Desserts, Sweets, Baked Goods for Diabetics

[elyse]

As some of you may know, I started baking and selling cookies for a farmer's market in New Jersey. Some of the potential customers were asking for sugar free, low carb baked goods. I really have never thought about it, but would like to be accommodating to this handful of people.

Any ideas? Much thanks.

[tan319]

Maybe check out Chef2Chef.com? They might have some stuff there to look at.

Hope it works out for you!

[Foam Pants]

Making low carb, sugar-free cookies is going to be tricky. You could look up some information on Splenda's website, a brand-name artificial sweetener that is very popular. They give some baking tips and they also give some recipes. Adding bulk with fiber is a good idea to flesh out cookies without adding too much carb. You should have info on hand about how many carb exchanges each cookie is worth.

[coastcat]

Hi, low-carb eater here. The Low Carb Luxury site has a small but excellent selection of cookie recipes. The Low Carb Friends site has a recipe room with more cookies and other dessert items. 500 Low Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender is widely considered to be the best of the LC cookbooks (it's available through Amazon, ISBN 1931412065).

For sweetening, it's often recommended to mix artificial sweeteners (rather than using just one kind) to get a more natural taste. DaVinci and Torani sugar-free syrups (both of which use liquid Splenda) are very popular for flavoring, although they're generally used for things like cheesecakes.

To me, the recipes using soy flour or commercial low-carb bake mix or whey protein taste a little off. I prefer recipes that stick with nut flours. Or heck, make mini cheesecakes using DaVinci syrup (Dulce de Leche is quite decadent) and cupcake liners.

Basic low-carb dessert guidelines:

• No sugar
  Avoid wheat/rice/corn products
  Most nuts are acceptable (cashews and chestnuts are relatively high-carb; almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios are fine)
  Full-fat products are preferred; reduced-fat ones generally use added sugars
  Use only all-natural peanut butter containing nothing but peanuts and salt (no hydrogenated oils, no sugar)
  Butter is your friend; margarine is the enemy
  

When calculating carbs, take note of any fiber carbs. Fiber is generally not counted against one's daily carb count. For example, one cup of pecan halves has 14.97 grams of carbs, but 10.37 of those grams are fiber so the net carb count is only 4.6g. I eat a lot of pecans.

Edited July 22, 2003 by coastcat (log)

[JFLinLA]

Check for cookbooks by Mani Niall. He previously ran and created recipes for 2 pretty successful bakeries in Los Angeles that carried only sugar-free. Sweeteners were all natural including malt syrup, fruit juice concentrate. The stuff is good.

[coastcat]

... but let me point out quickly that although those sugar-free desserts might work for diabetics, they would NOT be suitable for low-carb diets. We do not use sweeteners that the body recognizes as a sugar.

Here's a list of sweeteners that are off-limits for us:

• Brown sugar
  Corn sweetener
  Corn syrup
  Corn syrup solids
  Dextrose
  Fructose
  Fruit juice concentrate
  Glucose
  High-fructose corn syrup
  Honey
  Invert sugar
  Lactose
  Maltose
  Malt
  Malt syrup
  Molasses
  Raw sugar
  Sucrose (table sugar)
  

[mags]

I don't like Splenda straight, or most products sweetened only with Splenda -- it has a nasty aftertaste, to me, though nowhere near as awful as Equal, etc. I've had the best results blending Splenda with sugar-alchohols, notably erythritol, which has two advantages: It has almost zero impact on blood-sugar (which is what low-carb dieters -- and diabetics, I believe -- are concerned about) and doesn't seem to have any of the laxative effects that plague a lot of the other SA's (or, more exactly, people who use them ). On its own, erythritol has a minty side-taste; mixing it with Splenda seems to cover that, while the erythritol gets rid of the nasty back-taste of the Splenda.

A few months ago, for a magazine, I put together a tasting panel of about 10 people (some of whom were eating low-carb and some of whom were definitely not) to evaluate a whole passel of low-carb products. The two categories in which manufacturers have clearly gotten it together are bread and chocolates. As a group, we particularly liked the Pure De-Lite truffles, about which I've already enthused, and the bread and bagels made by Synergy Diet. The sweet baked goods -- the muffins and cookies, etc. -- were pretty stunningly mediocre. Edible, by and large, if you were really jonesing for a cookie, but nothing I would ever feed to guests. Interestingly, the Pure De-Lite peanut butter cookies were particularly puke-worthy.

