Do you have any idea how hard it is to write food articles—especially dessert articles—when you deeply believe in healthy eating and feel responsible to help others do so as well? The goal is to write what you’ll want to read, obviously, and yet still be true to my values.


Well, all whining aside, thank goodness there are some websites and cookbooks out there that harmonize with my goal! One such book is Thank Heaven for Homemade Cooks, a Lutheran church cookbook Aunt Annie passed on to me. Aside from the cute title, this book’s low-sugar recipes are “legal” and they taste good! For instance, here’s a dessert that’s low-sugar and actually antioxidant rich (that’s a bonus!).




Add Recipe to Cook'n






Add Recipe to Cook'n

With two delicious low-sugar recipes under our belt, how about a list of reliable, low- to no-sugar websites we can turn to for help with healthier desserts? After all, desserts are here to stay, right? I’ve spent the last couple years exploring these and think you’d appreciate knowing about these folks (if you haven’t discovered them on your own, already).

PINCH OF YUM (www.pinchofyum.com). Lindsay, the site’s creator, isn’t doing the no-no finger shake at sugary foods, rather, in her words, “We’re simply embracing other foods that are just as tasty, yet healthier.” Along those lines, she shares scrumptious low- to no-refined sugar recipes plus a top ten list of the benefits of cutting back or going refined-sugar free:

1. A new appreciation for fruit.
2. More sensitive tastebuds.
3. Discovering new whole AND packaged foods that we love for meals and snacks. Like Medjool dates, Pellegrino water, poached egg and avocado toasts.
4. Weight loss.
5. Flatter bellies. (Lindsay lost 1½ inches around my waist, and her husband lost 4 inches.
6. No regrets... you wake up each morning feeling clean, healthy, and proud.
7. The upward spiral—a draw upward to making even more healthy choices.
8. Simplified decision making. Do you want a piece of fudge? No thank you. Period. No decisions to be made. You just pass on it and find something else to enjoy.
9. Nutritionally savvy...you gain better understanding of nutrition/sugar/food and how to form and keep good habits that will continue to empower you to make more smart choices.
10. Feeling better, all around (mentally, emotionally, and physically).

More inspiring and helpful low- to no-refined-sugar sites are:

• SUGAR FREE MOM (www.sugarfreemom.com)
• DESSERTS WITH BENEFITS (www.dessertswithbenefits.com)
• CHOCOLATE COVERED KATIE (www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com)
• KITCHEN TREATY (www.kitchentreaty.com)
• THE PICKY EATER (www.pickyeaterblog.com)
• THE SUGAR FREE DIVA (www.thesugarfreediva.com)
• SUGAR FREE LONDONER (www.sugarfreelondoner.com)
• I QUIT SUGAR (www.iquitsugar.com)
• SPOONFUL OF SUGAR FREE (www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/blog)

And there are loads of other low- to no-refined-sugar websites out there. I share these because I’ve actually visited them, tried and liked their recipes, and find these sites pleasant to browse.