We love our sweets. Give us the cupcakes drenched in icing, the apple pie smothered in vanilla ice cream, and the cavities covered in fillings, because that’s where this sweet tooth is taking us. That is, unless we can get our hands on some low-sugar desserts.
We truly applaud low- and zero-sugar bakers. Finding ways around sugar-rushing, glucose-spiking treats allow us to carry on a life without restriction. Whether it’s whipping up a batch of flourless brownies, using applesauce in place of sugar, or simply introducing us to a zero-sugar sweetener, we tip our hats to you.
And to our fellow dessert addicts, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’re sharing low-sugar and sugarless treats you’re sure to love.
13 Low-Sugar Desserts That Are Sweetly Satisfying
There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Fending off your inner dessert demons is hard. If you feel like you’re constantly fighting a losing battle, these sugar-free treats should give you the sweet sense of victory.
1. Keto Peach Ice Cream
Image: All Day I dream About Food
How could ice cream possibly be low in sugar? Well, this one doesn’t have any sugar in it. This creamy, dreamy peach ice cream is made with heavy whipping cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and Swerve sweetener. The carbs you get come from the peaches themselves, which clocks in at just over 5 grams.
2. Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Image: My Pure Plants
A cookie without any refined sugar, flour, or even baking soda? These no-sugar cookies almost seem too good to be true — they’re vegan, oil-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Made with just bananas, quick oats, and peanut butter, they’re the perfect sugar-free treat. Want to spice ‘em up? Try adding raisins, chocolate chunks, or cocoa powder.
3. Low-Carb Cheesecake
Image: Seasonly Creations
It looks like cheesecake. It tastes like cheesecake. But with less than 4 grams of sugar per slice, could it really be cheesecake? This cheesecake recipe uses Swerve confectioners sugar instead of regular powdered sugar, keeping the sugar rush at bay. With a crispy almond flour crust and packed with 9 grams of protein, all of us are saying, “Let them eat cheesecake!”
4. Blueberry Crisp
Image: Rhian’s Recipes
Here’s a dessert you’ll love oh-so-berry much. You won’t find a speck of refined sugar in this blueberry crisp, which comes naturally sweetened with maple syrup and dates. With a jammy filling and a crunchy, gluten-free granola crust, you’re sure to go back for seconds.
5. Cereal School
Are we adding a box — er, bag — of cereal to this list? Absolutely. Why? Because if we haven’t made this explicitly clear, we eat cereal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. With flavors like Fruity, Cocoa, and Cinnamon Bun and precisely 1 gram of carbs, we don’t see why you can’t enjoy it as your go-to sugar-free dessert.
6. Vegan No-Bake Brownies Without Dates
Image: The Conscious Plant Kitchen
We once lived the majority of our waking hours buried in a kitchen, but never-have-we-ever heard of a no-bake fudge brownie. This recipe will make you a brownie believer: Made from a mixture of peanut butter, maple syrup, cocoa, and almond milk, they’re the perfect no-bake treat.
7. Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
Image: The Banana Diaries
If you’re anything like use, you can’t get enough pumpkin. Pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, oh my — it never gets old. So when these low-sugar pumpkin cupcakes pranced across our feed, we knew we’d have to tell you about ‘em. Since they’re vegan and refined-sugar free, they truly are pumpkin spice and everything nice.
8. Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Image: Mama Bear’s Cookbook
Love chocolate? Of course you do. That’s why you’ll dig these keto chocolate chip cookies. Ready in just 20 minutes, these cookies are made with almond flour, butter, chocolate chips, and monk fruit as a zero-sugar sweetener. Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, you’ll simply crumble if you don’t have a bite.
9. Healthy Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Image: Desserts with Benefits
This lemon poppyseed cake is so moist and filling, we almost didn’t believe it was low in sugar. The baker clearly had a few tricks up her apron, sneaking in unsweetened applesauce, plain Greek yogurt, and stevia into the batter. With just 3 grams of sugar and 8 grams of protein, this is quite the healthy cake — no matter which way you slice it.
10. Keto Chocolate Mug Cake
Image: Low Carb Maven
We love things that come individually packaged — it just feels so much more personal. And while you may be one to warm up with a hot mug of tea, how about a hot mug of cake? (Kinda takes your breath away, right?) Since this keto chocolate cake is sweetened with Swerve, ready in one minute, and paleo-friendly, it’s giving us all the warm, fuzzy feelings.
Chayote Squash Mock Apple Pie
Image: Low Carb Yum
Small confession: We Googled what “chayote” was when we stumbled across this recipe. If you’re about to do the same, we’ll spare you a few keystrokes: A chayote squash looks like a pear that sat in the sun too long. While it’s low in carbs and sugar, it’s crisp and mildly sweet — just like an apple. This mock apple pie uses the chayote squash instead of apples and a low-carb sweetener in lieu of sugar, bringing the net carb count down to just 3.7 grams per slice.
11. Pecan Pie Truffles
Image: All Day I Dream About Food
Don’t have room for a whole slice? That makes one of us, but OK. If you love pecan pie and can’t resist chocolate, these keto truffles are the way to go. Made with almond flour, pecans, Swerve, and dark chocolate, there’s nothing trifling about them.
12. Raw Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Image: Flexitarian Nutrition
We can’t express how much we love simplicity (hence why our favorite dessert comes straight out of the bag). Made with just three ingredients (avocado, chocolate, and maple syrup), this recipe for raw mousse couldn’t possibly be easier. Simply pour everything into a food processor, blend, then allow to set up in the fridge before serving.
13. Sugar-Free Blackberry Yogurt Popsicles
Image: Keto Diet App
Who says ice cream is only for summer? Chances are you love ice cream year round just like we do. So imagine our delight when we happened upon these frozen yogurt popsicles that combine blackberries, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract blended into one sweet treat. Plus, they’re so pretty!
Cereal School School is the Easiest Zero-Sugar Treat
If you’re scanning this list thinking, “This is great and all, but I’m no Betty Baker,” we understand. When you’re overcome with sugar cravings, the last thing you want is to bake a cake from scratch. (Although you have to admit the one-minute mug cake is certainly intriguing.)
To satisfy your sweet tooth, simply rip open a bag of Cereal School. It’s perfectly portable and packaged just for you, so you can get your (zero) sugar fix whenever it hits — at work, on the subway, or in between meetings.
And the best part? We deliver Cereal School straight to your door, making it that much easier to get your fix. Now how sweet is that?
