50+ Lifestyles

Carb-Friendly Holiday Desserts

By Nina Struss RDN, LDN
Hy-Vee Registered Dietician
(515) 695-3779 nstruss@hy-vee.com

Satisfy your sweet tooth without demolishing your healthy eating habits! When it comes to controlling your blood sugar or managing diabetes, carbohydrates are the name of the game. Aim for consistent carbohydrates at every meal, use portion control and read labels. Give your recipes a healthy twist by lightening them up and cutting carbs with these tips:

Simple Swaps:

• Decrease sugar in recipes by ¼; increase sweet spices or double vanilla extract or add citrus zest for more flavor
• Use sugar substitutes suitable for baking (e.g. Swerve)
• Substitute unsweetened applesauce for butter or oil
• Use mashed banana in place of butter or oil
• Use whole-grain flour for white flour
• Substitute evaporated skim milk for heavy cream
• Choose frozen Greek yogurt over ice cream
• Use 2 egg whites for 1 whole egg
  Nuts (toasted) can replace croutons
• Use lettuce in place of tortilla wraps
• Sub riced cauliflower for rice
• Pick pureed fruit instead of syrup

Try a carb-friendly version of traditional molten chocolate cake that still features that ooey-gooey molten center that everyone loves!

Sugar-Free Molten Chocolate Cakes
Serves 4

All you need:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, plus additional for ramekins
• Hy-Vee baking cocoa, for dusting
• ½ cup Lily’s semisweet style baking chips
• 2 tbsp Lily’s dark chocolate baking chips
• 2/3 cup Swerve granular sugar replacement
• 2 Hy-Vee large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 Hy-Vee large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp Hy-Vee all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp Hy-Vee vanilla extract
• Rebel no-sugar-added vanilla ice cream, for serving
• Strawberry slices, for garnish

All you do:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Butter 4 (8-oz.) ramekins; dust with cocoa powder. Place ramekins on a baking sheet; set aside.
2. Place ½ cup butter and semisweet and dark chocolate chips into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH at 30-second intervals or until melted, stirring after each time.
3. Beat sugar replacement, eggs and egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high for 8 minutes or until pale yellow and airy. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture, then whisk in flour and vanilla. Do not over mix. Spoon about 2/3 cup batter into each prepared ramekin.
4. Bake 16 minutes or just until cake edges are set. Do not overbake. Let stand for 2 minutes. Using a knife, loosen cakes from sides of ramekins. Invert onto dessert serving plates. Serve immediately with ice cream. Garnish with strawberry slices, if desired.

Recipe source: November 2021 Seasons magazine

The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.