Although you may find it hard to believe, people with diabetes can enjoy cakes, cookies, pies, tarts and other delectable desserts of all kinds. But these usually off-limits sweets must be either eaten in moderation or modified to make them appropriate for a diabetic’s after-dinner satisfaction. If you choose to modify a dessert, says Sobia Khan, RD, MSc, author of the cookbook 150 Best Indian, Asian, Caribbean and More Diabetes Recipes, simply cut back on the sugar and make some additional adjustments to the ingredients, as shown below. You can satisfy your sweet tooth without guilt or worry about your health.

  • Use substitute sweeteners to ease sugar out of your dessert equation.

  • Skip butter or shortening, ghee or lard, and use oils.

  • Forget cream, or use less of it, and switch to using milk with 1 percent fat, or skim milk.

  • If the recipe screams for chocolate, try using darker chocolate, 70 percent or more, and use pure cocoa, not a premade chocolate that may have added sugar.

  • Try whole wheat, spelt, soy, millet, buckwheat or oat flour instead of white flour to lower the dessert’s glycemic index (the ranking of a food’s effect on blood sugar levels) and add fiber.

  • It’s OK to eat your favorite dessert occasionally; just don’t go overboard, Khan suggests. “If you know you’re going to have dessert, cut down on carbs, such as rice, bread or pasta, earlier in the meal to avoid a spike in blood sugar.”