I would second the suggestion of checking out the LowCarbLuxury website. You might also want to look at Diana Lee's three books about low-carb baking and sweets, all of them available from Amazon.

[elyse]

OY so much to think about! I did price Splenda today at the supermarket, and boy is it expensive. I think I have to forego this until I can find it cheaper.

Where does one find erythritol?

[elyse]

Oh my God. I just looked at those sites and I am so confused. Where can I find protein mix, and what the hell is it? And something about Atkins mix?

I need to lie down.

[mags]

Yeah, any specialty diet stuff is horrendously expensive. I buy erythritol in one-pound packages from lowcarbdieters.com, but you might be able to get it wholesale from them. I've also heard tell of some people who buy it in bulk; if you do a Google search for it, you might come up with a source.

If you really want to make products for the low-carb market it might be useful to read some of the diet books -- the various Atkins books, or the Protein Power books -- to get a solid sense of what is and isn't legal. I would also suggest picking up a couple of the cookbooks -- Dana Carpender's book, perhaps, and Diana Lee's -- and following those recipes, so you can get familiar with the problems and possibilities of low-carb baking.

[coastcat]

Atkins mix = Atkins bake mix

Protein mix = Probably refers to protein powder, the stuff bodybuilders use. It can be made with soy, egg, vegetable, or whey protein; some brands mix two or more types.

Both products are readily found at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, health food stores, and online retailers (I like Netrition). Wal-Mart tends to carry a lot of low-carb products, and mainstream supermarkets and drugstores are starting to carry them as well.

However, I prefer to avoid "Frankenfoods". Try focusing on the recipes that use nut flours instead, like the peanut butter cookies or almond cookies from the Low Carb Luxury site (the almond pound cake is also irresistible). You can make your own nut flours with skinless nuts and a coffee grinder. Of course, nut flour is also available from health food stores (I think some Trader Joe's carry almond flour, too).

[Katherine]

I once made a carb-free (<5g/serving) cheesecake that was sweetened with Splenda. The crust was crushed macadamia nuts, cinnamon, and Splenda. The filling was a simple one that called for no starch, mostly eggs, cream cheese, and Splenda that I substituted for the sugar.

It was fabulous. No one would ever have been able to guess it was artificially sweetened.

[Foam Pants]

I would think that a liquid artificial sweetener wouldn't be a good choice for cookies. Isn't the creaming of the sugar and fat important? In what ratio would you combine Splenda with erythritol? Don't these nut flours add a lot of fat? For diabetics, it isn't that you can't have carbs, it is that you need to be highly aware of the amount of carbs you eat and you need to eat them in smaller amounts over time.

Also another question about nut flours: When you make them at home, how do you process them? I would be very worried about my nut flour turning into nut butter.

*Takes notes*

By the way, I am giving a schpeel on diabetes for the upcoming eGCI. I am mostly giving general information about diabetes and how to manage it but I am very interested in this thread. Maybe I will do some home experimentation and come up with a really tasty sugar-free cookie recipe if people are interested.

[mags]

I generally mix Splenda half/half with erythritol, sometimes going a bit heavier on the latter. BTW, it is not liquid; it's available in granular and powdered form. Yes, nut flours add a lot of fat; that's something low-carb dieters aren't particularly concerned about, as a rule, although I don't know any who eat high-fat sweets as anything other than an occasional treat.

If you want to try cooking either low-carb or sugar-free, I would strongly suggest, again, that you take a look at some of the cookbooks that address these particular topics. Both flour substitutes and sugar substitutes can be used to produce good-tasting baked goods, but they don't behave exactly like the products they're replacing, and you'll save yourself a lot of trouble (not to mention a lot of expensive ingredients) if you do a little research ahead of time and build on other people's trial and error.

[coastcat]

A liquid sweetener is fine for flavoring cookies or cakes, but does nothing for the structure. Unfortunately, I don't think Splenda creates much structure, either. For home-baked cookies and cakes, you're better off using recipes that create dense items like the almond cookies and flourless chocolate torte.

