As April starts, most of you have probably watched spring break come and rush away again, and are now counting down the days until summer, when you can enjoy all the sunshine, warm weather, and family time that comes with it. If you have kids, however, they are probably counting down to a date a few weeks sooner: Easter. For kids, Easter means the thrill of egg hunts and the sugar-fueled energy and crash of a day filled with candy and sweets. For those of us who are older and need to watch our waistlines or have health issues that mean watching our sugar intake, Easter means carefully monitoring every bite and watching with a bit of sadness as kids enjoy all the treats we wish we could.
Holiday-Friendly Meals
Easter, for most families, is right up there with Thanksgiving and Christmas as a time to buy, bake, roast, and broil a massive spread of foods. It usually means holiday family time, which is wonderful, but it may also mean resisting temptation to gorge on all the most delicious treats spread up and down the table. This Easter, don’t let worries about your health drag down your mood! At Lord de Pastry, we know how much those tasty treats can make or break a holiday celebration, so we have a few suggestions on how to bring low sugar desserts that even the sugared-up kids will love!
Low Sugar Desserts
Easter is only a couple weeks away now, so If you’re at all savvy about baking, making low sugar desserts that are still Easter appropriate can be fairly easy. Just be sure you’re stocking up on the essentials, and maybe give your preferred treat a trial run with low sugar dessert recipe modifications. If you’re not sure where to begin, try these options:
Go Nuts
Carbohydrate-laden foods are a big concern in terms of low sugar desserts, especially for those who need diabetic friendly desserts. Try substituting some or all of the standard wheat flour for ground nuts and nut flours! Make a treat reminiscent of a favorite candy my mixing peanut butter and chocolate for pudding, cake, cupcakes, or cookies. Ground cashews will add a bit of sweetness and moisture to a chocolate cake recipe. Or, if vanilla or citrus cakes are your preference, try making them with almond flour or a wheat flour/almond flour blend. Do you make a Sunshine Cake every Easter? Instead of the usual pre-mixed cake mix, substituting nut flours in your favorite vanilla cake mix will enhance those citrusy fruit flavors!
Natural Sugars
Another great way to make low sugar desserts that still taste delicious is to sweeten your treats with natural sugar options. Instead of mixing in cups or pounds of white sugar, use fresh fruit to sweeten your treats. Hummingbird Cake is a traditional favorite through much of the south, and it’s a great option as far as low sugar desserts go because the primary flavorings are fruit, spices, and citrus. You can easily exchange regular flour for nut flour to really make this a great low sugar dessert recipe!
Add Richness Without Sugar
Often, sugar is used in such high quantities to enhance the flavor of a treat, so if you’re trying to make low sugar desserts, finding other ways to enhance the flavor means you can add in less sugar. Cooking with plain Greek yogurt is great for this because it is an excellent source of protein, very low in sugar, and adds moisture and richness to desserts. Increase the amount of spices a recipe calls for and use fruit or applesauce for natural sweetness.
Shop Lord de Pastry
Or, for those who are not baking-inclined, Lord de Pastry is here to provide low sugar desserts that are great for Easter celebrations and still taste delicious! Try a fruit tart flavored with jam for natural sweetness perfect for springtime celebrations. Or, for a richer treat, try our low sugar Nazook, which is made with sour cream to give a bold, bright flavor without needing pounds of sugar. No matter what your preference, Lord de Pastry makes the best low sugar desserts, so pick some up for your family’s Easter celebration! Find a retail location near you here.
