Desserts, Sweets and Treats
This Olive Oil Panna Cotta, adapted from a recipe by David Lebovitz, is one of those desserts that sounds as though it shouldn't work, that is until the first spoonful. Fruity extra virgin olive oil gives the cream a delicate yet distinctive flavor, adding surprising complexity. Simplicity itself, an elegant dessert that won't fail to please.
This warm Strawberry Spoon Cake turns a keto yellow cake mix into something special. With allulose and superfine almond flour in the mix, it bakes up tender and golden with a soft center somewhere between cake and pudding. Add a scoop of low-carb vanilla ice cream or a cloud of whipped cream and call dessert done.
These almond-flour gems are studded with sugar-free chocolate chips and walnuts. Finished with a pinch of flaky sea salt, these cookies are buttery, chewy and deeply satisfying. At just 2 grams net carbs each, they're the kind of treat that makes believers out of skeptics.
This low-carb cloud pie started as a “failed” cotton cheesecake experiment and turned into something extraordinary. Light, custardy and scented with vanilla and lemon, it’s baked as a single-serving dessert and finished with a glossy balsamic-blueberry sauce. Elegant, simple and indulgent.
Cranberry curd tastes like the holidays on a spoon. This version leans on cranberries’ natural pectin to achieve a silky, jewel-toned curd. The Italian meringue on top sounds fussy, but it isn’t. Gelatin creates a stable, sugar-free meringue with a marshmallow-like texture that pipes beautifully.
Almond-based cakes are common in the Mediterranean region, so I focused my search there. When I stumbled across a recipe for Torta Caprese, an Italian classic made with almond flour and dark chocolate, I knew I’d found the perfect test case for making a low carb chocolate cake.
This Pumpkin-Ginger Ice Cream Sundae starts with a riff on a recipe for pumpkin-ginger gelato that I found many years ago in an Italian food magazine. It's a dessert that highlights the season’s flavors and turns them into something playful, elegant and entirely irresistible.
This Rum Caramel Sauce is a family favorite for good reason. Sweetened with allulose and sugar-free, it captures the deep, buttery richness of classic caramel. I keep a jar in the fridge at all times. With zero net carbs per serving, this sauce is the perfect indulgence for low carb and keto lifestyles.
A dessert that’s light yet luscious, with just the right balance of sweetness and acidity. Topped with a perfect sliced strawberry, this parfait is as lovely to look at as it is to eat. Serve in glass for an easy, show-stopping finale to any spring or summer meal.
A rich, sugar-free almond cake with white chocolate folded into the batter, topped with sliced almonds and fresh blackberries. This elegant low carb dessert is perfect for entertaining — simple, make-ahead friendly, and completely gluten-free.
Inspired by a gorgeous dessert I found in the online Italian magazine, Crema alla Pompelmo Gratinata, or grapefruit custard gratin, is a soufflé-like custard with a golden brown top, nestled around segments of grapefruit. It’s light, luxurious and just a little unexpected. It's a refined finish to any meal.
Blushing Maiden, a German dessert named for its pink hue, is made with raspberries, cream, buttermilk and lemon juice. Decorated with whipped cream rosettes, fresh raspberries and a scatter of pistachio crumbs, the result is a dessert that’s tart yet sweet, rich yet refreshing, the perfect show-stopper to end a meal.
In Denmark, this berry pudding is a celebration of summer, made with fresh berries and often rhubarb. In winter, I use frozen raspberries and lingonberries. Fresh cranberries work wonderfully as a substitute if lingonberries aren’t available. With its vibrant, sweet-tart flavors, Rødgrød Med Fløde is a delightful end to a holiday meal.
Buttery and brightened with orange zest, these cookies are perfect for any occasion. They are so good that their carb count is almost unbelievable at 1g net carbs per cookie.
This cake is a decadent, two-layer wonder featuring a silky, pumpkin and cream cheese flan over a cinnamon-almond sponge. Cut the 40 grams net carbs per slice of (boring) pumpkin pie down to 7 grams net carbs per serving of this gorgeous, show stopper dessert, perfect for autumn and holiday celebrations.
