Cutting Back on Sugar? Try One of These 17 Delicious Dessert Recipes (2024)

Staying healthy doesn't have to mean skipping out on sweets. These low-sugar desserts will allow you to enjoy all your favorites—chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, pie, and more—all for 10 grams of sugar or less per serving. Whether it's a reduced amount of sugar or it's made with naturally sweet ingredients, these healthy desserts taste indulgent without the high sugar count.

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Easy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

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Grams of sugar: 8

A low-sugar dessert that also happens to be gluten-free? Absolutely! The 3-ingredient recipe only requires peanut butter, sugar, and an egg for freshly baked cookies that taste just like the classic you know and love.

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Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

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Grams of Sugar: 7

Beans in brownies? Stick with us here. Blending black beans with applesauce and chopped chocolate leaves any trace of bean flavor behind. The result is a healthy, low-sugar dessert that tastes rich and fudgy while boosting fiber.

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Key Lime Mason Jar Cheesecakes

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Grams of Sugar: 8

The secret to our tangy low-sugar dessert filling? Reduced-fat cream cheese, key lime juice (plus zest!), and frozen whipped topping. Pour the ultra-smooth fluff over our easy graham cracker crust, then garnish with key lime slices for lip-puckering appeal. Make the mini desserts in jars to tote to picnics.

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Reduced-Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Grams of Sugar: 5

Are you ever going to pass up a chocolate chip cookie? Probably not. Our Test Kitchen slightly tweaked our classic recipe to only call for ½ cup of sugar versus the usual 1½ cups. It's still sweet and satisfying without the sugar rush.

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Cherry-Almond Half-Moons

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Grams of Sugar: 5

These adorable treats achieve just the right amount of sweetness due to a filling of cherry preserves. You won't be able to get over the flaky cookie exterior made with cream cheese and butter.

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Banana Ice Cream

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Grams of Sugar: 10

A creamy, easy low-sugar dessert is just a blender and three ingredients away. Ripe bananas, coconut milk, and vanilla combine for a low-sugar frozen treat.

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Dessert Pizza with Banana Ice Cream

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Grams of Sugar: 9

Take that banana ice cream and smother it over a cocoa-cereal crust. Top with your favorite fruits for a stunning low-sugar dessert pizza. It's definitely going to disappear before it melts.

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Apple-Maple Snack Cake

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Grams of Sugar: 9

Instead of a blondie, try this spiced low-sugar dessert that boasts apple chunks and sliced almonds. With only a handful of pantry ingredients added to the mix, you'll have this apple dessert baking in just 15 minutes. It's an easy low-sugar dessert when you're craving a fall treat and don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

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Pineapple, Mint, and Coconut Water Pops

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Grams of Sugar: 8

These frozen pops are perfect for when you're in the mood for something sweet but refreshing. Fresh pineapple (this is key, as the canned versions have added sugars) and mint leaves give the treats their flavor.

Peach Air-Fryer Hand Pies

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Grams of Sugar: 10

Grab a refrigerated pie crust and a few peaches on your next grocery run to make this low-sugar dessert recipe. The best part about these portable pies is that you don't have to turn on the oven, as they're cooked to perfection using your air fryer.

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Pressnitz (Walnut Crescents)

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Grams of Sugar: 5

Inspired by the bakeries of Italy, these little golden crescents are baked with creamy ricotta and then stuffed with walnuts, dreamy orange marmalade, and fresh citrus peel. The low-sugar dessert pairs nicely with a cup of tea.

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Easy Spiced Pastries

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Grams of Sugar: 1

Packaged pie crust, butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin spice make up these irresistible low-sugar desserts. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dressed-up dough into perfect little squares.

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Low-Sugar Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

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Grams of Sugar: 7

Unsweetened applesauce, mini chocolate chips, and just a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar are all it takes to sweeten this low-sugar dessert. Shredded zucchini in the batter keeps the muffins moist while boosting your fiber intake. It'll make a perfect breakfast or after-dinner sweet.

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Lady Locks

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Grams of Sugar: 9

You can make flaky, bakery-quality pastries at home thanks to frozen puff pastry dough. We'll walk you through everything you need to make this low-sugar dessert at home including our recipe for fluffy vanilla bean pastry cream.

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Ruby Red Grapefruit Shortbread Cookies

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Grams of Sugar: 4

A full tablespoon of grapefruit zest in the dough gives this low-sugar dessert a burst of citrusy flavor. Ground ginger adds spice and balances the bitterness of the fruit. Dunk each cookie in a sweet grapefruit glaze and sprinkle with pink sanding sugar before serving.

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"Fried" Ice Cream Truffles

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Grams of Sugar: 7

This take on classic fried ice cream is made with toasted panko bread crumbs rather than frying in oil. Choose your favorite ice cream to form the filling and roll in the cinnamon coating. Stash them in the freezer for any time you need a sweet treat.

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Gluten Free Coconut Cream and Pineapple Cream Puffs

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Grams of Sugar: 6

Grill the pineapple before adding it to this cream puff recipe. The extra step helps caramelize the fruit's natural sugars. We're using just three tablespoons of sugar in the fluffy coconut cream filling.