This is why you'll find many recipes for low-carb cheesecakes and ice creams - you don't sacrifice texture. If I were making a low-carb dessert item for sale, I'd make mini cheesecakes (in cupcake wrappers) using sugar-free syrups for sweetening and flavoring.

Diabetics and low-carb eaters don't necessarily have similar dietary guidelines. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetics can safely eat some sugar as recent research indicates sucrose does not affect blood glucose levels more than starch does. Well, perhaps, but low-carb eaters avoid both starch and sugar - even if they have an equal impact on blood glucose, they both still have an impact! On the LC support boards you'll find a lot of Type II diabetics using low-carb eating to reduce weight and blood sugar. Type I diabetes is a different creature, though, since it's not triggered by lifestyle the way Type II often is. (note: I switched to low-carb when tests showed I was pre-diabetic; after three months, my glucose is still a little high, but significantly lower than before)

Recipes which are simply sugar-reduced or sugar-free are probably suitable for diabetics, but low-carbers also need starch-free recipes (again, this explains the popularity of cheesecake and ice cream). Whole grains are fine for low-carbers who are maintaining weight or are following a less-restrictive version of low-carb eating like The Zone.

Fat may be an issue for diabetics (the ADA recommends low-fat diets), but not for low-carbers. You want to avoid saturated fats and trans-fatty acids as much as possible, though, but that's good advice for everyone.

It's all a bit complicated.

[JFLinLA]

A few thoughts:

1. Regarding Splenda, it's been a while since I checked on the King Arthur board (bakingcircle.com) but I remember some discussion about adding powdered milk into things when baking with Splenda.

2. I live with someone who can't/doesn't eat sugar and recently tried using agave nectar. It's supposed to have a "low glycemic index." I've got more experience with barley malt syrup and my first try with the agave nectar . . . well, I need to play around with it a bit more but you've got to start somewhere.

3. The Whole Foods near me carries a line of sugar-free baked goods from a company called Fabe's. The stuff is pretty good and that person I live with really loves it. There stuff all seems to use fruit juice concentrate as a sweetener. I wonder how they do it?

[Foam Pants]

For someone who has type II diabetes, it really isn't a question of sugar verses complex carbs, it is a question of carbs altogether. Fruit sugar is still carbs as is an apple. One benefit of non-artificial white sugar alternatives is that they do have some nutritional value and they aren't as sugary, if that makes any sense, and so they don't mess with your blood glucose levels as much. A diabetic needs carbs but has to be very careful about the amount and the timing. Eating a small, steady amount is usually best. And, yes, most dietitians recommend lowering fat for those with type II diabetes.

I am unfamiliar with the no/low carb diet aside from how it pertains to diabetes. I'll have to find these books everyone has talked about and I have visited the Low Carb Luxury site. Very informative.

I'm thankful this thread has come up. It has given me plenty of avenues to take this eGCI Diabetes topic to give people valuable info. I also have a lot of new questions to ask and research. I'm going to pose the baking question to a c-worker who is a diabetes specialist nurse. I am sure she has info aplenty on artificial sweeteners and options.

Edited July 23, 2003 by Foam Pants (log)

[coastcat]

There is such a thing as a no-carb diet. The Stillman diet is one such diet, meant to be used for a very short time under a doctor's supervision. It's basically all-protein, with no carbs and very little added fat. Someone on the Stillman diet isn't going to be buying dessert items - unless you've got a recipe for beef cookies

For someone who has type II diabetes, it really isn't a question of sugar verses complex carbs, it is a question of carbs altogether. Fruit sugar is still carbs as is an apple.

It's the same for low-carbers. We get the majority of our carbohydrates from vegetables, with additional carbs coming from dairy, low-glycemic fruits, nuts, and spices (yes, spices have carbs, and they count!). It's not nearly as limiting as people seem to think - two cups of chopped broccoli have a mere 4.3g of usable carbs (after deducting fiber). When you switch from weight loss to weight maintenance, you add whole grains and more fruits. The typical fat level for an Atkins eater is higher (50-65% during weight loss, percentage on maintenance varies depending on how many carbs your body can handle without regaining weight) than what dietitians recommend. Then again, dietitians generally recommend the USDA food pyramid with its emphasis on carbohydrates; I gained a whole lot of poundage trying to follow that diet by eating lots of healthy low-fat pasta dishes. Oh well, works for some, just not for me.

