Naturally Sweet Snacks and Desserts: My Top 10

When I discovered my body's sensitivity to sugar I went on a hunt for naturally sweet snacks and desserts that would satisfy my need for sweet without including refined sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Reducing Sugar for Health Reasons

Many people want to remove or reduce refined sugars and artificial sweetener from their diet for a variety of reasons ranging from managing diabetes, hypoglycemia, or weight loss. Dessert and snacks are the most likely to be sugar laden. Non-sugar alternatives often contain artificial sweeteners with odd aftertastes and health concerns of their own. Returning to whole foods that are naturally sweet can be a rewarding and adventurous solution. Happily, many fruits and vegetables are naturally sweet and can be quickly prepared into fun desserts and snacks.

Fruits offer Natural Sweetness without Sugar

Fruits are an obvious choice when seeking a sweet dessert or snack. A quick fruit salad or blended smoothie can satisfy a sugar craving. Topping a prepared dish with sliced fruit can sweeten without adding extra sugar. For example, fresh berries on plain yogurt or cottage cheese turns a bland dish sweet without refined sugar. Adding fruit where you might not expect it is another way to naturally sweeten a snack. Mango or peach salsa (see recipe below) adds a layer of sweet to dishes with complex flavors.

Peach Salsa

1 Peach

1 tomato

1 spicy pepper of choice

½ cup chopped onion

Cilantro to taste

Chop above ingredients and mix. Add a bit of lemon or limejuice. Serve with tortilla chips for a sweet and spicy snack.

Dried Fruits are Handy, Portable, and Sweet

Dried fruits are another place to find extra sweet without extra sugar. When fruits are dried the naturally occurring sugars are concentrated and each bite is that much sweeter. Try a variety of dried fruits plain such as apple rings, raisins, dates, or dried peaches and apricots. Watch out for mango slices and banana chips where sugar is added during the drying process. Freeze dried fruits are another way to enjoy a sweet snack. Freeze-dried strawberries and pineapple melt in your mouth and seem sinfully sweet.

Use dried fruits alone or to sweeten a snack. Add some dried fruit to mixed nuts for a trail mix type snack. For another quick and easy snack take several pitted dates, slice down one side and spread with cream cheese. Pop in a pecan or walnut half and serve. By soaking dates or raisins overnight and then blending the softened fruit in a blender you can make a sweet paste to use as a natural, whole-food sweetener. Try these delicious no-cook, no sugar rolled treats.

Peanut Butter Balls

Take ½ cup blended, soaked dates, ½ cup peanut or other nut butter and mix together. Add in powdered milk one tablespoon at a time and stir in until the mixture no longer sticky. Scoop by the tablespoon, roll into a ball, and roll in dried coconut, chopped nuts, or cocoa powder. Keep refrigerated.

Sweet Vegetables for Nutritious Snacking

When looking for sweet snacks don't forget the vegetable group. A roasted sweet potato can be as sweet as candy and as smooth and delicious as a pudding. Roast several wrapped individually in aluminum foil and serve with butter. Carrots and beets are also sweet raw, roasted, steamed or juiced. Corn is another vegetable with natural sweetness. A corn succotash or a carrot salad with raisins is a great snack between meals.

Avoiding sugar need not deprive you of sweet foods for snacks and desserts. Look for whole fruits and vegetables with natural sugars for a delicious, nutritious treat.