and canned peaches.

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    • Raisins are a low-sugar desert.
      By: BigDreamStudio
      Raisins are a low-sugar desert.
    • Oats are often used to make low-sugar snack bars.
      By: eAlisa
      Oats are often used to make low-sugar snack bars.
    • Lemon pudding can be made with less sugar because of the strong flavor lemon offers.
      By: annamavritta
      Lemon pudding can be made with less sugar because of the strong flavor lemon offers.
    • Many fruits are naturally sweet and low in sugar.
      By: pilipphoto
      Many fruits are naturally sweet and low in sugar.
    • Granola bars can be eaten as a low-sugar dessert.
      By: baibaz
      Granola bars can be eaten as a low-sugar dessert.
    • Unsweetened applesauce is a nutritious dessert.
      By: mitrs3
      Unsweetened applesauce is a nutritious dessert.
    • Puffed rice snack bars coated in dark chocolate can be eaten as a low sugar dessert.
      By: stieberszabolcs
      Puffed rice snack bars coated in dark chocolate can be eaten as a low sugar dessert.
    • Many low-sugar and diabetic desserts are made with fresh fruit.
      By: CandyBox Images
      Many low-sugar and diabetic desserts are made with fresh fruit.