FYI, Atkins For Life is the book for weight maintenance. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution is the one for weight loss; some believe that Protein Power by the Drs. Eades (husband and wife team) explains the science better. The official Atkins website has some useful info about diet and diabetes.

[pamela95]

The task of finding a GOOD recipe will be the hard part. I am a low carber, and have had lots of tries at good cakes and muffins. Finding a good replacement for both sugars and flour has often created disastrous results. More bad than good came out of the attempts. Splenda, while a better option than Aspertame still doesn't have the bulking quality that sugar does, and using large amounts of it still leaves an aftertaste. Not to mention that 1 cup of it still contains 24g of carbs, which for those on the strictest of programs might still be too much for their programs.

As others have mentioned being diabetic and low carbers do follow very different programs, especially if a diabetic is taking insulin. Many times though, I have seen low carbers say they are diabetic so that people will take seriously their need for what is being asked. CoastCat has really explained things well.

Cheesecakes are a great idea, as I've had only good luck there. I made an excellent brownie cookie (that was supposed to be a brownie proper, but didn't quite fill the pan thickly enough to be considered a brownie in my eyes.)

I was actually coming here to this board after checking out the thread regarding adding stabilizers to ice cream/sorbet for ideas on how to keep Low Carb ice cream from turning into bricks once frozen, since any sugar-based products are out of the question. I'd still love some suggestions. I've heard some use lecithin, guar gum and glycerine and wonder your opinions on those options.

Due to my lowcarbing, my recipe website now has a rather large collection of 800+ low carb recipes. I've posted reviews (some with pictures) of things I've tried. I'd be happy to collaborate with you on finding something good. The lowcarb page starts at http://www.intheknow.us/cooking/lowcarb.asp with an alphabetical listing, and the forums are fully searchable if you are looking for something in particular.

Regards,

Pam

[Foam Pants]

A lot of type II diabetics do try an Atkin's style low-carb diet although many dietitians don't support it. I think it is a combination of a diabetic's susceptibility to ketoacidosis, hypoglycemia, and similar conditions and the lack of medical research on very low/no-carb diets.

There are some diabetics that really succeed and live very healthy on a low-carb diet... some could even say it saved their lives.

[elyse]

Someone on the Stillman diet isn't going to be buying dessert items - unless you've got a recipe for beef cookies

You think I don't have a recipe for beef cookies?

One of my problems here is that it's just a few people asking for this, and I don't have time to locate, order, test, and UNDERSTAND everything. I've only had time to gather recipes for my regular stuff, and shop at Costco. I think once things settle down I can concentrate a bit on this. I think cheesecakes are out since I haven't been approved for custardy type items. But I am selling a cheese bread batter from a cooler, so maybe I'll call up the inspector.

[Rachel Perlow]

If we can't provide Elyse with one or two recipes (not suggestions of sites that might have recipes, but actual recipes or specific link to a specific recipe), then can we at least offer suggestions of how to politely tell the very persistant and guilt-tripping customer (that I witnessed), that she just isn't able to make what he's requesting? (BTW - Just to make life harder, I think it was the same guy that didn't want any nuts either.)

[elyse]

Yeah, he was killin' me! I wish Jason had a video camera.

I did look at the sites and e-mail myself some pages, but It's gathering everything too. Maybe R.E.Diamond will have some of this stuff, or tell me where I can get it cheap.

Edited July 26, 2003 by elyse (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

It's a hard topic. I think Rachel makes a great point. I've had the same experience-people pressing me to make items that didn't contain an ingredient they couldn't eat or low fat desserts. But then when I'd jump thru their hoop and make items for them, and they didn't buy them or they buy 1 item once and not any more then that. In general (although there are exceptions) people on special diets don't eat out as often as average and aren't used to the price of speciality goods because they make them themselves. They can be really hard people to sell to.

Your doing this to make money. Yes, there's a huge market for speciality baked goods BUT all those people aren't going to show up at you market weekly and buy. I think you have to do what's best for your pocket and make what's the best selling and most profitable items you can.

Please forgive me if anyone here is offended by my generalizations........but I believe them to be true.

[elyse]

I agree, but I tend to be an accommodating person when possible. I'm only looking at making a batch or so of cookies at first, and if there's more demand, I'll increase to other items.