15+ 5-Ingredient Dessert Recipes For Better Blood Sugar

Whether you’re looking for something sweet after a meal or need a tasty dessert for a celebration, these ideas are great ones to try! Each recipe features complex carbs to support stable blood sugar levels and they have lower levels of sodium and saturated fat for a diabetes-friendly bite. Plus these dishes are easy to make, requiring no more than 5 ingredients. You’ll want to try options like our Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Berry-Lemon Ice Pops for a delicious and healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Pineapple Nice Cream

All-fruit, dairy-free and with no added sugar–these are the hallmarks of nice cream, a healthy alternative to ice cream. This pineapple nice cream has tropical flavors, thanks to a hit of mango and lime. It takes just minutes to make this naturally sweet frozen dessert in the food processor or a blender. Enjoy it alone, or top with fresh fruit and toasted coconut.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and, with only five simple ingredients, they can easily be whipped up by young chefs and enjoyed as an after-school treat. They’re also perfect for a holiday party or for a cookie swap.

Berry-Lemon Ice Pops

Fresh squeezed lemons blended with sweet berries creates a perfectly refreshing treat.

Watermelon Sherbet

The only difference between sorbet and sherbet is that the latter has a bit of dairy. In the case of this easy summer dessert, sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness plus a touch of creaminess.

No-Bake Vegan Date Brownies

Sweetened with dates, these whole-grain bars provide energy and protein, thanks to nut butter. With just 5 ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, you can make these delicious, chewy brownies with no added sugar. Whip up a batch as a healthy dessert or for grab-and-go energy bars for a healthy snack.

Strawberry-Mango Nice Cream

This creamy strawberry-mango nice cream is a delicious healthy ice cream alternative. It’s all fruit, dairy-free, vegan and contains no added sugar. And this three-ingredient dessert is super-fast and easy to prep. Serve it as a snack or light dessert on the hottest days of the summer. Or anytime you want a refreshing treat.

Pink Lemonade Nice Cream

Sweet, tangy and so refreshing, this is a treat you could enjoy on repeat all summer long. The bananas make it ultra creamy, so it tastes like a cross between sorbet and ice cream. It’s perfect for dessert or a midafternoon snack on a hot day.

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

All you need are four simple ingredients to make crispy peanut butter balls for a healthy spin on a classic dessert that everyone will love.

Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Sue Mitchell, Prop stylist: Skylar Myers,

These 3-ingredient sweet treats are a breeze to make and, because dark chocolate clusters take just 15 minutes to prepare, they can be made on short notice to feed a crowd.

Strawberry Nutella S’mores

Upgrade classic s’mores when you use chocolate-hazelnut spread instead of a chocolate bar in this quick recipe. We also added fresh strawberries and swapped graham crackers for thin lemon cookies in a fun, healthy twist.

Raspberry-Pistachio Greek Yogurt Bark

Mix Greek yogurt with sweet jam and crunchy pistachios and freeze so you can break into chunks just like chocolate bark.

Strawberry Fro-Yo Cupcakes

Fat-free frozen yogurt and fresh strawberries are blended together to make a healthier cupcake with a bonus cookie crunch in this easy 4-ingredient dessert recipe.

Tart Cherry Nice Cream

Andrea Mathis

This easy vegan tart cherry nice cream—made from only a few simple ingredients—is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and also deliver a boost of melatonin that may help you get a more restful night’s sleep.

Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark

Greek yogurt gets studded with fresh strawberries and chocolate chips and then frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark (but healthier!). This colorful snack is perfect for kids and adults alike.

Quick Strawberry “Cheesecake”

Get cheesecake flavor without having to bake with this healthy dessert recipe. To make it gluten-free, look for gluten-free graham crackers.